Kenny Dalglish Still Looking To Complete His Liverpool Jigsaw

It has not been a good start to the season for Steven Gerrard.

Already frustrated by a groin injury which has delayed his start to the campaign, the Liverpool captain's attempts to rally his team-mates ahead of the Sunderland match fell on deaf ears.

"Today the real action begins," wrote Gerrard in his column in the match program for the opening game. "We all look forward to a season starting, particularly when it's opening with a home game.

"That hasn't happened too often over the last decade, so when it does you have to take advantage of it by getting maximum points."

Given Arsenal and Chelsea also failed to secure maximum points on the opening weekend, Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Sunderland is no cause for alarm despite a sense of anti-climax hanging over Anfield on Saturday night.

And unlike Manchester United, they are not battling an early season injury crisis - despite Gerrard's continued absence.

But it will not have escaped Kenny Dalglish's attention that three of the next four league games - Arsenal, Stoke and Tottenham - are away from home.

They face a vulnerable Arsenal side, the team Liverpool must overtake if they are to re-establish themselves as a top four force again, reeling by Cesc Fabregas's departure yet Dalglish clearly has his own problems.

Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique need time to gel. But time is not on the Liverpool manager's side with expectations high after his £100 million-plus spending spree since January.

The new additions experienced varying degrees of success against Sunderland. While Adam marked his debut with an assist and Downing was denied a goal by the woodwork, Henderson struggled to make an impact.

Enrqiue, who only joined on the eve of the game, showed that he can be a long-term solution to the left-back problem.

Yet question marks remain about the defence and it may require one more signing before the transfer window closes.

With Martin Skrtel sidelined with a calf muscle problem and Jamie Carragher not getting any younger, Dalglish has been linked with Bolton's goalscoring centre back Gary Cahill.

Now Milan Jovanovic is finally off the payroll and Joe Cole, Alberto Aquilani and Christian Poulsen set to depart after failing to make the substitutes bench on Saturday, there is room for another face.

No doubt it will take time for the new man, whoever it is, to settle. Time that Liverpool do not really have.

But Dalglish needs to complete the final part of his jigsaw if Anfield is to have any chance of hosting Champions League football next season.