For the second successive home match against a promoted team the Reds created a number of chances but could not convert.

Their frustration was not helped by a couple of brilliant saves from Michel Vorm late on to deny Luis Suarez and Glen Johnson but the major talking point was Carroll's miss from six yards in only the seventh minute.

"If we had scored early on it might have changed the way the game went but we never scored so it is hypothetical," said the Scot.

"No-one has ever in the history of football deliberately missed a chance.

"That is 10 times we have hit the post or the bar this season.

"Maybe if the chance goes in it may have changed the complexion of the game but as well as paying credit to Swansea we have to look at ourselves."

Even taking into account Carroll's miss, Dalglish felt his side underperformed as they were held to a third successive home draw.

"I think the performance was disappointing," added the Reds boss.

"Swansea played the way we would have expected they would play but we didn't play the way we expected to play.

"Anything that we were good at we certainly didn't do too much of today.

"We are usually good at passing and moving and there was not a great deal of that and when we got it back we gave it away quickly.

"They had one chance in the second half when the boy (Mark Gower) put it over and Pepe made a save in the first half but we have to understand that level of performance isn't acceptable.

The last time the two sides met at Anfield nearly 22 years ago it resulted in an 8-0 hammering in an FA Cup third round replay.

This performance was far removed from that one and boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his players.

"It was fantastic. I felt we were equipped to come to a big team and put in a big performance," he said.

"Today was a chance to show we have now grown into the league.

"We started very well but to put in a performance like that at a big club with top players fills me with great pride.

"I thought we were outstanding. We got a bit of fortune early on but you need that but I don't think there was anything lucky about the result or the performance.

"I think my players deserve every plaudit they get from the game.

"Collectively as a team they were outstanding."

Rodgers praised Vorm for his second successive clean sheet at Anfield, having played for Utrecht in a goalless draw in the Europa League last season.

"When he has been called upon he has great agility," he added.

"There are probably not too many goalkeepers come to Anfield and keep clean sheets.

"He made a terrific save at the end and I thought we were deserving of that as a team collectively and Michel was a part of that."