Dalglish has led his side to Carling Cup success and a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, but has had to endure a disappointing league campaign that could see them finish as low as ninth.

However, the Scot has so much faith in his players that he admits it will be difficult to find anyone in the summer transfer market who could improve them.

Dalglish told The Sunday Mirror: "The pessimism is all about results in the league and we want to do better in the league.

"We have to accept the criticism that’s going to come our way if we aren't winning league matches.

"But if it's hurting anybody, it's not hurting them as much as it is hurting the players and staff in here.

"The most important thing for us is to improve on this season and the ­players expect that as well. If someone comes in, they have to be a lot better than what we've got and that is a huge challenge.

"I don't think there are many people more ­committed than the ­players we have here. If we don’t find someone better than what we’ve got, we don’t get them. Simple and straightforward as that."

Liverpool travel to Newcastle on Sunday and will be hoping to narrow the eight-point gap as they look to play catch-up on Alan Pardew's men who have exceeded everyone's expectations this season.

The majority of Dalglish's signings have been criticised as they have failed to live up to their big billing, but he added: "Everything's there for this group of players to be winning matches.

"They need direction and we're the ones that need to be giving them direction. But we cannot change our principles because that's the way we've been brought up.

"We might tweak a few things but if you swapped the cup results to league games, we'd be flying – maybe that would be more satisfactory to everybody else.

"We've put the first and second clubs in the League out of the domestic cups. We went on and won one and we’re in the semi of the other. The cups have been good to us.

"But we need to get results in the league to take the pressure off. The players are determined to correct it and we want to see the club progress – and I think it has progressed. I am not saying it couldn't be more successful, but I do think it has progressed."