STROLLING down the touchline to take his place in the Old Trafford dugout, Kenny Dalglish couldn't resist acknowledging the cheers of the away support by raising his arms into the air while one of his trademark beaming smiles slowly stretched from ear to ear.

But it took only 29 seconds for the feel-good factor of the Anfield legend's return to evaporate yesterday. And one moment of madness to ensure it ended in defeat.

The manager may have changed, but the script was depressingly familiar for Liverpool as their hopes of FA Cup glory were curtailed at the first hurdle by their most bitter rivals.

What had only 48 hours earlier been viewed by Liverpool supporters as an afternoon of great trepidation instead became a cause for celebration with the fans' favourite back in the dugout in place of the dumped Roy Hodgson.

It must have felt like old times for Dalglish; Sir Alex Ferguson sat on the opposing bench, the Liverpool fans chanting his name, even the obligatory bubble jacket was on display.

The 59-year-old had called time on his previous Anfield tenure almost 20 years earlier in the wake of the remarkable 4-4 Cup draw at Everton, so it was perhaps fitting his return should come in the competition.

But when the dust settles on a manic, crazy weekend – even by Liverpool's recent standards – the fact is Dalglish's only domestic concern now is guiding the club back up the Premier League table.

This game ultimately turned on two significant decisions from referee Howard Webb; one right, one wrong, but both in favour of United.

Dimitar Berbatov, scorer of a hat-trick in Liverpool's 3-2 Premier League defeat here in September, was again the nemesis, although this time in somewhat less glorious fashion.

It was the Bulgarian's fall in the first minute under the weight of the faintest of challenges from Daniel Agger that won a highly-contentious penalty from which Ryan Giggs – who was two weeks away from his United debut the last time Dalglish took charge of Liverpool – scored the game's only goal.