Kenny - We're Prepared

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists that he will be better prepared to face Manchester United this time around.

The Scot faced United just hours after returning to the Reds dugout as manager following Roy Hodgson's dismissal the day before an FA Cup third round tie at Old Trafford in January.

Despite the romantic return of the man the Kop faithful call 'the King,' it was not to be for Dalglish on that day as his team went down 1-0 to a Ryan Giggs penalty in the first minute and had skipper Steven Gerrard sent off.

However since that day Dalglish, who turned 60 on Friday, has turned things around in the Premier League and moved Liverpool away from a place in the bottom half to the top six.

The Reds legend had to cut short a holiday in the Persian Gulf to return to Anfield and did not have any time to ready his players, but admitted that his team is far more prepared for the league leaders upon their visit to Anfield on Sunday.

"I never had any time (ahead of their FA Cup meeting). I was in transit but the lads had been well prepared here," said the Scot.

"But obviously that went out the window a little bit in the first minute when they got a penalty and Steven got sent off.

"You can prepare as much as you want but you can't prepare for things like that."

With such a bitter rivalry between the two, and in light of Gerrard's dismissal last time round in a game that is notoriously feisty over the years, Dalglish was eager to remind his team that they must keep their heads.

"It's hard for us to talk about discipline when we got somebody sent off in the last game but I don't think it's difficult to be disciplined," Dalglish added.

"You have to compete and it's a fine line as to how you do that.

"If you do something stupid you deserve to be sent off. I don't think there is a problem with discipline from either team - certainly from us there is no problem.

"You've got to have controlled aggression, not just for this game but for any game.

"You can't go around punching and kicking and headbutting people and expect to stay on the pitch.

"It's got to be within the rules of the game. The lads know the rules but they also know we've got to compete."

He continued: "Every game's very important for this football club but Liverpool-Manchester United is a game that a lot of people look forward to.

"But you get the same rewards for it regarding points, although maybe a bit more credit and you might get a few more inches in the newspaper columns if you get a positive result.

"Every game is [against] a rival. Everybody that stands in front of you is an opponent.

"Everybody plays football to play at the highest level they possibly can and the games between Liverpool and Manchester United are what you term as the highest category of game you can get.

"I suppose anybody that's playing football would love to play in them."

Georginio Wijnaldum Linked With Anfield Switch

Liverpool starlet target Georginio Wijnaldum insists he's taking his chance in-front of scouts.

The Feyenoord star is reportedly being watched by a number of clubs, including Liverpool, and a four-goal haul against Groningen will have gone someway to impressing the scouts.

"The truth is that I've been playing like this for weeks, only now the goals are flying in," said the 20-year-old.

Liverpool have been monitoring the player since last March, according to tribalfootball, and the player names compatriot Dirk Kuyt as one of his role models.

"Dirk Kuyt is my role model. He left Feyenoord when he was the best, I am not that far away."

Wijnaldum broke into the first team at De Kuip back in 2007, and has since made over 100 Eredivisie appearances for the club. He's also gained experience at European level.

Yet to receive a senior international cap, Wijnaldum has represented Holland at U21 level and is tipped to be a star of the future for the Netherlands.

The Reds were linked with an £8 million move for the player as far back as April, with Voetbal Centraal claiming Liverpool had already spent 18 months considering a move almost a year ago.

Despite two changes of management at Anfield, Liverpool is still thought to be in the hunt for the player and could make their move at the end of the season.

Liverpool Midfielder Target 'Has Heart Set' On £10m Move

Liverpool midfielder target Steven Defour could make a summer move to the Barclays Premier League, claims the player's agent.

The Belgian international has been linked with a number of English clubs in the past, with Liverpool thought to be one of those keen on bringing the player to Anfield.

Manchester United and Arsenal have also been monitoring the player in the past, with Sir Alex Ferguson famously writing the player a letter after a serious injury back in 2008.

Liverpool were first linked with the player back in the summer, with the Daily Mirror claiming the Merseysiders would challenge United for the player's signature.

A move failed to materialize however, and the player has continued to build his reputation at Standard Liege. After recovering from a couple of serious injuries, agent Paul Stefani told Sport.co.uk that they are hopeful of a move.

He has returned and made a full recovery, so we must keep our fingers crossed for the future, and hope that he doesn’t get a fresh injury," Stefani stated.

"Now he has a very big hope that things are going well. Every top club is following him and regularly watching him, but there is no concrete contact.

“The Premier League is something he likes very much, and he has performed well against Liverpool and Everton in Europe, he was one of the best players on the pitch. I think in the summer a Premier League would suit him for sure.”

Kenny Dalglish has hinted at a number of summer additions as he looks to revamp the Liverpool squad in his mould, and the centre of midfield is thought to be a position of interest to the Scotsman.

Christian Poulsen has failed to impress with his limited opportunities, and Sport.co.uk claims Defour has his 'heart set' on a move to England. It's thought the player would cost Liverpool, or any of his suitors, a fee in the region of £10 million.

Serie A Star Ezequiel Lavezzi Could Be On His Way To Anfield

Kenny Dalglish has already strengthened his attacking options with the additions of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll who both came to Anfield in big-money deals, but the spending doesn’t look set to stop there with a whole host of names continually linked with a move to Liverpool when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

Described by imscouting.com as a skilful player who likes to play in the hole behind one or two strikers, Lavezzi could be exactly what Kop fans are looking for to improve their beloved club’s fortunes.

However, a potential stumbling block for Liverpool officials could be how they can convince Lavezzi to leave Champions League bound Napoli, who are currently second in Serie A behind leaders AC Milan.

With the Reds likely to miss out on fourth place this season they will only be able to offer Europa League football, but Kenny Dalglish will hope that Liverpool’s long-term vision will be enough to sway the player to move to Anfield.

Kenny Dalglish has already strengthened his attacking options with the additions of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll who both came to Anfield in big-money deals, but the spending doesn’t look set to stop there with a whole host of names continually linked with a move to Liverpool when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

Described by imscouting.com as a skilful player who likes to play in the hole behind one or two strikers, Lavezzi could be exactly what Kop fans are looking for to improve their beloved club’s fortunes.

However, a potential stumbling block for Liverpool officials could be how they can convince Lavezzi to leave Champions League bound Napoli, who are currently second in Serie A behind leaders AC Milan.

With the Reds likely to miss out on fourth place this season they will only be able to offer Europa League football, but Kenny Dalglish will hope that Liverpool’s long-term vision will be enough to sway the player to move to Anfield.

Liverpool And Arsenal Target Keisuke Honda Linked With Summer Switch

Liverpool playmaker target Keisuke Honda is being linked with a summer move away from Russia.

The CSKA Moscow star has been earning rave reviews since his return from the World Cup, with Liverpool thought to be one of the clubs keen on signing the 24-year-old.

Borussia Dortmund have joined the chase for the player though, according to reports in Russia, and the current Bundesliga leaders appear set to pose a €15 million challenge to Liverpool for the attacking midfielder's signature.

Arsenal has also been linked with the player in the past, with Arsene Wenger a confirmed admirer of the player.

The Gunners' chief described the Japanese star as a 'genius' whilst commentating for French TV in South Africa, sparking speculation that Arsenal would look to entice the player to the Emirates.

With the manager's connections in Asia, a move to north London seemed like a realistic possibility in the summer, but the interest from Arsenal appears to have died.

It's Liverpool who is showing the most interest in England, according to reports, and Kenny Dalglish has hinted at a number of changes at the end of the season.

NESV proved that they are willing to back the Anfield chief financially in January, although it's unknown if the Scot is keen to spend €15 million of the Liverpool owners' cash on Honda.

Liverpool Target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Wanted By Barcelona And AC Milan

Liverpool winger target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has emerged on the radar of Barcelona and AC Milan.

The England starlet has been earning rave reviews for his performances in League One, leading to speculation Liverpool will look to bring the player to Anfield in the summer.

Damien Comolli, director of football strategy for the Merseysiders, has made several personal checks on the player in a clear statement of interest from Liverpool, although Southampton have denied that they need to sell the player and are keen to keep the 17-year-old at St Mary's.

Arsenal is also believed to be interested in the player, but it's the chase from Europe that's grabbed headlines in the national newspapers in recent days.

The Daily Star reported yesterday that the Spanish giants were keeping tabs on the player, and today the same publication claims Italian giants AC are considering their move for the teenager.

Whilst England would seem like the most obvious location for the player to stay, the opportunity to ply his trade at either the Nou Camp or San Siro would be enough to turn any player's head.

The latest developments could force Liverpool into quick action for the player, and figures in the region of €12 million have been touted as possible valuations for the youngster.

NESV, the Reds' new owners, have issued a remit of bringing young, attacking players to the club, and Oxlade-Chamberlain would fit the bill were Liverpool able to land the starlet.

£15m Liverpool Target ‘Unfazed’ By Tottenham Transfer Tussle

Highly rated Ipswich Town striker Connor Wickham has been frequently linked with a move away from Portman Road this season, but insists he is not distracted by the increased media speculation.

Latest reports suggest the 17-year-old England U21 international will be the subject of a £15million summer bid from Tottenham Hotspur with manager Harry Redknapp keen to bring Wickham to White Hart Lane on a long-term deal.

"I don't really read the papers, I just see it if it comes on the news or TV or if my mates from school tell me," Wickham told BBC Radio Suffolk as reported by bbc.co.uk.

"I know what's going on and it doesn't really affect me or faze me, I'm just letting my football do the talking," he added.

The Metro understands that Spurs are now leading the race to sign Wickham, and believe they have an agreement in place that will give them first refusal on the player when the transfer window reopens in June.

A Tottenham source is quoted as saying: “We feel we already have one hand on Connor.”

It was initially reported by the Daily Mail that Liverpool were considering a £10million January bid for the teenager, but it now appears that their decision to delay a formal offer until the summer will be met with competition from Spurs.

And despite claims that Wickham is a Liverpool fan - citing former Anfield hero Fernando Torres as his idol - it is understood he does not believe a switch to the Reds would be in the best interests of his future.

Liverpool Director of Football Strategy, Damien Comolli, is thought to have been monitoring Wickham's progress with Ipswich but he reportedly faces an impossible task in convincing the forward that a move to Anfield is his best option.

Having grabbed the headlines in recent weeks by scoring five goals in as many Championship games, Wickham has just been rewarded as the Npower Championship Player of the Month for February.

With his reputation continuing to grow, and after recently signing a contract extension to 2013 at his current club, a summer transfer tussle between Liverpool and Tottenham for the player’s services is inevitable.

Kevin Keegan Claims Kenny Dalglish ‘Knows The Club’ Like Bill Shankly

Kevin Keegan has hailed Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, stating the Scotsman knows the club just as well as legendary boss Bill Shankly.

Former Newcastle United manager Keegan also said Dalglish will need time to turn around the Merseyside outfit's decline in recent years.

He told Absolute Radio: “No disrespect to the ones who have been there before him, because Roy Hodgson and Rafael Benítez are good men.

“But he knows the club just like Bill Shankly knew the club. He cares about the club, he knows what it takes, he knows what the people want, you know, and I guess he’d have a good idea of how he can provide that over a period of time.

“He will need time, it’s not going to be one of these jobs you’re going to step into and solve the problems of the last four or five years of a club that has been in decline.

“You’re not going to solve those problems over two or three months, but get some better players in because a lot of the players that Liverpool have signed over the last couple of years, two, three, four years, have not really been good enough.”

The former England boss also believes current Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the right man to take the national job, but raised questions about the number of English players plying their trade in the top flight.

“I don’t see too many candidates who are English at the moment to be the next England manager, probably Harry Redknapp would be one, after that I don’t see too many at the moment,” he added.

“If he came and said ‘I’ve got the chance to take the job’, I would say ‘take it’, because it’s a job that no English person could refuse."

He continued: “When I was England manager I went to watch Arsenal play Chelsea, I was sat next to the French manager at the time, he had 14 players on the pitch and I had one, and we were watching an English Premier League match.

“Now that’s not a bad thing if I could have gone to Paris the next day and watched a French game with him sat next to me and I had 14 English players and he had one, but, of course, that’s not the case, there’s hardly an English player playing abroad anywhere that I can think of.”

Birthday Surprise For Kenny

Kenny Dalglish today revealed how his players presented him with a surprise 60th birthday present – after they tricked him into thinking he was going to a team meeting.

The players were never going to let the manager's 60th go by without marking it in some way - and shortly after training ended at Melwood on Friday afternoon Kenny was conned into making a trip to the meeting room to be presented with a commemorative shirt signed by all of the first team squad.

"I've been very fortunate in my life and there's a lot of good people here at this club," Dalglish told Liverpoolfc.tv today.

"We had a good day's training and then I had a presentation from the players. It was supposed to be a conversation about drugs - what they should take and what they shouldn't take.

"They conned me to go into the meeting and then I got the presentation which was very welcome and unnecessary, but gratefully received.

"We also had a bit of lunch with everyone which was nice. I think it's a very pleasant atmosphere to come and work in here and there's a lot of people who would rather have the day off on their birthday, but I've got the best of both worlds.

"I've come in to work in a happy place and I will go home to a happy place as well so I can't complain."

The manager also spoke about what would make it a perfect 60th birthday celebration.

He added: "I've got the perfect present here. I've got the girls here, I've got my granddaughter here, Marina obviously, Paul became a father of twins last week so I might seem a wee bit greedy to ask for three points on Sunday, but that would be a very pleasant birthday present for me."

Liverpool Ready To 'Enter Negotiations' For €9.3m Defender

A Liverpool bid for Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio is imminent, reports claim.

The Argentine is also an alleged target for Juventus after a number of imperious displays in La Liga this season and could be set to leave Estadio El Madrigal should the reported interest in his signature become serious.

Liverpool has seemingly been installed as one of the early frontrunners to sign the 20-year-old who has been linked with a move to Anfield for a number of weeks.

TalkSPORT now claims that Liverpool are poised to swoop for Musacchio - with a fee of around €9.3 million (£8 million) said to be enough for Villarreal to seriously entertain an offer.

Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli will 'enter negotiations' with the Spanish club - according to talkSPORT - and the Reds appear to be confident of Musacchio moving to Anfield in June.

Musacchio is unlikely to be the only acquisition Liverpool make in the coming weeks and months with the Anfield club expected to sign a number of new recruits before the start of next season.

Liverpool Plot Shock €12m Madrid Starlet Raid

Liverpool are being linked with a move for Spanish starlet Sergio Canales.

The Real Madrid youngster is one of the players reportedly set for a Santiago Bernabeu exit, with Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish one of the managers keen to snap up the 20-year-old.

Florentino Perez, president of Los Blancos, is set to offload seven players this summer in an effort to create transfer funds for Jose Mourinho, according to Spanish publication. Canales is one of those set for an exit, according to the report.

Liverpool were thought to be in the race to sign the player last summer, but Canales decided to stay in his homeland and moved from Racing Santander to Madrid for €4.5 million plus clauses.

However, opportunities have been limited in the Spanish capital, and despite the player's young years he's thought to have grown frustrated by a lack of opportunities.

Sport.co.uk claim the player is now available for a fee in the region of €12 million, with Liverpool stated as one of the teams interested in bringing the player to the Barclays Premier League.

Arsenal is also thought to be interested in the player, and the Gunners were also linked with a move back in the summer.

Arsene Wenger is known for getting the best out of young talent at the Emirates, and would be keen to add the talented attacking midfielder to his Arsenal ranks.

Fran Merida, Cesc Fabregas and Ignasi Miquel are three examples of young Spaniards who have moved to Arsenal at a young age, with success at some levels for the trio in north London.

Liverpool will fight for the talent though, and showed in January that they have transfer money to spend thanks to the investment of new owners NESV.

Dalglish has hinted that he will spend again at the end of the season, and Canales fits the bill of young, attacking talent set out by the club's new board. A summer bid could be in the offing.

Liverpool Plan Move To Sign £12m Italian International Left Back

Liverpool is readying a move for Genoa’s highly rated defender Domenico Criscito, a player identified by director of football Damien Comolli, as the solution to the club’s left back problems. The 24 year old is now a regular part of the Italian national team set-up and the Anfield side hope to persuade the former Juventus man to move to Merseyside this summer.

In recent weeks Liverpool have taken to using Glen Johnson in an unaccustomed position on the left but an injury to Martin Kelly will see Kenny Dalglish’s side tested and their strength in depth brought into question. Emiliano Insua and Paul Konchesky are out on loan and are likely to be sold in the summer. Fabio Aurelio is therefore the back up alternative.

Liverpool are said to be interested in signing Benfica wide man Fabio Coentrao but reports suggest he may well be heading for a move to Real Madrid and a move for Criscito, though less high profile than a move for the much sought after Portuguese international, would be a wise one.

The £12m rated 6ft full back has been a consistent performer during his last two seasons at Genoa and is apparently a target for a number of Serie A sides keen on the defender who is also effective at centre back and in a more advanced left sided role.

Liverpool Plan To Sell £16m Flop Quartet This Summer

It appears that Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli are ready to swing the axe and rid the club of players that do not appear to have any hope of forging Anfield careers and as well as a potentially exit bound Danish international defensive midfielder the following look like they are unlikely to figure at the club next season.

Milan Jovanovic is attracting interest from the Bundesliga where the likes of Stuttgart and Wolfsburg are apparently keen on the Serbian international and indeed full back Philipp Degen, perhaps the most pointless Liverpool signing in some time, may well be moving to Stuttgart on a permanent basis, although a lot would depend on whether the German side were relegated.

Another full back set to leave is former Fulham man Paul Konchesky who is doing well on loan at Nottingham Forest and may well help Billy Davies side back into the top tier. The 29 year old failed to inspire much confidence during his time at Liverpool and his mother compounded that poor start by insulting the club’s supporters.

Kenny Dalglish will then look to re-invest the funds from these sales into improving a squad that at present has a fair few average performers who are probably not good enough for a club with top four pretensions.

Damien Comolli Identifies Bojan Krkic As Summer Target

Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli has reportedly made Bojan Krkic his top summer target.

The Barcelona starlet is thought to be frustrated at a lack of first team opportunities at the Nou Camp, leading to speculation that he will make a move at the end of the season. Liverpool is one of the clubs linked with the paper.

Now, Spanish publication AS claims Comolli has made the Spanish international a 'top transfer priority', and the 20-year-old is reportedly keen on the idea of a move to Liverpool.

A striker who can also play in the wing positions, Bojan has rapidly risen through the ranks at the La Liga outfit, breaking goalscoring records for the junior side before impressing for the Catalan club's second string.

Becoming a regular for Pep Guardiola's senior side has been harder for the precocious talent, and word of his unhappiness has led to a number of clubs showing an interest in the player.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is keen to revamp his Reds squad at the first opportunity, and has hinted at a number of additions as he puts a stamp on the Anfield side.

NESV, the club's owners, spent heavily in January and are thought to have urged the club to sign young, attacking talent on Merseyside. Bojan fits the bill, and with Comolli showing his interest in a potential move, Liverpool could make an offer at the end of the season.

Anfield Midfielder Could Be Used As Part Of A Deal To Sign Udinese Star

Liverpool are just one of many clubs very keen on landing Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez who has been in incredible form this season, most recently scoring four away at Palermo on the weekend. It appears that the Serie A side is interested in defensive midfielder Christian Poulsen and that that interest could help the Anfield side land the 22 year old Chile international.

30 year old Danish international Poulsen got a lot of bad press during the Roy Hodgson era but the experienced former Juventus man has improved under Kenny Dalglish but is still seemingly a player the club can afford to lose and if in doing so they increase their chances of signing Sanchez then that will greatly interest the Merseyside club.

Poulsen is rated as being worth around £4m so clearly there is still a big financial undertaking needed by Liverpool to sign the Udinese star, perhaps they will accept other failing players? Maybe if they hand Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic, Paul Konchesky and Philipp Degen as part of the deal then no money would need change hands. We jest.

Sanchez is something of a cult hero at the Stadio Friuli and he is now in his third season in Italy and has improved year on year and has netted 11 goals and provided many assists to help Udinese move into fifth spot only a point away from a dream Champions League spot and one wonders if the club manages to pull off a top four finish, just how keen the former River Plate man will be to leave.

Liverpool Want Hugo Lloris If They Lose Pepe Reina

Liverpool have reportedly identified Hugo Lloris as the man to succeed Pepe Reina, should the latter leave Anfield in the summer.

The French goalkeeper has also previously been linked with a move to Manchester United as they look to fill the void that will be left when Edwin van der Sar retires at the end of the season.

United are also reportedly monitoring Reina and, according to the Telegraph, a bid in the region of £20 million would trigger a release clause in the Liverpool No.1's contract.

Arsenal also allegedly have Reina in their sights as they too pursue a new first choice stopper and Liverpool will seemingly have their work cut out to keep the 28-year-old.

Tribalfootball reports that - if Reina does leave Liverpool - the Anfield club will swoop for the £15 million-rated Lloris who has established himself as one of the most highly-regarded glovemen in Europe.

The 24-year-old Lyon vice-captain has admitted to being flattered by reports linking him to United and Liverpool and has since described a potential move to Old Trafford as a 'dream'.

"Manchester United is a great football club,” he told RMC.

“They are one of the most successful clubs in the world, so, of course, Manchester is one of the clubs that make me dream."

Despite claiming that a move to Old Trafford is at the back of his mind, Lloris says he will remain professional and endeavour to bring further success to Lyon.

"Manchester United? It is a great club but I cannot say anymore," he said, according to imscouting.com.

"We will wait and see what happens during the summer. I might play abroad but I do not know where.

"This is important for my progression as a professional. I know that big clubs are interested in me, but I am waiting to see what happens."

United have also been linked with a summer swoop for Schalke's Manuel Neuer, while it has been claimed that Liverpool are pursuing Blackburn star Paul Robinson.

Bruna On Target In Reds Defeat

Gerardo Bruna was on target as Liverpool Reserves went down to a 2-1 defeat at Blackpool on Thursday afternoon.

The diminutive attacker showed great awareness to level matters just shy of the hour mark after a Malaury Martin penalty had given the Seasiders a deserved first-half lead.

However, the Argentine then saw a tame spot-kick easily saved by Mark Halstead before the Tangerines' Belarusian striker Sergey Kornilenko snared all three points with a well-executed strike four minutes from time.

The result means John McMahon's side's 10 match unbeaten run has come to an end and they will now have to lift themselves again in time for next week's clash with West Brom.

The fervent support that has been a feature of Blackpool's impressive return to topflight football was conspicuous by its absence as the second-string encounter got underway at Bloomfield Road but the silence from the stands failed to affect the home team who made a supercharged start to the proceedings.

The lively Martin crashed a free-kick in a dangerous position into the Liverpool wall inside 60 seconds before Luke Varney saw a close range finish correctly chalked off for offside.

The inclusion of the frontman who struck Blackpool's famous winner at Anfield earlier in the season was a clear sign of the hosts' intent and after Tom Ince dragged wide from distance they took the lead on 26 minutes.

Conor Thomas was harshly adjudged to have pushed Kornilenko inside the six yard box leaving Martin to step up and coolly send Martin Hansen the wrong way from the penalty spot.

The Reds had offered very little as an attacking force at this point and the Seasiders should have doubled their lead just three minutes later but Kornilenko misfired when it seemed easier to score.

The home side continued to dictate the tempo of the game and Martin and Kornilenko both squandered presentable chances as the half came to a close.

Liverpool almost snatched an equalizer in the 45th minute but Nikola Saric mistimed his square pass after his clever run had sprung the offside trap.

McMahon would have demanded more from his charges in the second 45 but Blackpool maintained their dominance following the interval and Hansen showed good agility to tip over Matt Phillips' rasping shot.

Again, there had been very little sign of the visitors in the attacking third but they kept battling away and on 57 minutes they drew level.

Bruna capitalized upon a defensive mistake by Sala Sbai before showing good composure to round Mark Halstead and tap the ball into an empty net.

It seemed to spark renewed belief within the Liverpool ranks and Steven Irwin brought the best out of the Tangerines stopper with thunderous drive from distance.

At the other end, Kornilenko wasted another gilt-edged chance while Bruna should have doubled his tally when he crashed over the bar following superb build up play by Ince.

The Argentine was getting himself into some dangerous positions but once again the finish was lacking as he was brilliantly denied by Halstead at the far post.

With time running out both sides pushed for the winner and on 79 minutes Liverpool were gifted the opportunity to snatch the points.

Saric was brought crashing to the ground by Chris Basham but from the resulting penalty, Bruna saw his effort easily saved Halstead.

It proved to be a very costly miss too as Kornilenko raced onto a long ball, cut inside Emmanuel Mendy and fired past Hansen four minutes from time.

Kenny Refutes Fergie Issue

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists he has no problem with Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of this Sunday's mouth-watering clash.

The illustrious pair have known each other since the 1960s, and even played against one another when Ferguson was with Rangers and Dalglish was an 18-year-old upstart in Celtic's reserves.

The duo continued their rivalry into management in the 80s with Ferguson keen to knock Liverpool off their lofty perch, although he was unable to do so while Dalglish was in charge of the Reds.

United have dominated the domestic scene over the past two decades, but Dalglish, who lost an FA Cup tie at Old Trafford on his return to the hot seat in January, insists he has no problem with Ferguson.

"It's never been any different. If you read my book it'll tell you!" he joked on the club's official website.

"I've never had a problem with Fergie. I've got respect for the job he has done as a manager. I've never had a problem.

"I've known him for a long, long time. It must be 40 years or so since I first came across him. I don't have a problem."

Asked if he will share a bottle of red wine with the United boss to mark his 60th birthday, Dalglish joked: "Well, it's my birthday! He'll have what everybody else gets."

Dalglish Coy On Carroll

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has refused to rule Andy Carroll in or out of Sunday's massive clash with leaders Manchester United.

The former Newcastle United marksman, who joined the Reds for £35million before the transfer window closed, is yet to make his debut due to a thigh injury.

Carroll has been undertaking training with his new team-mates but, as he is yet to play a game for the Merseysiders, Sunday's contest could come too soon.

The availability of the club's record signing would give the Reds a huge boost following their disappointing 3-1 defeat to strugglers West Ham last weekend.

"Who we have and what we go with we don't know and that includes Andy Carroll," Dalglish said at Thursday morning's press conference.

"Andy's training is always progressing, but it's not progressed into a game yet. We said all along that we've been delighted with his progress.

"There's nothing that he's done that's not been encouraging. Whether he's involved on Sunday or not I'm sure Fergie would love to know.

"We don't know, so if he knows he's a better guy than us. He might not even be a substitute."

One player definitely out is right-back Martin Kelly with a hamstring strain, although Dalglish is hopeful the likes of Raul Meireles, Fabio Aurelio, Daniel Agger and Sotirios Kyrgiakos could feature.

"We're hopeful most of them will be fit," he continued. "We don't really know obviously. It's Thursday morning and we're a wee bit away from the game.

"Obviously Kelly won't play due to his hamstring strain and Jonjo Shelvey won't be available either. Everyone else's fitness is more positive then that.

"(Kelly's) been doing really well. To pull up with a hamstring injury will be hurtful for him, especially when he'd had a couple of games rested."

Liverpool Set For Bargain Buy With Champions League Transfer Coup

Copenhagen defender Oscar Wendt is a summer transfer target for Liverpool reports talkSPORT.

Reports in Sweden claim the 25-year-old international left-back currently tops the list of proposed replacements for Kenny Dalglish’s well known problem position after a series of impressive performances in the Champions League this season.

Wendt has also earned rave reviews in the Danish Superliga which has attracted the attention of other European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but Liverpool remain optimistic of bringing the player to Anfield.

The super Swede is available on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign when his Copenhagen contract expires, and as a result Wendt is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club he wishes.

Since the sacking of Roy Hodgson, summer signing Paul Konchesky has been loaned out to Nottingham Forest – deemed not good enough for the Reds moving forward, leaving England international Glenn Johnson to fill in as a makeshift left-back.

Jose Enrique and Fabio Coentrao have both been linked with a move to Liverpool, and the Anfield chief appears certain to add a player in this position when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

After spending big in the January transfer window, Liverpool owners NESV are prepared to continue backing the club financially in a bid to return the Merseysiders to their former glories and are set to invest again on player additions at Anfield at the earliest opportunity.

Sport.co.uk claim that Jakob Friis-Hansen, the former Head Scout at Liverpool ran the rule over Wendt and has confirmed the club are making attempts to sign the defender on a Bosman transfer in the summer.