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• Liverpool manager critical after abject Premier League defeat
• ‘We have to be honest when we’ve been bad’

The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, has defended his very public criticism of the players after insisting there can be no hiding place from failure. The Scot diverted from his usual stout defence of the squad to lambast their attitude and lack of application in Saturday’s abject 3-1 defeat at struggling Bolton.

“I think what was said had to be said,” Dalglish explained. “It’s a difficult thing to do but I think it was an honest thing to do as well. At the end of the day I don’t think anyone can object to the fact that we never played anything like we’re capable of playing. I don’t think anybody can hide behind a performance like we had on Saturday and I don’t think anyone would try to do that.

“In the past we’ve rightly praised them when they’ve deserved it, we’ve given them plaudits when we’ve done well and we’ve congratulated them for the way they’ve gone about their work. We have to be honest in our appraisal when we’ve been bad as well.

“When you’ve been critical it doesn’t mean to say you’re getting any pleasure from it because at the end of the day we’re all in it together. It’s not the coaching staff and the players, it’s everybody.”

The Premier League leaders, Manchester City, visit Anfield tomorrow as they attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.

“Let’s not be running away with ourselves, let’s make sure we get the hard work done first,” Dalglish told liverpoolfc.tv. “We have a slight advantage, we just need to go into the game and compete.

“It’s not going to be a game that’s going to be anything other than really difficult for us. They got a fantastic result on Sunday against Tottenham [winning 3-2) which keeps them at the top of the league, so I’m sure they’ll be well up for it.

“For us it’s important to do our own job, and if we do that then a bit of luck as well wouldn’t go amiss. Hopefully it will be a fantastic occasion for everyone.”

LiverpoolKenny Dalglish
guardian.co.uk

• Bolton beat us for commitment, says Kenny Dalglish
• Liverpool players thought they only had to turn up to win

Kenny Dalglish tore into his under-performing Liverpool players after a lacklustre defeat at Bolton Wanderers, accusing them of thinking they only had to turn up to win and disrespecting both their opponents and the traditions of their own club.

“The most disappointing thing for me was that I don’t think the approach was correct,” the Liverpool manager said after Bolton’s surprisingly comprehensive 3-1 win. “The foundations of this club have always been based on respect for other people. You can’t come to places like this thinking all you need to do is turn up to get a result. That’s what I think we did today, and that’s why we were taught a lesson. It’s not the right way to represent the club. I don’t think we were even ready to play the game. That’s probably why we lost a goal after four minutes. I don’t think the way we went about our work was correct.”

Liverpool have two important cup games against more illustrious opponents coming up, the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester City on Wednesday followed by Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round at the weekend, and the suspicion is that Dalglish’s players were looking too far ahead rather than concentrating on the matter in hand. “This philosophy of this club has always been that the next game is the most important one, not the one two or three games down the line,” Dalglish said. “You have to match the opposition for effort and commitment and today we didn’t do that. I hope a lesson has been learned. I don’t want to take anything away from Owen or the way Bolton played, but we have to see what we can do to prevent this happening in the future.”

After climbing out of the bottom three with victory, Bolton’s manager was naturally elated. “We have had our problems this season but we always knew we could address them,” Owen Coyle said. “We have been working to put things right, we have players coming back and we have played well in our last few games. We deserved this result: we were terrific in possession and organised when we lost the ball.

“It’s not very enjoyable, to be honest, waiting for a late kick-off and watching all the other results coming in, not when you are in the bottom three anyway. But we played to a very high standard today, we showed what we could do and we will continue to believe in ourselves. It was a fantastic team performance.”

LiverpoolKenny DalglishOwen CoyleBolton WanderersPaul Wilson
guardian.co.uk

• Midfielder is back after illness and injury
• Andy Carroll set to play against former club

Kenny Dalglish has warned against expecting too much, too soon from Steven Gerrard, who is back fit again and available to face Newcastle United for Liverpool at Anfield on Friday night.

“We could do with a few more goals, and Steven may be able to help us with that,” Dalglish said. “He’s got goals in him, as well as charisma, presence and everything else. But every player in the side is capable of scoring goals, we can’t just put it all on Steven’s shoulders. If we are going to be a one-man band we’ve no chance. Every single one of us is going to have to score a few more goals. There’s no magic formula.”

Liverpool have scored only 21 goals in 18 Premier League matches and have drawn six of their nine matches at Anfield. Their top scorer Luis Suárez, with five league goals, will miss the game after being banned for his one-fingered gesture to the crowd at Fulham this month, opening the door for Andy Carroll to play against his old club.

Gerrard has been out for a couple of months with a freak succession of strains and infections, but played for 20 minutes against Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day and according to his manager is in better shape than ever.

“He looks unbelievably fit at the moment,” Dalglish said. “I think he feels the bad luck might all be behind him now. He just needs game time but we won’t be irresponsible. We’ll just take it as diligently and professionally as we always do. There’s no need to throw him straight in. He’s not ready to last 90 minutes yet, and he’s experienced enough to recognise that. There’s no panic. We’d rather have him for the rest of the season than just a couple of games right away.”

Gerrard’s return against Blackburn lifted the spirits of the Anfield crowd, even if his efforts on the pitch were not quite as successful as he would have wished in terms of turning another home draw into a win. Ever the realist, Dalglish does not believe Liverpool’s results will automatically improve now their most celebrated player is back. “It’s great to have him playing again, but he’s never really been away from the club,” the Liverpool manager said. “He’s always in and around the club and the training ground anyway, just like Jamie Carragher. It’s a bit like having three captains at the moment [Pepé Reina has been wearing the armband in the absence of the other two], and that can only make us stronger.

“There’s no doubt that Steven has made a massive contribution to the success of this football club, and he’s managed to do it in a lot of the games that really meant something, but you don’t actually know how the season would have gone had he been playing. It might have been different, it might not.

“I just think it’s a great credit to the rest of the lads that they have done so well without Steven. We all know what a great player he is, and if we are already playing well without him it can only improve us when he returns.”

Dalglish added: “Our target for the new year is to build on the work that’s already been done. When you consider how far we have come since August, we are pretty pleased. I’m delighted to be back here, I was fortunate to be asked. I’m happy and I am working with great people. We could be higher in the table but apart from the one at Manchester City every manager in the Premier League would say the same