Dalglish: Move on from QPR defeat

23 March 2012 14:46

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish wants his players to keep the midweek collapse at QPR in mind and treat it as an experience to learn from.

The Reds capitulated with startling ease against the relegation strugglers at Loftus Road, dominating the game and moving 2-0 ahead before conceding three in the final 13 minutes.

"Any defeat is difficult to take but it is more difficult to take when you play as well as they did the other night," said Dalglish. "But they have to get over it and take confidence from the 77 minutes they were magnificent."

The Scot added: "Don't cut out the last 13 minutes, just learn from it. We won't be erasing the last 13 minutes from our memory but we will work hard to make sure it doesn't happen again. There is no way we are going to dismiss a match. We will never dismiss anything or any games we have played in.

"For us so much of it was excellent the other night. Just putting the final part to the excellent work they have done is probably the most difficult part of anything."

Dalglish brushed aside suggestions his side's hopes of a top-four finish were over as they now trail Tottenham by 12 points with nine matches remaining. And he insists there is no reason to realign their targets as they prepare to host more relegation strugglers in the form of Wigan on Saturday.

"Whatever we set out to achieve at the start of the season has not changed," added the Reds boss. "What we said was we would try our best to win every game and we will continue to do that. We have to keep going and try to please as many people as we can who support Liverpool."

Dalglish sees no reason to make knee-jerk reactions after a ninth defeat of the season, which has left them in a run of four losses in their last five league matches.

Right-back Martin Kelly is expected to be fit having been forced off with injury at QPR but fellow defenders Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger and forward Craig Bellamy are all out.

Liverpool are still awaiting the results of an assessment on midfielder Charlie Adam's knee problem, sustained at Loftus Road, before deciding whether he can be involved.

Source: PA