Kenny relishing festive schedule

Kenny Dalglish admits he is relishing the demands of managing Liverpool during the busy Christmas period for the first time since 1990.

The boss will spend much of the festivities preparing the Reds for Barclays Premier League matches against Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Manchester City - but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Dalglish said: "It will be my first Christmas as a manager for a while, and that means the wife doesn't get me at home for the first time in a few years, so there are some plusses!

"It doesn't really matter when the games come, you have to deal with them, but we enjoy the festive season. It is part of the tradition of football, and I'm enjoying being part of that.

"I'm looking forward to it, to the intensity of it. It has always been a big part of the game, and you have to deal with the demands.

"It doesn't matter how many games come up, you are involved aren't you? So I don't have a problem - I will enjoy it and I will get on with it. That's what I have always done."