Dalglish hails Reds resolve

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has hailed his players after they booked their place in the Carling Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The Scotsman saw his side suffer a frustrating 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers last weekend in the Premier League, after which the Reds manager intimated heads could roll following the lacklustre performance at the Reebok Stadium.

However the Merseyside outfit responded to the defeat and battled to a 2-2 draw against City at Anfield, with their previous goal advantage from the first semi-final leg ensuring a date at Wembley is just around the corner. Those looking at the Carling Cup betting should remember this.

Liverpool have not been at the national stadium since it was rebuilt and Dalglish has praised his players for showing great character to reach the League Cup final. Anyone looking at the Odds Carling Cup final needs to bear this in mind.

He said: "I think it was a fantastic performance. Although the game finished as a draw, we were deserved qualifiers for the final.

"The boys were magnificent tonight and deserve a great deal of credit, and everybody in the squad has helped us get through.

"The supporters were magnificent and it is a great reward for them and the loyalty they have shown us, so for everybody at Liverpool it has been a fantastic evening."

Dalglish and his men will now look forward to a day in the capital as they prepare for the clash against Championship outfit Cardiff City, who managed to beat Crystal Palace in a penalty shootout to secure a place in the final.