IF you’re a glass half-full fan, Saturday’s second successive clean sheet, against energetic and imaginative visitors, helped equal Liverpool’s longest unbeaten run since Kenny Dalglish returned to Anfield as manager in January.

Most Liverpool fans, however, needed a couple of glasses of the hard stuff, full to the brim, after watching another two dropped points to a promoted side.

The last time The Swans came to Anfield they had their wings clipped 8-0.

The Reds managed the nil bit this time, but even a single solitary goal proved beyond them. And while Dalglish might have been tempted to reach for a wee dram himself on Saturday night, he had to turn boos-buster first at the post-match press conference.

One desperate hack tried to make an issue of a smattering of boos – in amongst magnanimous applause for the visitors – at the final whistle.

Dalglish was adamant.

“I don’t think they did that,” he rapped. “I never heard them. How many then? Two people? More than that? Okay, three?

“I don’t think so. I bet there was less booing than never booed. Correct?

“Okay, so if that’s government then you’re in.”

It was an entertaining enough distraction, but the fact that Dalglish had to defend a handful of frustrated fans summed up the difficulties he still has to wrestle with at Anfield.

It’s still not even a year since the King reclaimed his crown, and while the Anfield landscape has changed dramatically since then, further changes are still inevitable.

Because as soon as he solves one problem – Saturday’s clean sheet wasn’t just a record equalling landmark for Pepe Reina (his 150th puts him alongside Ray Clemence and Bruce Grobelaar as the only keepers to achieve that feat) it was the first Liverpool have managed at Anfield all season – another crops up.