KENNY DALGLISH warned heads could roll at Liverpool FC after the weekend defeat against Bolton Wanderers.

It was a classic Dalglish managerial ploy.

When he was in charge of Liverpool during my playing days, he would do something similar.

He would go so long without criticising the players and then bang, the fireworks would start. Dalglish would say something or do something that would really make people sit up.

That’s his style, that’s what he does. And it is a clever tactic.

In the old days, when Dalglish lost his patience he’d confront the squad and say ‘you know who you are, you aren’t doing well enough, and we won’t put up with it’.

He wouldn’t name names, but everyone would sit around afterwards thinking ‘is he on about me?’.

It’s a clever way of making players examine themselves and look to improve their performances.

So who should be rubbing their necks in fear right now?

Defensively, Liverpool have been solid which is what made the performance against Bolton so unusual.

In midfield, though, everyone should be worried, with the exception of Steven Gerrard.

Andy Carroll should also be concerned. He just doesn’t look anything like the player Liverpool signed.

The question is, why? Yes, Liverpool play a different style to Newcastle and yes, the team isn’t set up around him. But everything about Carroll at present smacks of an average Premier League player. There had been signs a major defeat was coming for Liverpool in one or two recent performances.

Dalglish believes some players are cruising and not going that extra mile which, never mind Bolton, would have turned many of those home draws into wins.