Liverpool 0-0 Swansea: Sunday Mirror match report

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish tore into his players after Liverpool squandered more home points.

Three consecutive draws at Anfield is scarcely the stuff of a club ready to climb back to the summit of club football and Dalglish made it clear to players their performance was “unacceptable”.

Dalglish said: “Our performance was ­disappointing. Swansea played the way we ­expected but we certainly didn’t play the way we ­expected.

We’ve got to look at ­ourselves. That level of ­performance is not ­acceptable. Everything we’re good at, we didn’t show it today.

“If we’d scored early on it might have changed the way the game went, but we didn’t get in their box often enough. If Swansea play like that they won’t have a problem staying up.”

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his players for matching Liverpool – and the Anfield crowd for showing their appreciation.

Rodgers said: “We’ve made a big step forward today. We’ve grown into it and showed we were equipped to come to a big club and put on a big performance.

“We had a little luck early on when they missed a chance, but we created chances and could have nicked it. Credit to the ­Liverpool fans for showing a bit of class and applauding our players at the end.”

Swansea may have given a let off when Andy Carroll hit the bar, yet by the end ­Liverpool were also relieved to came out of the match ­unscathed.

Mark Gower blasted over with a winning goal and a place in Swansea folklore beckoning six minutes

from time.

Carroll’s miss encapsulated Liverpool’s inadequate ­display.

Luis Suarez offered ­constant danger, but too many of those around him lacked the guile to support him.

As for Swansea, Wayne Routledge was a constant pest for the ­Liverpool defence and ­Nathan Dyer was little more sympathetic to Kenny ­Dalglish’s cause on the other flank. The two wide men helped banish the club’s last visit to ­Anfield – ­an 8-0 FA Cup drubbing in 1990.

Liverpool ought to have heightened Swansea’s fears as early as the seventh ­minute. Stewart Downing’s low cross from the left found ­Carroll, who smashed his shot against the bar from just six yards.

Just when it seemed ­Swansea had doused the ­Liverpool fire, Suarez raised Kop voices with a long-range drive that fizzed just wide.

Downing forced Swansea on to the back foot again with a shot deflected behind for a corner. Lucas and Suarez had no more joy with headers.

Swansea survived the ­bombardment and almost took the lead.

Routledge, already a thorn in Liverpool’s right side, ­wriggled away from three defenders and his ­intended pass to Danny ­Graham would have found the net but for Pepe Reina’s judgement and agility.

Back came Liverpool and Michel Vorm, in Swansea’s goal, matched Reina’s ­brilliance to defy the ever- menacing Suarez. Again Swansea responded and Reina was relieved to see Joe Allen’s shot skid just ­beyond the far post.

Dalglish sent on Dirk Kuyt for Jordan Henderson at the start of the second half but Suarez ­remained the biggest threat to Swansea’s goal.

Fortunately for the Welsh side, Vorm remained equally alert, gathering a glancing header by the ­Uruguayan.

Reina’s unusually sloppy touch gave Graham a glimpse of glory before the Spaniard recovered to spare his ­blushes.

The Liverpool keeper saved twice from Nathan Dyer and from Graham as the home side struggled to contain ­Rodgers’ energised team.

Gower’s miss prompted a late Liverpool rally but Kuyt was frustrated by an offside flag after beating Vorm and the keeper continued to ­produced superb late saves to deny the home side.

VERDICT: Another sub-standard home performance by Liverpool that seriously undermines their League ambitions. Swansea stuck to their footballing philosophy and deservedly left Anfield with a share of the points.

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THE BIG ISSUE: Can Luis Suarez become one of the Liverpool goalscoring greats?

It is a measure of the impact Luis Suarez has already made at Anfield that he is being compared with the man generally regarded as Liverpool's greatest player, Kenny Dalglish.

The form of the Uruguay international has provided Dalglish, now Liverpool manager, with his most potent and inspirational contributor this season.

It may be a tad early for Suarez to claim his place alongside Dalglish, Rush, Fowler and Owen in the pantheon of great Liverpool strikers, but his potential is undeniable. He has the close control, imagination and instinct for goals that even the best of defenders hate to confront.

Whether Suarez remains here long enough to attain legendary status may be the issue. The challenge for Dalglish and the Liverpool hierarchy is to ensure they build a team to match the ambition of the little genius.