Reds must learn euro lessons - Kirkland

Chris Kirkland wants to see Liverpool transfer their European form on to the Barclaycard Premiership stage.

Kirkland, restored in place of Jerzy Dudek to Liverpool’s front line for the last two games, is overjoyed by his latest chance to clinch the number one shirt for good.

And he has produced two clean sheets in a week to underline boss Gerard Houllier’s faith in him.

It will be high flying Birmingham next up at Anfield tomorrow and Kirkland said: “Now we want to take the momentum of the European win against Bucharest on Thursday into the Birmingham game on Sunday and get ourselves back on track.

“It is going to be tough, everyone knows how well Birmingham are doing this season, but after the European success, it sets the lads up for another good performance.”

Although Kirkland won praise for his performance in his first match of the season, despite it being a disappointing 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough last week, he knows that points now are the only currency that will keep a crisis from the Anfield door.

He said: “We must start winning, particularly after last week at Middlesbrough, which was a big disappointment.

“The momentum to get to those Champions League places has to come soon, we were disappointed to drop points at Middlesbrough and I agree with Stevie Gerrard, who has said that if we want to get into the top four we have to be beating teams like that.

“It is not happening at the moment, but I am sure the lads will be full of confidence now.”

But the former Coventry star accepts that Birmingham will be tough to crack, having drawn at Anfield last term and won the return at St Andrews.

He said: “Everybody knows how well Birmingham have done this season. Steve Bruce has got them working really hard so it will be a tough game, we know that.

“As for my return, any footballer wants to play, and I am no different to anyone else. But I know I have to keep working hard to make it a tough decision for the manager.”

Michael Owen’s thigh strain, picked up in their win over Steaua Bucharest, will keep him out for three weeks following an early morning scan yesterday after he picked up the injury in the dying minutes of the victory over Steaua.

Owen has only just recovered from shin and ankle problems that have seen him play in just four of Liverpool’s last nine games.

Full back Steve Finnan is still out with a calf problem, as is Stephane Henchoz with a similar injury. Emile Heskey, dropped on Thursday, is now likely to partner Florent Sinama-Pongolle up front.