Kenny hails 'magnificent' Reds
Kenny Dalglish praised the 'magnificent' performance of his players after Liverpool secured a place in the Carling Cup final with a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Goals from Steven Gerrard (penalty) and Craig Bellamy cancelled out efforts from Nigel de Jong and Edin Dzeko to give the Reds a 3-2 victory on aggregate and set up a Wembley meeting with Cardiff City next month.
Dalglish was eager to pay tribute to the spirited performance of his players having been critical of their showing in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.
The boss told his post-match press conference: "The players were magnificent. Everything we thought was lacking on Saturday was there in abundance tonight, so they deserve great credit for the performance and result.
"I think there is only Fabio (Aurelio) and Doni in the squad who hasn't played in this competition, so every single member of the squad apart from the two lads has made a contribution and I think that is a great reflection of the players we have at the club. A lot of them who got us in this position maybe didn't play tonight, but their efforts and commitment won't be dismissed easily.
"It's great for the people who have stood by us because it's not been too easy a time for Liverpool Football Club over the last couple of years or so, and it is fantastic for the new owners.
"I've said many times before, if we all stick together, we'll be a stronger force - and this is a huge reward for everybody that's got any affiliation to Liverpool Football Club in any way, shape or form."
Reporters were keen to get Dalglish's thoughts on the performance of Bellamy, who capped a lively display against his former club with the tie's decisive goal.
The Wales striker played a fast one-two with Glen Johnson inside a crowded box before firing past Joe Hart on 74 minutes to seal the 3-2 aggregate win.
Dalglish said: "He showed a lot of quality. It's all very well talking about his effort and commitment - that is always there. Tonight he was fantastic in the quality of his performance as well.
"We've spoke about him many times in the past and waxed lyrical about him, and rightly so. He was fantastic tonight, but then every single one of them was fantastic.
"Steven (Gerrard) sat in a position that probably isn't his own, but he sacrificed himself for the sake of the team and the club. That is great testimony to him.
"We were delighted with everybody, but certainly Craig put in a fantastic performance."
The victory over City means Liverpool will make their debut at the new Wembley against Cardiff in what will be their first trip to the national stadium since 1996.
Dalglish quipped: "I don't know when the last time (we were there) was, but we know where we are going. We've maybe forgotten the route because we've not been there for a while, but I'm sure the driver will remember!
"For everybody at the football club, this is the players' way of saying thanks very much."
Next up for Liverpool is an FA Cup fourth round encounter with Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday.
While delighted with his side's efforts in securing a cup final berth against Cardiff, Dalglish was keen to stress there is still much for the Reds to play for over the coming weeks.
The manager said: "We've got to Wembley. That's all we've achieved so far. We've not been there for a while, so I think that in itself is an achievement - but that's not where our ambitions stop. We want to continue and do as well as we can between now and the end of the season.
"We'll enjoy the moment tonight for a wee while and then get ourselves concentrated on a difficult game on Saturday."