Dalglish: Unity is key

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish today insisted everyone at the club would be sticking together in the face of the Reds' worst run of results for 22 years.

Dalglish - the last Liverpool boss to lose four games on the run during a six-year spell as manager which saw him land three league titles and complete the Reds' first domestic double - insisted unity, strength and belief would be key to ending the sudden slump.

And he stressed everyone in the hierarchy at Anfield remained firmly with Rafa Benitez and his players.

Dalglish, who was brought back to the Liverpool staff this year by Benitez, also praised the Reds supporters who he insisted could and would play their own part in helping drive the players on during Sunday's visit of Manchester United.

Dalglish said: "Everyone within the upper echelons of this club has no doubt whatsoever about Rafa - I know that for a fact.

"Everybody at Liverpool Football Club knows Rafa is the right man to get the club through this.

"No-one is pumped up and panicking in any way, shape or form. Everyone is being as helpful and supportive as they possibly can be to the manager."

Dalglish, who spent 14 years at Anfield as player and manager in the 70s and 80s, added: "Obviously, whether you're a manager or a player, you have to retain your confidence and belief in what you are doing.

"You have also got to retain your belief in each other.

"The manager has to retain belief in his players and the players must retain their confidence in the manager.

"It's very important that everybody sticks together to get themselves through this.

"Of course it's not good for Liverpool Football Club - or any club - to lose four games in a row. It is a bad run and the supporters feel it equally as badly as everyone at the club does.

"Everybody's accountable. When you have success everybody takes their fair share of the credit - and rightly so. So when it goes badly the same thing must apply in reverse.

 "People have made mistakes but it's how you react to them that's the most important thing.

"The other vitally important thing is that you must never allow other people to drive wedges between you and through various parts of the football club.

"Of course everyone must stand up and be counted - and then at least we'll be going in the right direction."

Dalglish had high praise for the Kop, who lifted the team against Lyon on Tuesday night after skipper Steve Gerrard departed through injury midway through the first half.

He said: "The Liverpool supporters were really terrific.

"When Steven went off they raised the roof and tried to get the players going, because they know how important Fernando is and Steven is - and Glen Johnson too who was out through injury.

"But the players can't depend on the supporters lifting them all the time - sometimes the players have to lift the supporters as well."

Over the past few days there has been a welter of criticism, concern and public debate about Liverpool's current plight, with some pundits saying Benitez should now go.

Dalglish added: "If you are losing four games on the spin you're not going to be getting praise - but you can't take too much to heart what you read in the papers.

"Yes there's criticism. Some will be constructive and Rafa will look at and take it under his wing and say maybe that's right. Other parts he will totally dismiss.

"But there's no way Liverpool Football Club and the majority of people would want Rafa to go anywhere.

"Remember last year they beat Manchester United with Steven only playing 20 minutes and Fernando not playing at all. So if we did it last year why can't we do it this year?

"The players will need to stand up and be counted. But then everybody needs to do that.

"For anyone that has got any affiliation to Liverpool Football Club, anyone at all, then it's time for them to rally round and channel all their efforts in the one direction.

"That is to help the manager and the players to get the one result everybody wants. That's the only way to do it."

Dalglish's Liverpool lost four games in the spring of 1987, with a League Cup final defeat to Arsenal sandwiched in between league losses to Tottenham, Wimbledon and Norwich.

He went on: "You can understand the frustration of the supporters - but Liverpool supporters are absolutely fantastic at supporting the manager and the team.

"And it is in adversity when they are at their strongest."

Of his own role at the club now, where he works in an ambassadorial capacity and at the club's Youth Academy in Kirkby, the Scot said: "The only reason Kenny Dalglish is at Liverpool Football Club is because Rafa wanted him here.

"I know the support that a manager expects from his staff - because I've been there. And I like to think I'll give the boss the same support I would have expected. We have no other option but to stick together.

"Remember, the players that are playing now are the same players that came so close last year, bar Xabi Alonso. They don't suddenly become bad players - they just lose a bit of confidence.

"They know they are better players than it is looking at the minute.

"Everybody knows that. But they have got to believe it."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.