Kenny delighted with Maxi impact
Posted Sunday, April 24, 2011 by The Sun
KENNY DALGLISH hailed hat-trick hero Maxi Rodriguez after Liverpool thumped Birmingham.
The Argentine winger netted a treble while Dirk Kuyt hit his seventh goal in six Premier League matches and Joe Cole added a late fifth.
Reds boss Dalgish, who brought in Rodriguez for the injured Andy Carroll, said: "Maxi is a very intelligent footballer.
"He's not a direct replacement for Andy but he's got more goals than him in that one performance.
"Maxi has not played for a few weeks and came on and did a fantastic job for us.
"Joe also got his reward because he has trained well and he came on and got a goal.
"The joy the players got from Maxi scoring his hat-trick and Joe scoring reflects how close a group they are and that is great for the club.
"They are all playing for each other and the players are going to play better if they are confident and if they are happy going to work they will get better results."
Liverpool were in control from the moment Rodriguez put them ahead in the seventh minute.
Dalgish added: "Getting a goal early doors set us on our way.
"They put us under pressure after that without us being over-worked.
"We then got the second goal but the third was the most important.
"I think we were deserved winners, we played some fantastic football and we have had a good day and it was very enjoyable for us."
Dalglish played down the absence of Carroll ahead of next week's clash with his former club Newcastle.
He said: "Andy's not too bad. We'll just have to wait and see.
"It will be a big game for him next week but a bigger game for the club."
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish bemoaned his side's defending early on, admitting it ruined their game plan from the off.
He said: "The first goal for us was a killer blow, losing it so early because you are coming here to frustrate.
"It disrupted totally our plans. The first two goals were really soft, we have to do better.
"For the second goal there was a big hole in the centre of our defence and that is most unlike us.
"Quite simply the boys have got to get back to their best.
"We know today was a bad day at the office but I don't believe it will affect morale."
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