Tough calls don’t faze Dalglish as Reds eyes all on City
The Scot is not averse to effecting a seemingly random change to what appears an established team, often with some degree of success.
He did so last weekend when Maxi Rodriguez marked his first league start of the season with a goal in the win at Chelsea but tomorrow the calculations are likely to be even trickier. Craig Bellamy was also recalled to the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge and will be desperate to face the club he left in the summer but waiting in the wings are multi-million pound substitutes such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, all eager to reclaim their places.
Dalglish will make his selection knowing just over 48 hours after the final whistle at Anfield he will have to send out another side for a Carling Cup quarter-final at Chelsea.
But his primary focus will be on picking the right team to face City in a fixture which saw £35 million striker Carroll score his first two goals for his new club as the Reds won 3-0 in April.
As good as that display was, it will have no bearing on the team which takes the field at the weekend.
“You take into account what is happening at the moment,” said the Scot.
“Andy scored two great goals against them last year but we got our reward for that and so did Andy.
“But that is not to say because he scored two last year he will do the same this year — you are giving yourself a bit of a problem if you think that’s you finished.
“We will start afresh, Andy included, for the game on Sunday and if we can repeat the same result, everyone will be happy.
“Almost every week we say we are happy with the strength of the squad and there are many examples of when that is reflected in the team selection, and the results they have got.
“It is no surprise to us, so I don’t see why it should be a surprise for anyone else.
“We have a strong squad who have been a credit to themselves and the club.”
Carroll has scored three goals this season, two in the league, but his demotion to the bench last weekend was not a reflection of his form.
“I went on record as saying Stoke [the Carling Cup win] and West Brom were his two best games for us and I don’t think we were too far away in those,” added Dalglish.
Bellamy has hardly put a foot wrong since rejoining the club in the summer but he has had to mostly resign himself to the role of impact substitute.
On his first start he scored against former club Norwich and last weekend he was involved in Maxi’s important opening goal. The Wales international has impressed Dalglish on his return to the club but that may not safeguard his position tomorrow.
“Craig Bellamy is a fantastic professional footballer; he knows his profession, he knows himself and how to get himself prepared for the games and he has been a huge plus for us since he came in,” said the Reds boss.
“What has happened elsewhere for Craig doesn’t really concern me.
“I am only concerned with what he has done now and we have been absolutely delighted with the way he has gone about his work on and off the pitch.”
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