It cut deep but Kenny Dalglish knows there’s no time to wallow in self pity after Thursday night’s European exit.
If Liverpool FC is going to rescue anything for this season there can be no hangover from their disappointing failure to get past Braga.
Crashing out of the Europa League may have delivered a potentially fatal blow to the Reds’ hopes of playing in continental competition next term but the manager is refusing to throw in the towel.
With Tottenham six points better off with a game in hand, reaching fifth spot between now and May is a tall order.
However, Dalglish is up for the fight and is determined to ensure his players give everything they’ve got over the remaining nine games – starting at the Stadium of Light tomorrow.
Prior to their struggles against the Portuguese, Liverpool had outplayed and outfought Premier League leaders Manchester United and the Scotsman wants those heights to be reached again.
“Winning the Europa League was an opportunity for us to get back into Europe for next season,” Dalglish said.
“We can still do that through the Premier League so we have just got to try and get as many wins as we can. We have to have a go for it. I don’t know whether being out of Europe is a blessing or not.
“We’re just going to have to brush ourselves down after Thursday night and then go to Sunderland to do the best we can to get a result for everyone.
“It is very difficult to predict how many points we will need for anything. The next game is the most important and we will give it our best to get as many points out of it as we can.”
Dalglish is hoping for better fortune this time than Liverpool’s last trip to the Stadium of Light when they were infamously undone by a beach ball.
In October 2009 Darren Bent’s strike left Pepe Reina helpless after it was deflected in off the inflatable thrown on to the pitch from the away end. Referee Mike Jones wrongly allowed the goal to stand and Liverpool failed to respond.
“I just hope there are no beach balls lying about this time,” Dalglish said.
“I was there last season. I knew what happened at the time and I know what should have happened as well.
“In happens in training all the time – someone shoots and there’s another ball lying there.
“The keeper doesn’t go for the one that’s been struck but he goes for the one that’s been struck by the ball. If you’ve trained then you would know instinctively what happened.”
Eighth placed Sunderland are only four points adrift of the Reds and forced a 2-2 draw at Anfield last September.
Dalglish is full of praise for the way boss Steve Bruce has established the Black Cats in the top flight.
“I know they lost their last home game against Tottenham but they’ll be a difficult side to beat up there as they were down here,” he said.
“Steve Bruce has done a fantastic job. He allowed the sale of Darren Bent, their leading scorer, which I don’t necessarily think would have been his choice, but it’s a real gesture from him because it brings some money back into the club.
“His chairman has also done a great job in supporting Steve and he has done a fantastic job on and off the pitch.
“It will be tough but hopefully it will be tough for them as well.”
Luis Suarez will return to the Liverpool side tomorrow after being ineligible against Braga but Dalglish must decide whether to partner him with Andy Carroll from the start for the first time.
Their partnership is eagerly anticipated but Dalglish will leave it late before deciding on Carroll’s fitness.
The £35m man, who terrorised Sunderland in Newcastle’s 5-1 win earlier in the season, played his first 90 minutes since December 28 against Braga and could be left on the bench.
“We will see how Andy looks and will do our best to keep him going with his recovery,” Dalglish said.
“We will do what’s best in our interests. Maybe playing him for 90 minutes against Braga wasn’t the wisest thing to do but lots of things he did in the game was encouraging. He’s still got a fair bit of fitness to come.
“Andy has tremendous assets and we have got to learn how to get the best out of them. But Andy has also got to learn how to get the best out of the assets in the rest of the side.
“Overall, I was pleased to see him back on the pitch and can’t be disappointed with his contribution in any way on Thursday. He was unfortunate not to have scored when his header just went wide.”
Liverpool, who has taken 17 points out of 27 since Dalglish returned to the Anfield hot seat, will come up against former Reds midfielder Bolo Zenden tomorrow.
The Dutchman made 47 appearances for the Reds between 2005 and 2007, his last appearance was in the 2007 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan.
“When I was at Liverpool, I played in a Champions League final, we were in the top four, there was no instability and everything was fine,” Zenden said. “Then because I left everything collapsed!”
“But King Kenny has come back and there is a really positive vibe about the club.”
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