Dalglish: Players must learn from QPR pain

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.

Dalglish preferred to focus on the positives of the performance up until the late drama, but he accepts that is something they cannot just erase and pretend never happened.

“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 the Scot. But they have to get over it and take confidence from the 77 minutes they were magnificent. Don’t cut out the last 13 minutes, just learn from it.”

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 today.

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 before deciding whether he can be involved tomorrow. With the club’s chances of a top-four finish remote there have been calls for some of the youngsters to be given a chance to gain some Premier League experience.