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Liverpool's headline-makers in Kenny Dalglish's latest reign have been the £57m strike duo of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, but the defence has been just as important to the Reds' progress under the new manager. And that aspect of their game, as well as their solid home form under Dalglish, might well be to the fore again on Saturday when Birmingham visit Anfield. Dalglish has achieved eyecatching results in big games with Premier League victories over both Manchester clubs and Chelsea, but in the main Liverpool's improvement since the departure of Roy Hodgson has been steady rather than spectacular. A key factor has been the tightening up of Liverpool's defence and there is some irony in that, as one of the reasons for Hodgson's unpopularity was a perceived safety-first mentality. There...