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The Slovakian centre-back says the input of Kenny Dalglish and Steve Clarke has helped him win over the Liverpool fans

The demands of a young family have reduced Martin Skrtel’s interaction with the Liverpool public yet he remains acutely aware of how they perceive him. It was four years ago today that Rafael Benítez’s search for a young, commanding central defender concluded in the £6.5m signing of the Slovakia international from Zenit St Petersburg. It is only now that he feels the unconditional acceptance of Anfield.

A reflection of Skrtel’s form, and the finest compliment to his partnership with Daniel Agger, is that Jamie Carragher’s time as an automatic selection in the heart of the Liverpool defence has ended in smooth transition and minus the consequences that would once have been inevitable. Only Manchester City, Liverpool opponents tonight in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg, boast a better defensive record than Kenny Dalglish’s team in the Premier League. The most consistent and authoritative performances of Skrtel’s Anfield career have been instrumental in that foundation and, though he flatly denies feeling assured of a starting role under Dalglish, he concedes the fight to prove himself at Liverpool has finally swung his way.

“I don’t go to the city centre now because I am busy with my young baby but, of course, I can see people look at me in a different way now to how they were looking at me before and I am happy about that,” the 27-year-old says. “I can say that two years ago there were doubts about me. I could see in their reaction that they didn’t think I was consistent. They were undecided about me so I hope for the last year I’ve shown that I am good enough and that I can play for Liverpool.”

Skrtel, after much cajoling, is prepared to admit that “this is the best period in my career and definitely since I came here to Liverpool,” and credits Dalglish and his assistant, Steve Clarke, with improving the entire back-line during their year at the helm. “We work a lot in training on defending with Steve and that has probably helped not only me but all the guys who play at the back,” he says. “Since Kenny and Steve have come in [one year ago this week] the atmosphere changed around the team. Everything is much, much better now. If I feel the confidence from the manager that is important for me and maybe that is the reason.”

As with so many centre-halves at a new club and with a sizeable transfer fee, Skrtel made an ignominious start to his career in England. His full debut for Liverpool came in the remarkable FA Cup fourth-round tie against Havant and Waterlooville when, having erred as the non-league side twice took the lead at Anfield and given a nervous display, he needed consoling words from Benítez to recover.

“I remember just going back to my hotel knowing it was not my best performance,” Skrtel recalls. “I knew the people were talking about me – that I wasn’t good enough for Liverpool and that the club had paid a lot of money for me. For me it was important that Rafa said, ‘Don’t worry about this game. Look ahead to the next game, I will give you a chance and you have to show you are a better player.’”

Skrtel improved rapidly but those early months in a strange land continued to present problems. He admits: “It was very difficult at first. I came from Russia, everything was different. It was a big club. One of the biggest in the world. It was a little bit strange for me, you know, because I came here to be in the dressing room with players like Stevie [Gerrard], Fernando [Torres] and Carra. I wasn’t used to that. I couldn’t speak English, I couldn’t understand the lads and the first thing I did was to try and sort that out the language problems. On the pitch I didn’t start well either, against Havant.

“For me the Premier League is the best competition in the world with the best players and it is not easy to settle down. I also needed to learn the way of the game, the speed of the game. The game here was much, much harder than it was in Slovakia and Russia.”

One aspect of Skrtel’s Liverpool career that has not changed is his luck at City, or, more accurately, his lack of it. The Slovakian ruptured a cruciate ligament in a 3-2 win at what was then Eastlands in 2008, suffered a head injury in another visit and last week conceded the penalty that sealed City’s 3-0 league win and prompted Roberto Mancini to wave an imaginary and unsavoury red card demanding his dismissal.

“This is a chance not only for me but for everyone who is working at the club,” insists Skrtel. “It is a semi-final and I think it will be a totally different game to the last one in the league. We have two games and have to give it all. Personally, I got an injury there and there was the penalty in the last game. I think it is time for a change in my luck.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, are interested in Sporting Lisbon’s promising 18-year-old midfielder, Joao Teixeira.

Defensive duos of the past at AnfieldLiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Great expectations, big-money buys and a thorny issue – 12 eventful months for Kenny Dalglish on his return to Anfield

8 Jan 11

Roy Hodgson leaves Liverpool, three days after a 3-1 defeat at Blackburn. To the delight of fans, Kenny Dalglish is appointed manager for the rest of the season. “Kenny was a legendary player and the third of our three most successful managers,” says John W Henry, the club’s owner

11 Jan 11

Dalglish says he would be “delighted” if the manager’s job were offered to him on a permanent basis. This comes a few days after he has lost his first game in charge since his return, an FA

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Paul will be here from around 7.15pm. In the meantime, here’s Jonathan Wilson on why Liverpool have struggled to score goals this season:

Liverpool sit a reasonably contented sixth in the table. They have conceded fewer goals than anybody else in the Premier League and, although a gap of 11 points to the leaders is probably too much to make up, there is no reason why they shouldn’t mount a strong challenge to qualify for the Champions League. The one niggling doubt, and the one reason that they’re not in with a chance of winning the title, is their repeated failure to kill sides off at home.

Although they ended up winning relatively comfortably against Newcastle on Friday, that was only their fourth win in 10 home games this season. A record of 14 goals from 10 matches at Anfield tells the same story as the memory of countless headers flashing just wide and opposing goalkeepers making save after save. Andy Carroll, mocked as he is, seems to have been particularly unfortunate in that regard, being denied late winners by barely credible saves from Manchester City’s Joe Hart and Blackburn’s Mark Bunn.

Luck, the unspoken deity that haunts football more than anyone likes to admit, has played its part, and it may be that the second half of the season will follow the model of the Newcastle game rather than the 1-1 draw with Blackburn as success breeds confidence. Much of success in sport, though, is about manipulating percentages, and it’s perhaps there that Liverpool bear a level of responsibility for their failing.

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Premier League 2011-12Manchester CityLiverpoolPremier LeaguePaul Doyleguardian.co.uk