All King Kenny wants is three points against McCarthy’s side

LIVERPOOL: Kenny Dalglish admits he does not care if Liverpool get “battered” at Wolves today just as long as his side return with three points.

Dalglish says the need for a victory is now so great that the result is far more important than the performance, as he awaits his first win since taking charge earlier this month.

Liverpool start the weekend 13th in the Premier League table, four points above the relegation zone after six defeats in their last 10 Premier League outings.

“Yes, it’s important,” said Dalglish, when asked how crucial it was to get a first win under his belt.

“I don’t know how you evaluate how important but we’d love to get a victory. Even if we get battered and win 1-0 it wouldn’t matter – it’d still be a great lift for everyone. If the players keep doing what they’ve been doing, a victory can’t be far away.”

The match at fellow strugglers Wolves, whose surprise 1-0 victory at Anfield last month contributed towards former manager Roy Hodgson losing his job, takes place against a backdrop of frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations as Liverpool look to strengthen before the end of the January transfer window.

Ajax’s Uruguay World Cup striker Luis Suarez is believed to be close to fi­­nalising a move to Anfield while As­­ton Villa’s former Liverpool leftback Stephen Warnock is also on the radar.

Dalglish did reveal he had met with owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner to discuss transfers.

However, the manager was reluctant to talk about specific targets at his pre-match media briefing at the club’s Melwood training ground on Thursday.

“They are good people. We had a positive meeting yesterday with John (Henry) and Tom (Werner) in which we discussed many things,” said Dalglish.

“One of them was obviously transfers. There’s no problem with transfers. As long as we are responsible we can go and look for players, try to sign them and bring them in here.

“I’m not going to sit here and give you names or comment on every question that is asked about an individual player. We certainly won’t talk about sums of money.

“Every time I go into the transfer market I am responsible and I will continue to be. I will try and spend the club’s money as diligently as I would spend my own.”

Dalglish is expected to keep faith with the side who drew 2-2 with Everton last Sunday, with Jamie Carragher the only long-term absentee with a serious shoulder injury.

Wolves have beaten Chelsea at home and lost away to West Ham and Manchester City since Stephen Ward’s goal earned Mick McCarthy’s team victory at Liverpool on Dec 29.

They are next-to-bottom in the table and one point adrift of safety.

McCarthy could give a debut to Adam Hammill, who started his career at Liverpool, after the winger completed a £500,000 move from Second Division side Barnsley.

“Wolves are a massive club and I’m pleased to be getting the chance to try and play Premier League football,” said Hammill. “My agent has got a few players here already and they all say how much they enjoy playing under Mick and the staff. I like to try and create chances and run with the ball and try things that are different. I also like to chip in with goals when I can and have already got eight this season.”