John W Henry And Tom Werner Fly In To Announce Appointment Of Kenny Dalglish

John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool’s principal backer and chairman, are expected to attend the club’s final home game of the season, increasing the chances that Kenny Dalglish’s return as permanent manager could now be confirmed early enough for his side to kick off at Anfield against Tottenham on Sunday knowing he will be in charge next year.

The Americans, the principal owners of the Fenway Sports Group consortium which has owned Liverpool since October, are due to fly in to the city on Friday. As well as examining the state of their investment at the end of their first season in charge, they are thought likely to take the chance to announce that the Scot will take charge on a full-time basis.

Talks between the two parties have been progressing for almost six weeks and the public appointment of the Scot - initially installed as a caretaker in January - has been described as imminent by sources acquainted with the negotiations for almost a month.

Dalglish has made plain his delight at having the chance to return to a post he vacated in 1991, while FSG has been impressed by the stunning turnaround in form overseen by the Scot in his four months in charge.

Any minor hitches over the length of his deal, the exact nature of his relationship with director of football Damien Comolli and provisions for a position at the end of his contract are thought to have been overcome.

Dalglish’s success - recording 10 wins, three draws and just three defeats in his five months since replacing Roy Hodgson at Anfield - has served to make FSG’s first managerial appointment a formality, despite an initial intention to appoint a younger manager around whom they could build the club for the next decade.

At 60, Dalglish hardly fits that description. Equally, he is less accustomed to working in FSG’s preferred management structure - alongside Comolli - than the Americans would, perhaps, have wished, but Henry for one has been fulsome in his praise of the former Blackburn and Newcastle manager.

Speaking to Fox Soccer Channel earlier this season, Henry said: “In retrospect you could not have made a better choice [for caretaker than Dalglish]. I know he, for a long time now, has wanted to be in this position, so it’s a great thing for the club, for Kenny and for us."

Carra Eyes Quality Additions

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool might only be a couple of players away from being contenders for the top trophies next season.

The ultra-consistent Reds defender, who went second in the all-time list of Anfield appearance makers against Fulham, thinks its imperative the club gets back in the Champions League as soon as possible, but believes the right signings could help them get there sooner rather than later.

"First and foremost, we need to improve the team and the squad," said Carra in an exclusive interview in LFC Weekly when asked what the club needs to do to progress.

"We're on a great run at the moment, but sometimes when that happens it makes you think that you don't need to change too much. You can't forget what has happened in the last 18 months because we're not yet where we want to be.

"But the manager has come in and we've been as good as anyone else in the league since then. Whether that changes minds about what we need to do over the summer remains to be seen.

"We need to get back in that Champions League - sometimes you look at it and think you're miles away. But you look at Schalke in the semi-final and Man United in the final - a team that we beat quite comfortably at home - and realize that with a few additions, we could be up there too."

One player who can help the Reds kick on next season is Luis Suarez. Our No.23 has been impressed, but not surprised, with how well the Uruguayan has settled into Premier League football.

"I know people say it takes foreigners longer to settle but I think that's a myth.

"Every foreign player that's been a success at Liverpool has done it straight away: Babbel...Hyypia...Henchoz...Reina...Alonso...Torres...they didn't need much time to settle did they? Suarez would be on that list too. Generally, if you don't settle quickly, you don't settle at all.

"You hear those that say Thierry Henry took 12 months at Arsenal, but he still scored 20-odd goals. It may have taken him 12 weeks, but after that he was fine."

Joe Cole Ready To Take Pay Cut To End Anfield Nightmare

Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole has been made aware he can leave the club in the summer and would consider accepting a pay cut to end his Anfield nightmare.

Cole was acclaimed as a major signing when he joined Liverpool on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea last summer.

But the 29-year-old has found himself out of the side for much of the season and has made just eight Premier League starts, scoring two goals.

Reds manager Kenny Dalglish has publicly backed the former England international but he does not feature in Liverpool's plans to build a younger squad and the club will listen to offers at the end of the season.

Cole, 29, has continued to work professionally in training but he is ready to accept that his move to Merseyside has not worked out as he has struggled with form and fitness due to niggling injury problems. The Reds have not told him to look for a new club but he accepts that he will be allowed to leave if the right deal can be reached.

West Ham, where Cole started his career as a schoolboy, would be interested in bringing him back to Upton Park but appear unlikely to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.

Tottenham, Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers have all been credited with interest in the attacking midfielder.

Any move would be complicated by the fact that Cole earns £90,000-a-week on a contract that does not expire until 2014, but he would consider accepting a drop in wages if the right move comes along.

“If a move that would be best for Joe's career and his family becomes available, then he will evaluate his options and make a decision,” a source told Goal.com.

The most likely scenario may be a season-long loan to a club that can offer Cole first-team football to kick-start his career and prove that he is still capable of playing at a high level. However, Liverpool would be reluctant to subsidize his wages while he was on loan at another club.

Cole's future is further complicated by the possible return of Alberto Aquilani from Juventus in the summer as Reds chief executive Ian Ayre has been unable to agree a fee with the Italian club to complete a permanent deal.

Liverpool are targeting a number of attacking players in the summer to strengthen their options and support the £57.8 million strikeforce of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

But Dalglish, who took over as manager after Roy Hodgson was sacked in January, has insisted that Cole may yet have a future at the club despite the plans for a summer overhaul.

“It is a great credit to him the way he has been training,” said the Scot after Cole scored in the 5-0 victory over Birmingham last month. “He is fantastic in training. He plays everything right and doesn't have a problem. Everybody has to work hard to get anything and Joe is no different from anybody else.”

Liverpool Want To Bring Phillippe Coutinho To Anfield

Inter Milan's attacking midfielder Phillippe Coutinho has emerged as a summer transfer target for Liverpool according to insidefutbol.com.

The highly rated Samba star has fallen down the pecking order at the San Siro, since the arrival of current coach Leonardo, who replaced former Anfield boss Rafael Benitez at the helm of the Serie A club.

At just 18, Coutinho is widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects to come out of South America in recent years.

However, his limited game time in the past few months is a cause of frustration for the young Brazilian, to the point that he may consider his future in the summer.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is on the lookout for midfield additions and wants to bring an attack-minded playmaker to Anfield to increase his options in the middle of the park.

According to Gazetta dello Sport, Coutinho has been touted by the Reds director of football Damien Comolli, who is a known admirer of Coutinho's abilities.

Comolli in fact tried to sign the former Vasco da Gama star in his previous role with French outfit St Etienne, and he is keen to approach the player again this summer.

Described as a two-footed midfielder who gets 'bums off seats' with his technical dribbling and trickery to beat defenders, Liverpool fans will be excited at the prospect of this potential acquisition.

Having signed for Inter at the age of 16, for a fee of €4million, the Italian club will be looking to make a profit should he decide to leave.

And with the Anfield club’s emphasis once again placed on developing youth policy, Coutinho fits the bill in terms of an up-and-coming talent who can be nurtured with a view to becoming a Liverpool star of the future.

Liverpool Look To Parker To Bolster Midfield

Liverpool is reportedly monitoring West Ham midfielder Scott Parker in their pursuit of summer reinforcements.

According to The Mirror, the Reds are keen on the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year, as well as Real Madrid enforcer Lassana Diarra.

Parker's performances have earned him plenty of plaudits this season - not least the accolade from the FWA - with his industrious and inspirational displays also rewarded with a place in Fabio Capello's England set-up.

Liverpool are thought to be in the market for a player to add extra grit to their midfield, and Parker is seen as a man who could have an impact at Anfield.

However, at 30-years-old, Parker does not fit with the ethos of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group in their quest to bring players to Anfield who still have plenty of room to develop.

And, with West Ham unlikely to let their star man leave on the cheap - even if they are relegated - Liverpool could decide that a bid may not make financial sense.

As well as Parker and Diarra, Liverpool are allegedly tracking Rennes enforcer Yann M'Villa, who has been tipped to make a £17 million move to Anfield.

Liverpool To Make Shock Move For Reading Striker

Liverpool are lining up a shock summer move for Reading striker Shane Long.

The Republic of Ireland international was named Reading's Player of the Season after scoring 21 Championship goals this season, helping Brian McDermott's side into the play-offs.

Reading take on Cardiff tomorrow in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and Long is expected to start up front.

But it is understood that Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the tie and could be ready to launch a cut-price bid for Long should the Royals fail in their promotion bid.

The 24-year-old, who only has a year left on his Reading contract, is desperate to try his hand in the Premier League and could be available for around £5m this summer.

Despite the January signings of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, Liverpool are expected to further strengthen their frontline with question marks still hanging over back-up forward David N'Gog - and Long has emerged as a priority target given his value for money.

Newcastle have also been tracking Long, who has scored 52 goals in just 114 appearances since arriving from Cork City in 2005, and could be ready to firm up their interest with an offer of their own.

Warnock Plots Summer Raid To Take Cole To Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers is considering a sensational swoop for Joe Cole as they look forward to life in the Barclays Premier League.

Neil Warnock meets with the club's hierarchy on Thursday to discuss plans for the summer and any move for the former England international is high among his priorities.

Liverpool forward Cole has endured a nightmare first season at Anfield after his free transfer from Chelsea last summer.

The 29-year-old is likely to be allowed to leave this summer and Warnock is ready to explore the option of bringing him back to London on loan.

Speculation over Adel Taarabt's future continues to linger and Cole is seen as a potential like-for-like replacement for the Morocco forward - though any deal would depend on Liverpool taking on a portion of his £90,000-per-week wages.

Spearing Wins Under-21 Call-Up

Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing has been drafted into England Under-21s' provisional 40-man squad for this summer's European Championships.

The 22-year-old will join up with Stuart Pearce's side after Bolton midfielder Mark Davies was ruled out of the tournament in Denmark through injury.

Pearce will submit his long squad to European governing body UEFA on Thursday and Spearing has been handed an Under-21 berth for the first time.

Spearing has excelled at Liverpool since club legend Kenny Dalglish returned to the helm, becoming a key component in the Reds midfield and signing a contract extension with his boyhood club last week.

In total, Spearing has made 18 first-team appearances so far this season and despite being 22 he is eligible to compete for the Under-21s because he was under-age when qualification began.

Liverpool Crowned Loudest Fans In The Premiership

Liverpool has taken over from Stoke City as the Premier Leagues nosiest supporters, according to unofficial research by the website Peter's Fan Chants.

The Potters have been famously dubbed the Premier League's loudest fans ever since Sky Sports measured the noise levels in every ground in 2008.

On this evidence Stoke can expect to make more noise than Manchester City during Saturday's FA Cup final, Wembley's.

Michael Dennis, Peter's Fan Chants managing director said: "While this survey is not scientific, we have taken a series of measurements on the terraces of each club's home ground and averaged this out across games and the season.

"Contrary to what you might expect with its much larger ground, Manchester City fans are quieter at 71 decibels than Stoke City (83 decibels).

"But Wembley Stadium, acoustically, doesn't help the fans and they sound muted compared to their home ground terraces.

"But because each club is allocated roughly the same number of tickets, both sets of supporters will have a level playing field and the opportunity to demonstrate that they are the loudest."

Kenny Dalglish Finally Poised To Sign Deal

Liverpool is expected to confirm Kenny Dalglish’s appointment as permanent manager in the next 10 days.

That will allow the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, to begin to clarify their plans for this summer’s transfer market. Liverpool have emerged as favourites to sign the Aston Villa winger Ashley Young for around £12 million and are also believed to be tracking his club and international team-mate Stewart Downing.

By the time Liverpool face both players at Villa Park on the final day of the campaign, the long-running and increasingly baffling saga concerning Dalglish is likely to be at an end.

Sam Kennedy, FSG’s president, confirmed as long ago as April 9 that talks with the Scot over making the temporary post he took over in January permanent were already under way, reward for the remarkable turnaround in Liverpool’s performances under his tenure.

Despite the dire warnings of Jose Mourinho at the start of the season that Liverpool were getting “worse, worse and worse” and the assertion by his predecessor Roy Hodgson that “95 per cent” of observers would agree with the Portuguese in November, Dalglish has taken the club from the obscurity of 13th place in the Premier League on Jan 8 to within touching distance of a place in the Europa League following Monday night’s 5-2 demolition of Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Though his record of 10 wins, three draws and three defeats in the Premier League is hardly flawless, that he has garnered more points than any team other than Chelsea since taking charge of a side mired in mid-table shows the scale of his achievement.

Such an impressive record only makes the delay in announcing his inevitable ascension to the permanent manager’s post he vacated in February 1991 more inexplicable.

FSG promised upon Dalglish’s appointment that they would conduct a thorough search for the best man to lead the club forward on a permanent basis; though director of football Damien Comolli insisted then that the Scot’s claims would be considered, Dalglish hardly fits the profile FSG had in mind for their first managerial appointment when they took over at Anfield.

They were keen on a young, ambitious manager used to working in the sort of structure they were quick to implement at Liverpool, alongside a director of football, and examined the credentials of the likes of André Villas Boas, at Porto, Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp and Marseille manager Didier Deschamps.

Dalglish, though, has enjoyed such success that all debate has been rendered irrelevant. Even Liverpool’s fans have proved as much: since Dalglish took charge, their volume has increased by 40 per cent to 97 decibels, according to the site fanchants.com.

In an ideal world, the Scot, cast from management’s old school, would probably like a longer contract with greater power over recruitment than the club’s owners would willingly afford him, but his results are unarguable.

“We have been flying since Christmas,” said defender Jamie Carragher. “The manager has come in and made a big difference.

"Whatever he has done has worked. But the players coming in have made a huge difference too. [Luis] Suárez is superb. If he keeps playing like that he will be a bigger legend than I will ever be.”

The Uruguayan – now on five goals for his new club – will be joined in the summer by more than half a dozen players, once Dalglish’s appointment is confirmed, with the Aston Villa duo, as well as Bolton’s Gary Cahill, Newcastle’s José Enrique and Sylvain Marveaux, of Rennes, believed to be high on Comolli and Dalglish’s agenda.

Liverpool Target Diego Perotti Linked With Sevilla Exit

Sevilla have placed a £13 million valuation on winger Diego Perotti, according to reports.

The Argentine international has been linked with Liverpool for several months now, with the Reds confirmed to have scouted the player and monitoring his situation in Spain.

Poised for an exit from his current La Liga home after Sevilla agreed the pre-contract agreement signing of Piotr Trochowski, The People claim Los Rojiblancos will start negotiations for the player at £13 million.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also thought to be interested in the player, with the White Hart Lane outfit also sending scouts to run the rule over the 22-year-old former Deportivo Moron player.

Kenny Dalglish is known to be in the market for a winger, with Ashley Young, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata all reportedly appearing on the Liverpool radar in recent months.

Fenway Sports Group, the owners at Anfield, are thought to have pledged a transfer war chest in the region of £50 million to the Liverpool boss as the Scot looks to make significant signings in the summer.

Alongside Damien Comolli, director of football, the pair are thought to have a number of targets in a string of positions and it promises to be a bust summer for Liverpool.

Liverpool Shoot Past Rivals For €15m Assassin

Liverpool have been boosted in the race to sign Lille striker Gervinho, after Newcastle reportedly decided against trying to make a big money bid for the star after he admitted wanting to play Champions League football.

“I am trying my best to concentrate on the final push for the league,” Gervinho told skysports.com.

“We want to win the championship. Also, we are in the cup final.

“At the end of the season, my advisers and I will speak to the club and see what to do, but if I am leaving a club which will play in the Champions League I will only go to one who is in the Champions League.

“It is the best competition and I want to be a part of that set-up every year.”

Newcastle were thought to still be considering a big money offer in the hopes of tempting Gervinho away from other English clubs, including Liverpool and Arsenal, but the Journal is reporting that Alan Pardew has decided against making such an offer.

While Liverpool will most likely not make the Champions League this season their squad is looking particularly promising, and the Anfield club might be able to offer Gervinho the carrot of a long term plan to win trophies in England as well as the Champions League.

While Arsenal were thought to be interested in the star, the €15 million price tag Sky Sports has reported is hanging over Gervinho’s head may be too much for the frugal Arsene Wenger to stomach.

This now leaves Liverpool as favourites to secure the coveted Ivory Coast international’s signature, with Dalglish reportedly planning to build an unstoppable strike force.

Jose Angel Could Be On His Way To Anfield In The Summer

Highly rated La Liga left-back Jose Angel is a summer transfer target for Liverpool according to Sky Sports' Spanish correspondent, Guillem Balague.

As reported on his website, GuillemBalague.com, Angel could move to Anfield when the transfer window reopens in June after being tracked in recent months.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has made it clear the Reds need to add a left-sided defender in the summer, after deeming Paul Konchesky surplus to requirements.

Dalglish has instead chosen to deploy an out of position Glen Johnson at left-back for much of the season, and has more recently tasked Liverpool's academy graduate John Flanagan with filling Anfield's problem position.

Director of Footballl Damien Comolli has been on the look-out for a defensive addition to improve the squad at Anfield, causing Liverpool to be linked with a host of names over the past few months.

Jose Enrique, Fabio Coentrao, Gael Clichy, and even former Reds star John Arne Riise have all been cited as potential targets, but it is now understood that with an emphasis once again placed on youth development, the Spanish U-21 international has been moved to the top of Liverpool's list of targets.

Angel hinted at a January move to Malaga, when the La Liga rivals offered to pay €3million to bring him to La Rosaleda.

However, after a deal failed to materialize, Angel has continued to deliver committed performances for Sporting, who sit comfortably in mid-table in Spain's top-flight division.

But if Liverpool were to step up their interest in Angel, his head may well be turned once again by a club that boasts such European pedigree.

Murphy Lauds Reds Progress

Fulham captain Danny Murphy believes his former club Liverpool can mount a title challenge next season.

The Reds are in the middle of an impressive run of form having fought back up to fifth in the league following a sluggish start to the season under Roy Hodgson.

With Kenny Dalglish now at the helm and a new crop of youngsters staking a claim for first-team places, there is an air of optimism at the club that has not gone unnoticed from former Kop star Murphy.

The 34-year-old was forced to reflect on a heavy 5-2 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at Craven Cottage on Monday night, a strong statement from a team in form.

"At the moment they're playing under very little pressure," he said.

"They do not have to go out and win games because nobody is expecting them to reach a certain position.

"It will be a different task when players are under pressure every week if they are fighting for the top.

"But with Kenny in charge, and a few more additions, they'll be pushing for the top four.

"They've got young lads coming through and doing brilliantly. The full-back John Flanagan was terrific against us, Jay Spearing is a good player.

"Mix that with Stevie G (Gerrard) to come back, plus some investment from the American owners, and I would imagine they will be up there.

"They are obviously competing with Manchester City, who'll probably spend treble what Liverpool do.

"Manchester United will spend again, Chelsea will, and everybody is putting pressure on Arsenal to spend again, so it will be tough.

"But Liverpool has got the right man in charge now and the fans are happy. You can hear how happy they are with what they're seeing."

Murphy admits he was particularly disappointed with the performance of his team on Monday night as they were beaten heavily by his former club.

The midfielder felt that the performance was not indicative of the form his team has shown this term, especially at home.

Murphy added: "A lot of us made mistakes.

"It's disappointing because since January we've been on a good run and our home form has been great.

"But we always said a top-10 finish is our aim and we've still got a good chance of that."

Six Young Guns Earn England Call

Frank McParland has today saluted the crop of talent emerging from the club's Academy.

Six players from Liverpool's youth base have been named alongside Jonjo Shelvey in England U19s latest squad - following hot on the heels of the quartet that were originally involved with the U17s at the European Championships.

It is further evidence of the depth of quality now being nurtured in Kirkby - and the Academy director feels the news caps a very productive campaign for his staff and players.

"We've had four players called up for England U17s and we've just had news about the six that have been called up for the U19s," McParland told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"Add that to the two lads who have been involved with the first-team for the past four or five games and it's all very positive.

"Okay our U18s didn't win the league and it was disappointing for us. But I think the coaches realise that getting the players into the first-team set-up is the most important thing and we've made some great progress.

"It's testament to the hard work everyone is doing here."

Liverpool's Academy youngsters called up for England U19s: Coady, Robinson, Flanagan, Ngoo, Wisdom, Ince.

Reds To Open New Art Gallery

Liverpool FC's brand new art exhibition celebrating the club's illustrious history and rich heritage will open its doors at the city's Bluecoat centre on Saturday, May 14 - and is FREE for fans to enter.

Over the next 12 months, the 'Reds Gallery' will showcase a series of exclusive photographic exhibitions which include iconic LFC images, commissioned pieces as well as alternative images influenced by acclaimed artists and the award winning photographer Steve Hale, who followed the Reds for over 30 years.

It's the perfect opportunity for Kopites to take a wander down memory lane over the moments in time and legends that have helped mould the club into one of the most unique in world football.

The displays are scheduled to change every three months - and the maiden exhibition will pay homage to Liverpool's legendary Boot Room until August 11.

Liverpool FC Commercial Tourism manager Tom Cassidy said: "Having decided on the idea a while back we then had to find a venue and the Bluecoat, with its history, culture and location, fits the bill perfectly.

"We are very excited at the potential of this project as there's huge cross-over between the two organizations and potential exhibition ideas. Visitors can expect a vibrant and entertaining experience which will appeal to non football fans of all ages in addition to our loyal followers."

Entry to the gallery is totally free, and it's open from 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sundays.

You can visit the Reds Gallery exhibition at the Bluecoat on School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.

The first exhibition celebrates the key personnel involved in the legendary LFC Boot Room. Measuring approximately 12 foot x 12 foot, the Boot Room became a think tank behind a force that would dominate English football throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties.

Led by legendary managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, with a supporting cast of Reuben Bennett, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran and Roy Evans, a philosophy was forged that took Liverpool FC to the very pinnacle of domestic and European Football.

The Boot Room may have given way to the necessity of a media and press room in the early nineties but the legend lives strong.

This revealing photo exhibition celebrates the iconic personnel involved like you've never seen them before.

The second exhibition traces the inspiration, humour and celebrations of Liverpool FC's adoring fans and the role they've played in the success of the club over the decades.

Adidas Taking LFC To Dublin

Liverpool fans Rosanna Davison and Dublin GAA star Paul Brogan were on hand to launch the Adidas home away from home campaign today.

Adidas is bringing Liverpool FC to the streets of Dublin this week and offering fans the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet some of club's star players when they visit Ireland to launch the new Adidas 2011/12 away kit.

Speaking at the launch Rosanna said: "Certainly from a female perspective I often get looks of shock and amazement when I say I am a big Liverpool fan, but I love to go to matches and watch them on TV," Rosanna said.

"It's something I really enjoy, watching the game with my family or going over to Anfield. I wouldn't be that mad about watching any old team play, it has to be Liverpool."

She added: "My father has been a fan for years and my brothers are into it as well and I think my Dad's mission was to get us all supporting them - even the dog had a red collar and was a Liverpool supporter. It's been a great family thing growing up. I still love going over to Anfield when I can and nothing beats the atmosphere over at the matches, especially in the Kop."

Match Report: Fulham 2 - 5 Liverpool

Liverpool may be about to be knocked off their perch by Manchester United, but they showed at Craven Cottage they might just mount a serious challenge for a 19th league title of their own next season by destroying Fulham.

The Reds made it 13 goals in their last three games and Maxi Rodriguez completed his second hat-trick over the same period, with Dirk Kuyt making it 12 goals in his last 13 matches for club and country and Luis Suarez wrapping up the rout.

The win moved Liverpool back above Tottenham into fifth place in the Premier League and left Fulham stunned as they paid the price for a horrible first 16 minutes which saw them 3-0 down.

The Cottagers threatened a comeback when Mousa Dembele pulled a goal back but they were 5-1 down before Steve Sidwell fired a late consolation.

If Jamie Carragher was worried his 666th appearance for Liverpool - moving him second on the all-time list - was a bad omen, he was in for a pleasant surprise.

It was Fulham who must have thought they were cursed as they endured calamity after calamity right from kick-off.

The first blunder came from Aaron Hughes, whose slip let in Suarez, with Carlos Salcido and Mark Schwarzer making a hash of the striker's left-wing cross and allowing Maxi to thread the ball home.

The shocking defending continued in the seventh minute as Chris Baird played Glen Johnson onside and the full-back crossed for Maxi to volley in from close range at the far post.

Liverpool were rampant, to the glee of the large travelling contingent, and Suarez saw a penalty appeal turned down before a absolute howler from Schwarzer made it 3-0.

There was little power in Kuyt's shot from just inside the penalty area but the goalkeeper allowed the ball to squirm underneath him at the near post, all but killing the game as a contest.

Suarez wasted a glorious chance to pull the ball back for Raul Meireles to make it 4-0 and Maxi volleyed over the top as Fulham's defending in wide areas continued to be non-existent.

Fulham - whose only threat had been a Dembele air shot - finally got going and Dempsey saw his half-volley from Simon Davies' corner cleared off the line by Johnson.

Home boss Mark Hughes threw on Bobby Zamora for Davies at the break and Liverpool suffered a blow when Raul Meireles appeared to pull a hamstring and was replaced by Jonjo Shelvey.

That came after a Fulham free-kick, which Zamora flicked on dangerously moments before Dempsey fired just over the crossbar.

Eidur Gudjohnsen also dragged wide as the home side created more in five minutes than they had in the opening 45.

And they deservedly pulled a goal back in the 57th minute when Martin Skrtel gave Zamora the chance to lay the ball off to Dembele, who curled home beautifully beyond Jose Reina.

The keeper was furious, belting the ball into the stands and earning himself a yellow card.

Hughes would have been cursing himself for not starting with Zamora.

Liverpool remained a threat on the break, particularly through the outstanding Suarez.

But it was Maxi who killed off any hope of a Fulham fightback with 20 minutes remaining, completing his hat-trick with a stunning 25-yard drive into the top corner.

Suarez made it another five-star performance for Kenny Dalglish's men when he raced onto Shelvey's through-ball and brilliantly rounded Schwarzer to prod home the goal his performance deserved.

The Uruguayan beat the offside trap again moments later only to blaze over the top.

Dembele was replaced by Gael Kakuta before Maxi left the field to a standing ovation, with Joe Cole coming on.

Fulham kept going and, with just under five minutes left, Sidwell pounced on a loose clearance and cracked a lovely 20-yard half-volley into the top corner.

Schwarzer saved brilliantly from Shelvey, Spearing had a shot cleared off the line and Kuyt's point-blank shot was blocked by Baird in stoppage-time.

Kenny Hails Five-Star Reds

Kenny Dalglish hailed a Liverpool masterclass after they thumped Fulham 5-2 at Craven Cottage.

The Reds were rampant as a Maxi Rodriguez hat-trick set them on course for a fourth win in five games, which took them above Tottenham into fifth place.

The visitors charged into a 3-0 lead inside 16 minutes, with Maxi scoring after just 32 seconds and the Argentinian midfielder again in the seventh minute.

A Mark Schwarzer error then gifted Dirk Kuyt his fifth goal in five games before Moussa Dembele pulled one back for the hosts in the 57th minute.

But Maxi restored Liverpool's three-goal cushion in the 70th minute with his seventh goal in three games, which have included two hat-tricks, while Luis Suarez claimed a richly-deserved goal five minutes later.

Steve Sidwell hit a fine late consolation for the Cottagers but that did not detract from a great evening for Dalglish's men.

"It was a fantastic performance," the Liverpool boss told Sky Sports.

"We started really brightly, which may seem stating the obvious when you get a couple of early goals.

"But the football we played, the movement, the work-rate and the effort they put in to stop Fulham playing.

"They picked it up in the second half and had right go at us, which you would expect, but we matched them.

"Although they scored two, you can't take it away when you've scored five. It was fantastic."

Maxi has looked a different player since Dalglish took charge in January.

His latest treble took his tally to nine for the season and Dalglish feels the football Liverpool are playing is perfectly suited to Maxi's game.

"The movement of the team and anticipation has been fantastic," he said.

"The way they go about their work and the way they train is a credit to their profession.

"The wee man (Maxi) is a very clever player, he's very intelligent. If there's some movement he'll be the one that's in and round it.

"Some balls have fallen for him in the box and he's put them away, but he's been there to put them away. He's also been involved in the team movement as well.

"The fact he's playing games has helped. He had a few games off and has come back really strong.

"I'm delighted for him and delighted for everybody."

Gerrard Chasing United

Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool will be hell bent on overtaking Manchester United's record number of league successes if they win the Premier League crown.

Sunday's 2-1 success over nearest rivals Chelsea means The Red Devils are almost certain to win the Premier League crown yet again, the 12th time since the league's inception in 1992.

However, one more title means United will overtake Liverpool as the country's most successful club in league action and Gerrard admits that hurts the Merseysiders.

Liverpool have been the form team since Kenny Dalglish's return as manager and their impressive run of results leads Gerrard to believe they are now once again on the up.