EXCLUSIVE
By Rob Stewart
Former Liverpool defender John Scales believes Reds manager Kenny Dalglish can restore his side to the upper echelons of the Premier League even though the Anfield club are riddled with "things that are not right".
Scales insists that the Merseyside club are heading in the right direction even though massive investment by Liverpool’s American owners, the Fenway Sports Group, since Dalglish took over from Roy Hodgson in January 2011 has failed to yield upward mobility in the league.
The League Cup winners and FA Cup runners-up head into the last game of the season at Swansea City currently sitting in eighth position in danger of finishing below neighbours Everton in the league table but Scales remains upbeat about the Reds' long-term prospects.
"I am encouraged by the way things have gone under Kenny Dalglish although it has been a disastrous Premier League campaign and there are a whole load of things that are not right," Scales told Goal.com.
"But if you look at it and wonder if the glass is half-full or half-empty then I would say it is definitely half-full. They are playing well and they are creating chances and there are so many positives to be taken - and yet they have disappointed in the league."
Liverpool gained a modicum of revenge for their FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea in beating the Blues 4-1 at Anfield in midweek but Dalglish's side have generally struggled in the Premier League thanks to their indifferent home form that has seen the club win just six times in their own backyard.
Scales added: "The quality of the play has been there, things have been better but the consistency just isn’t there yet and nor at the levels of concentration where they should be. There are a few bits and pieces that need attention but they are things that can be fixed.
"Things are heading in the right direction with Liverpool and this season has been an odd one for them. It is too easy to have a go at Liverpool because of the position they are in in the league but there are a lot more encouraging signs than some people suggest."