Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has called on his players to ‘stand up and be counted’ as look to end their losing run against city rivals Everton.
The Toffees travel across Stanley Park on Tuesday knowing a win will see them leapfrog their neighbours and into seventh place, an ignominy Reds fans will find hard to bear.
The club may have celebrated the Carling Cup with gusto at Wembley a fortnight ago but three Premier League defeats since have all but ended their faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
A return to Europe’s premier competition was Dalglish’s principal aim at the start of the season and he was confident of achieving it following heavy investment in the squad over the close-season.
A failure to do so will be a huge disappointment for the fans who watch football live at Anfield and demand success - though Dalglish will hope the success over Cardiff last month will prove to doubters that he still has what it takes to win trophies.
However, the Scot knows more than anyone that for a club of Liverpool’s stature that sole success is not good enough and he faces a pivotal week that not only takes in the derby but a FA Cup quarter-final at home to Stoke, where they will have to battle and scrap just as hard to justify their place among the favourites in the FA Cup betting .
"It depends what teams you're playing, but certainly it's not a record you expect from Liverpool," said Dalglish, when quizzed on his sides’ recent poor run. "We don't want to get into the habit of losing games, but in between the losses we've had a Carling Cup victory.
"Everyone needs to stand up and be counted and see what we can do."
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