Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish says team must unite

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has pleaded for togetherness after defeat by Newcastle marked their sixth loss in seven Premier League games.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off in the 2-0 defeat, while Andy Carroll was booked for diving against his old club.

"There's no point in feeling sorry for ourselves," Dalglish told BBC Sport.

"We've just got to realise that if we stick together and believe in what we're doing, then we've got a better chance."

Two goals either side of half-time from Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse ensured a disappointing return to Tyneside for former Newcastle players Carroll and full-back Jose Enrique.

Carroll, 23, was booked in the first half after he rounded Newcastle keeper Tim Krul but fell over with the goal at his mercy and was later replaced, while Enrique ended up in goal after Reina headbutted James Perch late on, with Liverpool having used all their substitutes.

Liverpool have won two Premier League games in 2012 while winning the Carling Cup and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.

And they will be not helped in pursuit of their second cup final this season with Reina now missing the semi-final with Everton on 14 April as part of a three-match ban.

But Dalglish said the actions of Reina and Carroll, who disappeared up the tunnel after being substituted, were borne out of frustration with their recent form.

"The boys have shown a wee bit of frustration and disappointment because of results," Dalglish added. "That's probably why Pepe was sent off. It was the frustration of being behind. When Andy Carroll comes off and runs up the tunnel, it's purely disappointment and frustration.

"It's all very well and good having frustration and disappointment, but we have to manage that and make sure we channel it in a proper way."

Dalglish said Carroll did not dive and was left frustrated by the rejection of a first-half penalty appeal when Danny Simpson stopped the ball going into his own net with his arm.

But he had no complaints about Reina's 82nd-minute sending off.

On Carroll's fall he said: "I don't think it was a penalty and I also don't think he went down deliberately to get a penalty. He said he never went down, he stumbled over. It wasn't a penalty."

On his own side's penalty claim he added: "I think you need to go to Vision Express if you don't think that was a penalty. We never got it, maybe we were not vocal enough with the referee, I don't know.

"We can't do too much about the refereeing decisions but we can do a lot about ourselves and we will work really hard to do something about ourselves."