Kenny Dalglish has insisted that Liverpool are heading in the right direction and that everyone involved with the club has a smile on their face.
Dalglish believes future is bright for Liverpool
Kenny Dalglish has insisted that Liverpool are heading in the right direction and that everyone involved with the club has a smile on their face.
The Reds ended a six-year trophy drought last month by beating Cardiff on penalties in the final of the Carling Cup at Wembley.
However, it has otherwise been a frustrating season and there are two massive games this week that could determine whether their campaign comes to an abrupt halt.
A home defeat in Tuesday's Merseyside derby would leave Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in tatters, before an FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke on Sunday.
Dalglish's men are currently 13 points adrift of Arsenal in the race for fourth after three straight league defeats, but the manager prefers to take a broader view as he considers how far the club have moved forward over the past 12 months.
He said: "There are many ways you can judge a season and the best way is the progress at the club as a whole.
"I don't think it necessarily relates to trophies or points. You can measure by how the club has progressed and by where it is - from the first team to the kids, all the way through.
Principles
"Off the pitch, it is a lot stronger. Everyone can see there's progress. I don't think there's any reason why anyone would say there's not been progress made
"You go off the pitch and see how much we're getting through sponsorship, kit deals. You go and look at how much better the academy is.
"You look around here and most people have got a smile on their faces now. The squad is stronger than last year. What other areas are there to improve upon, apart from points?"
Dalglish has been impressed by the way Liverpool have pulled together and believes the future will be bright if they carry on working hard.
He said: "Throughout any progression there's always going to be disappointments but the principles are 100 per cent correct. We've got to stick with them and believe in them and we do.
"Everybody is in it together. Everybody does their own job as well as they possibly can. That's not changed."
