Kenny Dalglish has warned the imminent return of Steven Gerrard will not solve all of Liverpool’s problems.
The Reds have suffered back-to-back defeats at Stoke and Tottenham to dampen the club’s bright start to the new season.
Gerrard is in line to make his long-awaited return to action in Wednesday’s Carling Cup tie against Brighton and, although Dalglish will be happy to have his skipper back, he has called on the players to improve on the dismal showing at White Hart Lane.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists there is nothing with his team’s discipline, despite seeing two men sent-off in their defeat at Tottenham.
The Reds were outplayed for most of the match during their 4-0 loss at White Hart Lane, and they were not helped by red cards in each half for Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel.
Former Leeds keeper Ankergren is relishing pitting his wits against Liverpool and he feels the game will show just how good the Seagulls are.
Brighton goalkeeper Casper Ankergren believes Wednesday’s Carling Cup clash with Liverpool will be a good test to show how far they have come.
The ambitious Seagulls welcome Liverpool to the Amex stadium for their third round tie hoping to take another Premier League scalp after dumping out Sunderland in the previous round.
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Harry Redknapp has admitted that Tottenham face a difficult challenge to keep Andy Carroll quiet in Sunday’s Premier League match against Liverpool.
Carroll became the most expensive British player of all time when he moved from Newcastle to Anfield in a £35million move in January.
Redknapp was also keen on signing the striker, but his price tag put the Spurs boss off and he had to wait until this month before landing a frontman, with Emmanuel Adebayor signing on loan from Manchester City.
Carroll has struggled to make the impact expected of him since his big-money arrival on Merseyside and has scored three goals in 14 games – one of which came against Exeter in the Carling Cup.
England manager Fabio Capello has also had to field questions about Carroll’s drinking habits after deciding he was not fit enough to play against Bulgaria earlier this season.
Redknapp has refused to get drawn into the debate on the player’s lifestyle, saying only that he will provide a major threat when the Reds visit White Hart Lane this weekend.
Redknapp said: “I don’t know anything about his personal life and whether he drinks or not. Kenny Dalglish is the only person who knows that.
“If Kenny is happy with him then that’s all that matters really.
“As a player, he is a real handful. He is a great header of the ball. When you go up against him you know you have had a game, that’s for sure.”
Kenny Dalglish intends to field a strong side in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night to give Liverpool the best possible chance of pushing on in the competition.
The Reds will travel to the south coast to take on Championship high-flyers Brighton in the third round, having overcome Exeter in the tournament last time out.
Dalglish named a strong side in that encounter – unlike predecessor Roy Hodgson who suffered an ignominious exit to League Two Northampton at this stage 12 months ago – and the manager will do the same again on Wednesday.
“We are pleased to be in the Carling Cup and our intention is to stay in it for as long as we possibly can,” he told Liverpool’s official website.
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Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has admitted his frustration at the injury which has postponed his emergence as one of the Premier League’s rising stars.
The 22-year-old was ruled out for a month earlier in September and remains on that rehabilitation schedule after damaging ligaments in his foot following a challenge from Bolton’s Kevin Davies.
Cleverley, who spent last season on loan at Wigan, had started all of United’s Premier League matches this campaign before his injury and had been praised for his second-half substitute performance in the Community Shield.
He is clearly a major part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans at club level and he was also expected to make his senior England debut against Holland before the August friendly was called off due to the London riots.
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Over 35 per cent of Skysports.com voters believe Liverpool will be the first team to inflict defeat upon Manchester United this season.
Alex Ferguson’s men have won all five of their Premier League games thus far – including games against Arsenal and Chelsea – scoring 21 goals in the process and conceding just four.
It took 25 league games before United suffered a league defeat last season – a 2-1 reverse against Wolves at the start of February. Whispers are already gathering whether they could better that record; or, indeed, whether they can replicate Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ of 2004 and avoid a Premier League defeat throughout the entirety of the season.
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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists David de Gea will start against Chelsea and has blasted a perceived media agenda against the young keeper.
The 20-year-old Spanish shot-stopper switched to Old Trafford in a £18.3m move from Atletico Madrid in the summer to replace retiring Edwin van der Sar.
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Ryan Giggs has called on the next generation of talent emerging at Manchester United to ensure they make the most of their opportunities.
Much has been made of the youthful exuberance flowing through United’s current first-team squad, with Sir Alex Ferguson having put considerable faith in his youngsters.
There are, however, a number of academy stars looking to force their way into the picture in the not too distant future.
The likes of Paul Pogba and Will Keane are tipped for bright futures and are expected to figure in Ferguson’s plans sooner rather than later.
It is expected that a number of youngsters will be given a chance to shine in United’s Carling Cup clash with Leeds on Tuesday, and Giggs has challenged those selected to stand up and be counted.
“There are young players coming through at United but this is an important part of their career,” Giggs told MUTV.
“When you look at the lads who came through in my age group, then those who followed; Wes Brown and John O’Shea for instance, when they got their chance, they took it.
“Once you hit 17, 18 and 19, that is what you have to do.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is if you get a chance to train with the first team, or in a match as a substitute, you need to make an impact.
“You need to force the manager not leave you out of the next game.”
The likes of Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, following loan spells elsewhere, are the latest academy graduates to make their mark in the first team, but Giggs believes it takes a special kind of talent to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford.
“It is tough because there is a lot of quality in the first team,” said the Welshman.
“The majority have the quality. That is not really in doubt. The question is, do they have the desire and appetite to take it up a step more?”
Jonny Evans insists Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against Benfica is a good result due to the difficulty of playing away from home in the UEFA Champions League.
Premier League champions United required a stunning Ryan Giggs equaliser to secure a point in their opening group game after Sir Alex Ferguson made a raft of changes to his team.
The result means United have now lost just once in 24 Champions League away games, but Evans is adamant it is not easy to boast such a record on your travels in Europe.
“People underestimate the difficulty in going away in Europe,” Evans told the club’s official website.
“It’s early in the season. It is hot here and a lot of players hadn’t played as the manager obviously changed the team.
“As it was probably our toughest away game of the group, you can say it was a good result.”
Evans was relieved just to be involved against Benfica after picking up a hip injury during the 5-0 thrashing of Bolton last weekend.
The Northern Ireland defender has been filling in for injured captain Nemanja Vidic in recent weeks and hopes to retain his place for Sunday’s game against likely title rivals Chelsea.
“I am pleased with how it’s going,” said Evans, who has already admitted he cannot have another season like last year’s and expect to remain at Old Trafford.
“Hopefully I will get games under my belt because that is when I feel I am at my best.
“I should have done a bit better for their goal but, overall, I’m pleased.”
