Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 1 Manchester United

Liverpool's fully deserved 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield may not ultimately prevent their arch-rivals surpassing the Reds' 18 league titles at the end of the season.

It has, however, dented Sir Alex Ferguson's side's hopes of a straightforward run-in and at the same time restored some pride for the Reds after two defeats at Old Trafford already this campaign.

Dirk Kuyt grabbed the headlines with a first Liverpool hat-trick against United since Peter Beardsley's in September 1990, before Javier Hernandez headed an injury-time consolation - but there were many more who deserved the plaudits.

Tireless livewire Luis Suarez had a hand in all three goals while Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles produced impressive midfield performances.

The afternoon was capped off with a long-awaited debut for £35million record signing Andy Carroll after more than two months on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

For United their second-choice central defensive partnership of Wes Brown and Chris Smalling, deputizing for the suspended Nemanja Vidic and injured Rio Ferdinand, never looked comfortable on an afternoon when very few of visiting team reached anywhere near the exacting standards Ferguson demands.

They still remain top of the table, and it is difficult to bet against them being in that position come May, but two defeats in five days - having lost at Chelsea in midweek - leave plenty of questions to be answered.

While Carroll had claimed all the adulation prior to kick-off, when the action got going it was his fellow January arrival Suarez who had an effect where it mattered most.

The Uruguay international, a £22.7million transfer from Ajax, had one early effort prodded at Edwin van der Sar but that was merely a precursor to a piece of brilliance to set up the opener.

When he collected the ball on the left of the penalty area his route to goal was blocked by a number of opponents but his quick feet saw him weave past Rafael, Michael Carrick and Wes Brown on his way to the byline.

From there he squared the ball through Van der Sar's legs to present Kuyt with a tap-in from just inches.

Suarez could claim to have had a hand in the next one too - but the main credit had to go to Nani, who had a defensive aberration.

The Portugal international inexplicably headed the Uruguayan's cross back into his own six-yard area where Kuyt gleefully nodded in.

Liverpool's lead was fully deserved but it had been United who had come closest to scoring prior to Kuyt's 34th-minute strike.

Dimitar Berbatov, scorer of a match-winning hat-trick in their Old Trafford league encounter, volleyed Wayne Rooney's knockdown against the outside of Jose Reina's right-hand post.

The rivalry between the teams, England's dominant pairing over the last four decades, was evident in the closing stages of the first half.

Jamie Carragher, switched to right-back after Fabio Aurelio went off injured, was lucky to escape with just a booking after a reckless shin-high tackle on Nani.

After the ensuing melee Nani departed on a stretcher, replaced by Javier Hernandez, and Van der Sar was cautioned.

Rafael also benefited from referee Phil Dowd's leniency after a high challenge on Lucas Leiva earned him, and Martin Skrtel for his retaliation, a booking.

The second half began with United, not unexpectedly, having their best spell and for 20 minutes it appeared a goal was imminent.

Ryan Giggs, breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 606 league appearances, met Rooney's cross with a first-time shot which whistled just over the crossbar to serve as a warning that the game was far from finished.

Meireles had to clear off the line for the second time in the match to prevent Berbatov's close-range header going in while Giggs curled an 18-yard free-kick over.

More gaps were appearing in the visitors' defence, though, and when Kuyt put Meireles clean through Van der Sar came to the rescue by palming his angled shot away.

The Dutchman was at fault in the 65th minute, however, when he spilled Suarez's free-kick and his compatriot knocked in the rebound.

Carroll's long-awaited debut arrived in the 74th minute when he replaced Meireles to a rapturous reception and his first touch was a goalbound header.

Kuyt's supreme confidence saw him attempt a 25-yard volley which screamed wide while Gerrard twice hit low shots either side of each post.

Hernandez scored a late headed consolation from Giggs' cross in added time but it hardly raised a cheer among the visiting fans.

Dalglish Impact Proves He's Only Man For The Job

Liverpool's American owners would be making a huge mistake if they delay their decision on a permanent manager at Anfield until the end of the season, because, in Kenny Dalglish, they already have the only man for the job.

If you had taken a poll of 100 Liverpool supporters last Christmas and offered them a choice of Kenny or Jose Mourinho to succeed Roy Hodgson, Kenny's standing at the club would have ensured he would probably have won by 75-25.

But the same vote now would see him win 100-nil because of the impact he has had at Anfield since returning in January. Any manager other than Kenny would now be a disappointment for the club's supporters, but that's because of the turnaround on the pitch during his two months in charge rather than his status as a god-like figure at Anfield.

Now is the time to give him the job on a full-time basis because the challenge at Liverpool is getting the club back into the Champions League and the planning for next season needs to start now.

If Kenny does not know whether or not he will here next season, then he cannot start to look for the players that the team need to improve.

Kenny being Kenny, he still believes that he can get Liverpool into the Champions League this season and he will be focusing on getting the team as close as possible to that objective.

When I played under him in 1986, we had just lost to Everton and I told Kenny that it was the worst Liverpool team that I had played in. But he still believed the team could achieve something and, 10 weeks later, we ended the season by winning the double.

Back then, he spoke about the need to get some impetus going and that is what he will be thinking now. He has now generated that by getting the team winning, lifting morale and the victory against Manchester United, following on from the win at Chelsea last month, has given the club real impetus.

So the time is right for the owners to hand Kenny a full-time contract because it would give the club another boost and allow everybody to turn their attentions to getting Liverpool back to where those at Anfield believe they belong.

There is a theory that the owners might not want to stick with Kenny in the long-term because he is such a powerful figure that he could put them in an impossible position if things go wrong.

But for all of Kenny's popularity, if his team are lying fourth from bottom and producing rubbish, the supporters would not put up with it, regardless of who he is. And there would not be a problem with Kenny working with Damien Comolli, Liverpool's director of football, so long as Kenny had the final say on the players he brought in.

Kenny has changed the whole mood of the club. It is now a completely different place to walk into compared to the dark days of last November.

On the pitch too, there is a different ethos. In the past, if the likes of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson or Gerard Houllier played with two holding midfielders, you would expect to see eight men behind the ball. But against United, Liverpool had two holding midfielders, yet they attacked the Premier League leaders and were rewarded for doing so.

The cynics that claimed that Kenny had been out of the game too long when he came back have all been proved wrong because they overlooked the reality that all the changes in football over the last 10 years have happened off the pitch.

A flat back-four is the same as it was in 1977, just as it was in 1937! It will be the same again in 2097.

Kenny's knowledge of the game and the players involved is still as detailed as it has always been and maybe the proof of that has come with the results that Liverpool have had under him.

I don't see anybody out there who could do the job better than Kenny and hopefully the owners will not wait much longer before making it a permanent appointment.

At 60, he is still young enough for the job and he will also be cheap. There will be no compensation fee required to get Kenny to sign a contract and it would make perfect sense to make the decision now.

Ferguson Refuses To Speak To Media After Liverpool Game

Sir Alex Ferguson refused to speak to media rights holders following the game at Liverpool on Sunday which Manchester United lost 3-1.

The United manager did not speak to host broadcaster Sky Sports, radio rights holders TalkSport and the club's television channel MUTV.

His assistant Mike Phelan did not carry out his usual post-match engagements with the BBC.

The decision not to talk to the media was made before the game.

Should any of the media organizations complain to the Premier League, the governing body would be forced to act.

Ferguson has not given a post-match interview to the BBC since 2004 after a BBC Three documentary about his son Jason, who was then working as a football agent.

The Premier League was due to discuss Ferguson's BBC boycott, which is in contravention of its rules, late last year, but if any fines were imposed for his non-compliance they have yet to be made public.

However, it is believed no media organization has ever lodged an official complaint over the issue.

Ferguson cancelled his pre-game briefing on Friday in protest at the coverage given to his post-match quotes at Chelsea on Tuesday for which the Football Association charged him with improper conduct.

His action was also prompted by the furore that surrounded Wayne Rooney's elbowing of Wigan's James McCarthy last weekend.

Ferguson said he had "feared the worst" when referee Martin Atkinson was appointed for the game at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, which United lost 2-1 after leading at half-time.

He denies the charge and will have a personal hearing at a date no later than 25 March.

The Scot also has two matches of a four-game ban from last season hanging over him after remarks about referee Alan Wiley.

It is not yet known whether the media blackout will continue this week, ahead of United's FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal, although discussions are bound to take place behind the scenes.

However defender Rio Ferdinand, who was not at Anfield as he recovers from a calf injury, offered his opinion via Twitter.

"Bad result today, no excuses," he said.

Kenny Will Not Condemn Carra

Kenny Dalglish refused to condemn Jamie Carragher for his horror challenge on Nani during Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield.

The former England centre-back was shown a yellow card by referee Phil Dowd for his high tackle just below the knee which resulted in the Portugal international departing the pitch on a stretcher and in tears shortly before the interval.

Carragher's moment of madness marked the start of a tense few minutes in the enthralling clash prior to half-time, with Maxi Rodriguez escaping punishment for lunging at Rafael, and the young United defender also fortunate to only see yellow after a two-footed tackle on Lucas.

The experienced Reds centre-back is reported to have waited outside the United dressing room to apologise to Nani after the match, which was settled by Dirk Kuyt's hat-trick, but Dalglish was not keen to discuss the incident.

When asked if the defender was lucky to avoid a red card, Dalglish told Sky Sports: "I think he was fortunate to be playing for Liverpool today, because we were the better team.

"I think the match was played in a fantastic spirit and I think both sets of players deserve great credit for they way they went about the match and for the most part, I think they made the referee's job quite easy.

"Football is more important than an incident in the football match. For us, we will talk about what we did on the football pitch, because we don't want to dilute that."

Kuyt's treble was the first hat-trick of his Anfield career, and he is unlikely to get three easier goals, with the first coming from close range after Luis Suarez's brilliance, before further simple finishes after errors by Nani and Edwin van der Sar.

"It's a hat-trick, he's got to be there to put it in. He works tirelessly for the cause and any reward he gets he works really hard for," Dalglish said.

"So if someone has been generous to him and laid something on for him a yard in front of goal then good luck to him, he deserves it.

"For us it is a huge win and the lads deserve great credit for the way they played, their discipline, their application and the pride they showed in themselves and the football club.

"It's been a tough season, it's not finished yet, but I think that would be the highest point of the season for Liverpool fans and to be part of it was an absolute pleasure. The boys that played today were magnificent."

Dalglish was also able to hand £35million January signing Andy Carroll his debut, with the former Newcastle striker coming on in the 74th minute and giving a glimpse of what he will bring to the side.

The Reds boss added: "Andy needs games. This was just a reward for the work he has done in training. He and the medical staff have done brilliantly.

"For Andy to be part of it, it gives him a welcome and you couldn't get a better game or a better occasion this season than that one."

United Fume At Carragher Tackle

Manchester United's war with football's match officials intensified yesterday as the club's chief executive David Gill instigated a heated exchange with referees' chief Mike Riley after Nani was carried from the field during a humiliating 3-1 Anfield defeat.

Gill remonstrated with Riley at half-time, minutes after Jamie Carragher's challenge on the Portuguese winger – a tackle that clearly warranted a red card – and Gill was still furious about the failure to send off Carragher after the match had finished.

Riley later played down the incident but United's feelings about the challenge on Nani leave little to the imagination. The 25-year-old, who was crying as he lay on the pitch, limped slowly out of Anfield last night with a very deep gash to his lower right shin, although he did not require crutches. Carragher earlier went in to the United dressing room to apologise.

It is two years since United last lost consecutive games – one of those being a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford – and they bore the hallmarks last night of a side wilting under the pressure of a tense Premier League finale, manager Sir Alex Ferguson refusing to discuss the match with the TV rights holder or his club's in-house station. The Premier League is unlikely to fine him for his failure to speak to Sky Sports before or after yesterday's game, taking the view that rights holders must register a complaint before they take action. Sky do not tend to complain, for fear of exacerbating a fragile relationship with the United manager yet further.

Ferguson will appear before a Football Association independent regulatory commission by 25 March, having denied an improper conduct charge for claiming Martin Atkinson was biased in his officiating of United's midweek loss to Chelsea.

The Premier League leaders preparations for the game were damaged 24 hours before kick off when Rio Ferdinand failed a fitness test and it was he who made the only pubic comment on a result which leaves them three points clear of Arsenal, with an extra game played. "Bad result today. No excuses," Ferdinand tweeted.

The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, whose side climbed to sixth in the table, warned against rushing to judgment. "I think Manchester United are top, aren't they?" he said. "I think they are the benchmark for everybody. They are top of the league so, yes, they are still the benchmark. Everybody would want to be in the position Manchester United are in."

Dalglish, who could rejoice in an exhilarating display from £22.6m January signing Luis Suarez, declared in midweek that the gap between these two clubs is less than the 18 points currently separating them suggests.

When Dalglish was able to bring on £35m new signing Andy Carroll with 16 minutes to go, Liverpool certainly seemed a club with more at their disposal than United, who have now lost three successive league games at Anfield.

But Dalglish, who now has five wins to Ferguson's 10 in the managerial matches between them, warned: "The closer you get to the top the more difficult it is to close the gap.

"Going from 20th to sixth is not as difficult as sixth to first. The higher we go the more difficult the step up is but the owners are determined to move the club forward within reason and they'll do their best to provide the funds. The players out there today have done themselves no harm whatsoever."

Dalglish, who yesterday suggested that Liverpool were adhering to the FA's Respect campaign, even if no one else was, made light of the flashpoints which should have seen both sides reduced to 10 men.

"I thought the referee had an easy game to manage – apart from a couple of incidents," he said. "But the more important thing for me was the quality of the football that was played. There has been enough rubbish written anyway about other things – so we will concentrate on ourselves anyway."

Kuyt, the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick against United since Peter Beardsley in 1990 – during Dalglish's first stint as manager – thanked Suarez for his brilliant run that set up the first goal of the afternoon. "He's a great player and played brilliantly and created two of the three goals I scored, so I am grateful for that," Kuyt said. "They were quite easy goals. I used to score these goals in Holland when I was playing more as a striker, but they all count and I am more than happy to take them.

"There was a lot of confidence in the team. We also had the belief that we can compete with the best. We showed that against Chelsea and have now shown that against Manchester United. We now have to compete against the other sides."

Liverpool And Everton Fight It Out For Goal Scoring Winger

Liverpool and Everton are battling it out to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Balazs Dzsudzsak after the Hungarian stated his intention to ply his trade in the Premier League. The Philips Stadion favourite has helped his side back to the top of the Dutch Eredivisie and within sight of their first domestic title in three seasons.

Balazs Dzsudzsak’s recent performances at PSV have garnered a great deal of interest and the Hungarian international may well be looking to leave Holland after four successful years at Eindhoven. The 24 year old scores a lot of goal from wide areas and has netted 48 goals in the past three seasons and it is no surprise that he is being targeted by many big sides.

Liverpool are looking for natural wide options having seen the likes of Maxi, Milan Jovanovic, Dirk Kuyt and Joe Cole fail to make an impact and having lost the only out and out winger they had, Ryan Babel, Kenny Dalglish could well do with make a move for the former Debrecen man.

Everton too could well benefit from a goal scoring wide man as currently they depend a great deal on goals from Tim Cahill although recently strikers Louis Saha and Jermaine Beckford have started to click. It seems however that the Toffees may struggle to finance a deal to bring in £15m rated Dzsudzsak who would seemingly be an ideal replacement for Steven Pienaar who left for Tottenham in the transfer window.

Liverpool’s new owners are seemingly more than willing to finance moves to improve the club’s squad having signed Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January at great expense.

Liverpool Face Competition From Chelsea In Race To Sign Lucas Barrios

Liverpool face reported competition from Chelsea in the race to sign striker Lucas Barrios.

The Paraguayan international forward has been heavily linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund in recent months, with former Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson thought to be keen on bringing the player to Anfield.

Barrios has recently professed his desire to play in either England or Spain after hitting the goal train for the Bundesliga leaders, although it’s now unclear if Liverpool are still interested in signing the player.

"It's pleasing to know Italian clubs are interested in me. I have always been fascinated by Serie A, but La Liga and the Premier League are also leagues I would like to play in one day," the player told Sky Sport.

TalkSPORT now claims that Chelsea have joined the race for the player, nicknamed ‘La Pantera’ (the panther), and are considering a €20.4 million summer move for the former Colo Colo star.

Kenny Dalglish spent big on strikers in January, investing over £50 million on Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez on deadline day at Liverpool.

The Scot has hinted at further additions in the summer, and whilst a striker is not thought to be a priority Liverpool continues to be linked with a number of forward players.

Carlo Ancelotti also spent big on strikers, with former Liverpool superstar Fernando Torres joining the ranks at Stamford Bridge. However, the ageing front-line is thought to be a concern for the Italian and Barrios could add depth to the Blues’ ranks.

Pepe Reina Could Complete A £22m Move To Manchester United In The Summer

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina could complete a £22 million move to arch-rivals Manchester United in the summer, according to a report in The Sun.

United are in the market for a new No.1 to succeed Edwin van der Sar, who has announced his intention to retire at the end of this season. They have been linked with a host of leading keepers, including Atletico Madrid prodigy David De Gea, Maarten Stekelenburg of Ajax and Schalke's Manuel Neuer.

This latest report, of a possible move for Liverpool's Reina, is likely to ruffle feathers at Anfield.

But the Reds are losing patience with the Spaniard, who has refused to commit his future to the club and appears to many to want out of Merseyside.

The 28-year-old signed a six-year deal with the club last April, but within two months was reportedly seeking a £15m move to Arsenal, which Liverpool rejected.

It is now claimed that, following Fernando Torres' transfer to Chelsea, Reina's agent is scrutinizing the goalkeeper's contract for an exit clause similar to the one his international team-mate used to get out of Anfield.

However, Reina has stated that his Liverpool future will depend upon where they finish they season, as he seeks a return to Champions League football.

Liverpool's new owners have already underlined their ambition, breaking consecutive transfer records with the £22.8m acquisition of Luis Suarez from Ajax and the £35m purchase of Andrew Carroll from Newcastle.

Arsenal is expected to compete fiercely for Reina's signature, as they seek an experienced shot-stopper in the wake of costly errors by Manuel Almunia, Lucasz Fabianski and newcomer Wojciech Szczesny, whose mix-up with Laurent Koscielny last week cost the Gunners their chance of a first trophy in six years.

Liverpool Ponder Decision To Rebuild Anfield Or Move To Stanley Park

Liverpool executives are set to make a decision over the long-awaited new stadium, but are torn between a move to Stanley Park and an Anfield renovation, according to The News of the World.

Ever since Tom Hicks and George Gilette, who are now suing the club, arrived on Merseyside a vague promise for a new 60,000 seated stadium has been toying with the fans, who have awaited the project for over six years.

The new owners, NESV, have heavily involved themselves in repairing the damage done by their predecessors, and have vouched to write to as many as 70,000 Liverpool supporters who have applied for a season ticket as far back as 1996.

John Henry and his associates claimed it was part of a ‘tidying up process’ which needed to be done.

The Reds’ board soon faces a decision and is either hopeful of either completing a move to Stanley Park or opting to modernize Anfield, which would boost its attendance to 55,000 and turn it into a 5-star FIFA-rated stadium.

Despite the club’s good attendance record in the Premier League, Liverpool have struggled to fill up the stadium, especially under the poor-performance of the Roy Hodgson regime.

The owners look more convinced that a modernization of Anfield would keep its ‘magic’, but if a large demand for tickets still exists then the board may seek towards the alternative.

Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs Manchester United

To the uninitiated Sunday's gargantuan clash between Liverpool and Manchester United could be interpreted as being a mere sub-plot to what might develop between the warring Glaswegians on the touchline.

Sir Alex Ferguson's loose tongue caught the attention of the Football Association this week but it's unlikely a slap on the wrists will silence his verbal tirades should things not go his way on Merseyside.

Much has been made of relations between messrs Dalglish and Ferguson in the build-up to a game that could go a long way to defining the title's destiny, but it will be what transpires on the field rather than off it that will determine North West bragging rights.

The reality is that while Kenny Dalglish had a twinkle in his eye this week when pointing out that Liverpool hold a superior record in Europe to a United side closing in on a 19th title that would set them apart from their Merseyside counterparts, it is with genuine respect that they regard each other.

Born of solid Glaswegian stock the pair had their attitude to life shaped in the tough docklands of Govan, with the principles of hard work, discipline and endeavour likely to be rally calls in both dressing rooms come Sunday.

In the stands, though, a rivalry less cordial reigns supreme. While Liverpool retain hope of gatecrashing this season's Champions League party by snatching fourth spot, a costly defeat at Upton Park last time out likely extinguished such lofty aspirations and thus, those with a scouse twang may settle for being party poopers rather than attendees.

Gary Neville did his best Fred the Red impersonation at Stamford Bridge in midweek when turning the air blue in the away end but should he be planning a similar trip to Anfield, we suggest on the grounds of safety he wears the giant devil head he dons on match days at Old Trafford by way of disguise.

It's unlikely the match officials will be overly disappointed by the absence of agent provocateur Neville but Ferguson just might be, as he looks to assemble a watertight defence shorn of its talisman.

The most untimely of red cards shown to Nemanja Vidic in defeat to Chelsea leaves a Serbian-sized hole in United's back four. Skipper Vidic has been nothing shy of herculean this season in dragging what many, harshly perhaps, consider to be a mediocre United side to the summit and his suspension is compounded by Rio Ferdinand's absence through injury.

Chris Smalling has largely been immaculate in Ferdinand's place, save for conceding a late penalty in West London, but Wes Brown - who Ferguson has said will start on Sunday - lacks anything like the match sharpness needed to perform in a game of such magnitude.

Murmurs coming out of Manchester have suggested Ferguson's declaration of faith in Brown could be kidology, with Jonny Evans reportedly having returned to training at the start of this week. The inclusion of either would hardly be ideal though, with Evans neither match fit nor buoyant with confidence after a shaky campaign.

It could be that Ferguson elects to move John O'Shea inside and start with Rafael at right-back, although the Brazilian's buccaneering forward forays are undermined by question marks over his defensive capabilities and a temperament that at times can look foolhardy, at best, in showpiece games.

For the Chelsea game Ferguson named the same side in consecutive matches for the first time since May 2008 but even disregarding forced changes, it is expected the Scot will alter personnel.

Many were surprised by United's gung-ho attitude in the capital given Ferguson usually elects to play a lone striker against leading sides, so it'll be interesting to see whether he reverts to type against Liverpool. Javier Hernandez looked a little lost against Chelsea and it could be that Dimitar Berbatov is given the nod to start alongside Rooney, or more likely the Mexican marksman will make way for additional midfield bodies.

It could prove to be a momentous day for Ryan Giggs, a prime candidate to start if as expected United pack the midfield, as any sighting of the Welshman will see him become United's all-time record league appearance holder outright, having equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's tally of 606 in midweek.

The plaudits will rightly rain down on the oldest swinger in town if Giggs figures, but Liverpool fans will be more focused on the newest addition to their ranks if, as expected, Andy Carroll makes his Anfield bow.

Dalglish, whose record against Ferguson as a manager reads just four wins from 21 matches, could be tempted to pitch Carroll straight in to test United's makeshift centre-half partnership but the likelihood is that the £35million record buy will start on the bench.

"I am sure Fergie would love to know what is going on with Andy Carroll," he joked earlier in the week, before rather obliquely adding: "What I can tell you is that his progress has been exactly what we had hoped it would be."

A previously successful 3-5-2 formation employed away from home since Dalglish's return to the dugout went awry at West Ham and a return to a back four, as his been his wont when playing at Anfield in any case, is the more likely formation to be used.

A hamstring injury prohibits the involvement of the in-form Martin Kelly, which in turn will see Glenn Johnson drop back from a more advanced role at left-wing back to right full-back.

Joe Cole made a cameo appearance in East London last weekend but while he's champing at the bit for playing time, it seems more likely Dalglish will opt to deploy Maxi Rodriguez on the left-hand side.

Support for Luiz Suarez will primarily come from Dirk Kuyt and fans' favourite Raul Meireles, who should shake off a knee injury to pose plenty of problems for Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher, with his trademark runs from deep notoriously difficult to pick up.

On Sunday the talking stops though, as the 22 players selected go forth into a battle that is not only steeped in history and rich in rivalry but one that could not be more important in terms of deciding the destiny of this season's Premier League crown.

King Kenny will not give up his moniker without an almighty fight, but then Fergie's hardly averse to a tear-up either.

Possible starting XIs

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio, Maxi, Lucas, Gerrard, Meireles, Kuyt, Suarez

United: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Rooney

Dalglish Urges Referee Not To Get Bullied At Anfield

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has expressed concern that "the ones who shout the loudest get more beneficial decisions" from referees as he prepares to lock horns with Sir Alex Ferguson in the North-West derby.

Ferguson was charged with improper conduct by the FA following Manchester United's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in midweek after he spoke out against referee Martin Atkinson, who awarded Chelsea a penalty and neglected to send off David Luiz despite two off-the-ball challenges.

Dalglish, who did not mention Ferguson by name, stressed his hope that such comments would not influence officials' decisions in United's favour.

"Sometimes I worry that the ones who shout the loudest get more beneficial decisions - and that is totally unfair," he said. "This week the theme has been about referees and I've got to say that when I came back in as manager I was made fully aware of the respect campaign with regard to officials. I think we have adhered to the campaign in every respect.

"We have never come out and criticized match officials in any of our games. They have made mistakes in all of our games, but we've also made mistakes. It is impossible for officials not to make mistakes, but there is a respect campaign in football and I want to know whether we are going to be the only ones that adhere to it.

"I hope that we aren't going to suffer as a club because we show respect to officials. We will continue to respect the campaign - but only as long as we don't suffer in any way, shape or form because of it.

"At this particular moment, I don't think anyone can argue that we haven't suffered. We gave a good account of ourselves in the FA Cup tie at Old Trafford when we lost to a poor penalty decision made in the first minute and then had Steven Gerrard sent off.

"We will try our best to retain our dignity and show respect to referees, but we would also like to think they give us the respect we deserve by at least trying to go along with the guidelines of the campaign. Everybody thinks they are hard done-by by referees - and you are at some stage - but sometimes you get some benefits as well."

Former Reds boss Rafael Benitez echoed Dalglish's comments. "The people who are doing the right things have to have some benefit and, to the people that are not doing this, someone has to say, 'Enough is enough'," he said in the Mail on Sunday.

Suarez Wants To Halt United Title Charge

Luis Suarez has said derailing Manchester United's title bid "would be a prize" for Liverpool ahead of the teams' meeting at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool, trailing fourth-placed Chelsea by nine points, will need to take all three points if they are to maintain any realistic hope of qualifying for the Champions League, but Suarez has said the chance to prevent United securing a record 19th title is his focus ahead of the game.

"Of course, we know how important this game is," he said in the Liverpool Echo. "We know how important it is that United don't win the title because of the rivalry between the teams. We have the same amount of titles. It would be a prize for us to stop them winning the league.

"I remember many years ago watching this game on television and being impressed by the partnership between Gerrard and Fowler. They were very good together."

Suarez also revealed his Uruguay team-mate Diego Forlan, who famously scored both United's goals in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the 2002-03 season, had talked up the North-West derby.

"Diego told me that it is the most important game of the year for them as it is for us," he said. "I know that of all the games in the season this is the one that both most want to win.

"To score in a game like this and help the team to win is something that as a player you always dream of, but my main objective is that the team keeps on getting points.

"That the United fans still sing that for Diego shows the power of the fixture. It shows it is a very important game. I have played a lot of big derbies in Holland, Uruguay and for the national team against Argentina and Brazil, so I am calm.

"I am used to playing derbies, and these are the class of games you most want to play in in any competition - a derby between two really big teams both going for European places. That is why I came here."

Andy Carroll, who joined Liverpool alongside Suarez at the end of the January transfer window, is expected to make his debut at the weekend.

"My impression is that he has a lot of quality," Suarez said. "It is down to us as a group of players to help him fit in and ease him back."

Steven Gerrard Set To Miss Manchester United Clash Due To Recurring Groin Injury

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to sit out today’s clash with Manchester United at Anfield, having picked up the same groin injury in training on Friday which sidelined him for three games just a week ago – according to a report in The Daily Mail.

The Reds' captain made his return last weekend during Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat by West Ham at Upton Park - their first loss under new manager Kenny Dalglish.

Dalglish and Ferguson will renew their dugout rivalry this afternoon, locking horns for the second time this season having already come up against each other at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.

Manchester United won that game 1-0 thanks to an early Ryan Giggs penalty, and has beaten the Reds twice so far this season, but remains vulnerable following their 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Tuesday.

Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the game, whilst captain Nemanja Vidic is banned after picking up a red card against the Blues.

That is a double flow for Ferguson, but given Gerrard's importance to Liverpool, Dalglish will also rue his own skipper's likely absence from the action at Anfield.

Dalglish Aware Of Rooney Threat

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is wary of the threat an in-form Wayne Rooney will pose his side when Manchester United visit Anfield on Sunday.

However, he accepts he cannot afford to put special plans in place to contain the former Everton striker as their arch-rivals have plenty of players who can cause them problems.

Dimitar Berbatov scored a match-winning hat-trick in the 3-2 win at Old Trafford back in September - before Dalglish's time in charge - and also won the penalty which Ryan Giggs converted to clinch FA Cup victory in January.

Rooney, whose record against Liverpool is not great with just two goals in 12 appearances, has scored five in his last five Premier League matches with three in three games.

Dalglish needs no reminding of the 25-year-old's talent but will not focus entirely on stopping the England international.

"I don't think Wayne Rooney has to justify his abilities as a footballer to anyone," said the Scot.

"Anyone involved in football would know he's a top-class player.

"He has the ability to do all the things you talk about - and we hope he doesn't do them Sunday.

"It's difficult to keep players like that quiet at times but it's not difficult to lay plans.

"It's our job, whether it works or not remains to be seen. If you can't have an idea about what you want to do in a game then you've got a problem.

"But it's not just Wayne you need to concern yourself with - it's Manchester United.

"They are a top team and that's why they are top of league at the moment."

Raul Meireles Looks To Slay Bitter Rivals As He Enters Dragon's Den

On Sunday lunchtime, Raul Meireles will need his dragon. It covers his back. “You know what it means?” asks the Portuguese midfielder, when required to explain the vast tattoo which runs down his spine. “It is protection. In Japanese mythology, it is the perfect creature.”

On Sunday, Manchester United are at Anfield. Against the Red Devils, face to face with Liverpool’s demons, Raul Meireles will need his dragon.

He knows it, too. His eyes are wide, his tone disbelieving, when he discusses the intensity, the sheer, relentless physicality which pervades the Premier League. “The kicks here,” he exclaims. “Ooph. The game never stops. Everything is a battle.”

Never more so than against United; never more so than when United must be defeated if Liverpool are to have any hope at all of remaining even the joint most titled club in England. Reason to be afraid? Reason to think he has no taste for a third encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side this season? No. A laugh. “It is very good. I like it. This is England. It is unbelievable.”

It is a word that crops up often in 45 minutes in Meireles’s company on a sunny spring afternoon at Melwood, Liverpool’s tranquil training complex. He is relaxed, engaging, his English fluent enough to showcase his rapid-fire wit. His sentences are short, staccato. He receives an idea, releases a retort. He is as economical with words as he is with possession. And he is positive. Always, breathlessly positive.

The Porto team where he made his name? “Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez. Unbelievable.” Andre Villas-Boas, the coach at the club he departed last summer for Anfield for £11.7 million? “I only worked one month with him. Unbelievable. He is like Steve Clarke, since he came here. Wow.”

His delight is not restricted to his former club. Rui Bento, his hero, was unbelievable. Steven Gerrard, his captain, likewise. Kenny Dalglish’s return, too, to replace Roy Hodgson. “The fans had stopped believing in the team. Now, with Kenny, they sing his song 10 times every game.” Believable? No. “Unbelievable.”

So too the goal that first catapulted him into the country’s consciousness, that volley at Molineux. “After the game, I went home, straight on to the internet and watched it 20 times. But it was a lucky goal.”

Another recurring theme. “I am a lucky guy,” he says, when discussing team-mates past and present. “I played with Vitor Baia at Porto. He won more titles than any player in history.” He will not, though, be drawn on who is the best he has played alongside. “Too difficult. Sorry. Lucho. Cristiano Ronaldo. Lisandro. But I like Stevie [Gerrard].”

Conscious of his own good fortune, capable of drawing pleasure from all he has achieved. Meireles is a reservoir of positivity. His first few months in England, though, must nearly have drained it.

His transfer, he freely admits, was “a dream”. “I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League,” he says. “But [I never thought] for a top club. Maybe a middle club. To play in Liverpool, it is fantastic.

The supporters. Wow. I want to win every game because they deserve it.”

Especially after what they, and he, went through earlier this season. By October, Meireles, pursued for the last three years by Internazionale, Sevilla and Marseille, found himself in a side sitting 18th in the league.

He is adamant Liverpool’s ostracism from the Champions League did not negatively impact his view of the club. “When Liverpool make you an offer, there is only one answer,” he insists. “When my agent told me it was a possibility, I said I go now. Now.”

Nor, more surprisingly, did the relegation battle he found himself embroiled in. There are no regrets.

“Did I expect it? No. Never in my life. Never,” he says. “But I enjoy things more now. In Portugal, at my first club Boavista, I had to fight and fight to be in a good position. Then at Porto, we played so well, we had the best players in the best team. I won 10 titles. Then I came here, and we had this season.”

Meireles, playing out of his homeland for the first time, might have found his expectations confounded, his ambitions realigned to fit Liverpool’s new reality, but while his surrounds were unfamiliar, his club’s plight was less strange.

His ability to connect with a dropping ball would not suggest it, but perhaps Meireles does not have the greatest sense of timing. A boyhood fan of their great rivals Boavista – “I hated Porto” – he crossed the Douro in 2004. The summer after Jose Mourinho won the Champions League, left for Chelsea and took a raft of players with him.

“It is hard to lose a figure like him,” he says. “That year, my first at Porto, we won nothing. We had three coaches. But that is normal when you have had two fantastic years, winning everything. It is difficult to build a new team. But the second year was perfect.

“It is like Liverpool. This is a difficult year. New coach, new players. But I think next year we will have more chance to fight for better places. It takes time to be perfect.”

Hodgson, summarily dismissed by Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, in January was never afforded that time. Meireles will not speak ill of him – “He brought me here. I like him. I need to thank him” – but will acknowledge that Dalglish’s more aesthetic style suits him better.

That is hardly a surprise. Meireles, muscular but slight, is not built for combat, but for grace. “In Portugal, we say it is better to be small and good, than big and bad,” he says. United should not expect him to shrink away from challenges today. “Sometimes you need to tackle. “But it is more how you read the game.”

And it helps when you have a dragon on your shoulder. Offering protection.

Liverpool Interested In A Summer Move For Fernando Gago

Liverpool are believed to be interested in a move for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago.

The 24-year-old was previously reported to have had a training group bust-up with team-mate Pedro Leon, while regular starts have not been in the offing for the Argentine.

And now The People reports that Real are keen to offload the midfielder to the highest bidder during the summer transfer period, and the Merseyside outfit are interested in the former Valladolid man.

It has been reported that Real want £10 million from the sale of Gago, whereas the Reds appear to be looking for an £8m deal.

Dalglish Has Magic Touch To Turn Hopes And Dreams Into Reality

The Liverpool manager knows that facing down their greatest rivals is the best way to reinvigorate the club.

Kenny Dalglish cannot make a wrong move at Liverpool. After all, he invented the dance. Liverpool's greatest player understands the club like no man alive and maybe as only one or two in its history have.

Dalglish is more relaxed as caretaker manager this time than he was as manager 20 years ago. It has become customary to say he is allowing the real Kenny Dalglish to be glimpsed this time. Liverpool supporters never complained about the Dalglish they saw before.

There was nothing artificial about the taciturn Dalglish who felt he acted at all times for the good of the club and with its principles close to his heart. He knew what the supporters wanted and he knows what they want now. He carries this weight with modesty but if anyone, as a Sky reporter did, tries to suggest they are representing the fans, Dalglish is quick to remind them of his position and his strength.

They dance to his tune and in that he has much in common with Alex Ferguson. Last week, Ferguson once again demonstrated why he has been such a success in English football.

Again he railed against the establishment, first as he anticipated a persecution that did not materialize and then as he took on a referee and an FA charge which even his own lawyers were suggesting he didn't fight.

He is an unreasonable man but one aware that the reasonableness of others is his and Manchester United's greatest strength. Dalglish has always been another who will not back down.

When reporters talked to Dalglish, who turned 60 on Friday, about his relationship with Ferguson last week, they fell back on the journalistic convention when discussing the United manager, the "good bottle of red". Would Dalglish have one waiting for him? "It's my birthday, not his."

Dalglish may have been joking but again he understands that his constituency is beyond Ferguson and the newspapers.

He has remained true to his code, formed in Glasgow and Liverpool, during a return in a very different era. Dalglish has become more expansive while saying as little as he used to do before.

The calamitous appointment of Roy Hodgson is almost forgotten now. Almost but not quite. Dalglish has offered a glimpse at what Liverpool under the old regime rejected last summer.

His candidacy was dismissed. Instead Hodgson's promotion above his pay grade was hailed by the opinion-formers as a return to traditional English values at a club which never had much time for traditional English values.

Until last Sunday's defeat at West Ham reminded Dalglish -- if he needed reminding -- that much needs to be changed at the club, there was a sense of inexorable progress about his return.

Only so much can change in two months. Last Sunday's defeat effectively ended Liverpool's ambitions to qualify for the Champions League but the damage was not done at the Boleyn Ground. The damage was done last summer and in the desperate months of Hodgson's management. Dalglish has restored ambition to Liverpool and that comes at a price. No longer is it necessary to listen to Hodgson chortling at the idea that Liverpool might challenge for the title or talking about the burden of expectation.

When Dalglish talked about managing expectations in his first week, he seemed untroubled by it. Later he would go on to say that managing expectations had never been difficult at Liverpool: the traditional method they dealt with it was by winning. Right now, that is not a solution available to Dalglish but victory against Manchester United is.

Ambition is back on the agenda too and ambition in English football starts with facing down Ferguson and Manchester United. Rafael Benitez understood this. Dalglish wrote the playbook.

A year after Dalglish's departure in 1991, Liverpool were given a glimpse of what was to come. Not the dominance of Manchester United but at their delight at those occasions when they could deny them, no matter how temporary the delay would be.

They celebrated at Anfield as they denied Ferguson his first title. Some wondered if United were strong enough to come back from the blow. The next season, not for the last time, United demonstrated their powers of recovery.

Dalglish's team can set them back again today but there is an urgency as United head towards a 19th title and Liverpool remain beached on the 18th acquired 21 years ago by Dalglish.

Since then, there have been glimpses and challenges. Liverpool, for a time, was able to beat Manchester United routinely, much as Manchester United under Ron Atkinson was able to beat the great Liverpool sides.

United's strength under Ferguson has always been their ability to destroy the mediocre sides their challengers dropped points against. So Liverpool would celebrate a victory while United knew the title was coming or would not be long in returning.

Two years ago, Liverpool was closer but a lot has changed since the 4-1 victory at Old Trafford.

In the summer Dalglish will presumably become full-time manager with full-time commitments. He is the man to make the club challenge United but he will need the backing of the owners.

He has made the team look better than Roy Hodgson believed they were simply by believing in them. Benitez, too, indirectly ran down the side by suggesting he needed more money for better players. Dalglish has his private thoughts but the face he projects to the media is hard to read. That is the way a manager should always be.

Yet, the game has changed. Pepe Reina gave his strongest indication yet in an excellent interview in the Guardian yesterday that he would consider leaving in the summer. If he goes the job will again become more difficult.

Reina's words add to the pressure but players like Reina are not the ones responsible for the mess Liverpool allowed themselves to become over the past few years.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett might have gone but their legacy still remains. The wars fought and the money drained had an impact on the side. When Christian Purslow and Martin Broughton decided to rid themselves of their turbulent manager last summer, they anticipated an explosion of joy. Instead Hodgson dragged them down.

Dalglish, in contrast, can only point them in one direction. As Liverpool have moved up the table, he has routinely pointed out that this is not where Liverpool belong, that the club will never be happy as long as they remain sixth or seventh in the league.

He manages expectations by reminding supporters, as if they didn't know, that he shares their ambitions and dreams.

His reputation, he said, would have been damaged if he had turned down this opportunity. There was never any chance of that, no matter what the challenge.

The new owners acted swiftly when Fernando Torres left. If they hadn't there would have been renewed despondency.

In the summer, if Reina leaves, it may be tougher. He has a clause in his contract which allows him to go for £20m, a cut-price deal for one of the world's finest goalkeepers.

Liverpool reinvested the Torres money quickly but replacing Reina when players are needed throughout the squad will be a greater test of the new owners' financial commitment.

They have still to appoint a chief executive and Dalglish remains a caretaker, even if it seems a formality that they will make his appointment long term.

In doing so, they will point Liverpool in one direction: the direction Dalglish wants to take them. He speaks and acts with a blue-blood's certainty about what is best for Liverpool Football Club. He has always embraced the collective that is part of FSG's philosophy too but he will be the manager, the figurehead and the spokesman.

The reality is that today offers some distraction. Reina stated in his interview that since last summer when both he and Torres decided to stay "things haven't changed much". The only thing that has changed has been a greater awareness of the reality. Dalglish's job is to change it.

Hodgson repeatedly stated that he didn't have a magic wand. He was right, he didn't. But other managers do.

Dalglish's association with Liverpool has been long and magical, glorious and tragic. He embodies the club and understands how Liverpool is a vessel for the supporters' dreams. Today he will hope to cast another spell.