Diplomatic Dalglish not stirred by Stoke style

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is well aware of the strengths of Stoke as he prepares for a fourth meeting against them this season, but he is not among their critics.

The Potters’ style has failed to impress the likes of Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, among others.

However, Dalglish has no problem with the way Tony Pulis sets up his side and believes it is all part of the challenge of a top-flight manager.

Dalglish has tried a number of variations in order to combat Stoke, switching tactics completely for a single game and bringing in a third central defender, as he did for the goalless draw at Anfield in January.

This season Liverpool have lost at the Britannia Stadium in the Premier League but also knocked Stoke out of the Carling Cup at the same ground.

But tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final encounter gives them a chance to rectify the frustrating result in front of their own fans two months ago.

“We know it’s going to be difficult, we know they’re going to be very well organised and we know they’re going to be a threat at set-plays,” he said.

“In some quarters Tony Pulis’s team are criticised for the way they play but they won’t get any criticism from us.

“They play the way that’s best suited to them, they play within the rules and they’re a credit to that football club. They’ve had a fantastic season”.

At stake is a place in a Wembley semi-final but with both teams having visited the national stadium in the last 10 months Dalglish does not believe Stoke will have any less incentive than his own side, who won the Carling Cup there last month.

The Potters were runners-up to Manchester City in the competition last year, having dispatched Bolton 5-0 in their last-four encounter.

“Stoke have been to Wembley too, they’ve tasted it before and they know how much they enjoyed it, although they lost the final,” Dalglish added.

“We’ve been to Wembley as well, we enjoyed it and we want to go back. Whether you’ve been before and want to go back or you’ve never been and have got the hunger to get there, it doesn’t make any difference.”

With Champions League qualification a distant prospect, a cup double looks Liverpool’s best chance of success this season.

And while that may have not been the primary target at the start of the season forward Dirk Kuyt believes the club is continuing to move forward.

“We’ve made a great spell of progress,” the Dutch international said. “It’s never easy when a lot of new players come into the club. You have to fit them into the team.

“But we have a quality group of players. Not only 11 players but a great squad.’’