KUALA LUMPUR: Come next month, the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) estimates that the AFF-Suzuki Cup 2010 Rewards Fund would reach the RM100,000 mark.

The fund aims to obtain donations for the national football team which won the AFF-Suzuki Cup last year.

SAM president Ahmad Khawari Isa said that since the association started the fund on Dec 20, last year, RM93,000 had been collected, thus far.

"Although the amount has not increased as much as during the launch which resulted in RM88,200, we hope to reach our target of RM100,000 in the next two weeks.

"We have received pledges from small companies and individuals, but we are still lacking support from the private sector and their recognition," he said when contacted by Bernama here today.

Through the auspice of the youth and sports ministry, SAM took over the running of the AFF-Suzuki Cup 2010 Rewards Fund.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak presented a RM65,000 incentive from the government and the ministry to the coach and players at Seri Perdana.

LONDON: Kenny Dalglish's return to Premier League management ended in disaster as Blackpool came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Bloomfield Road this morning.

There were promising signs from the Reds in Dalglish's first game back in the hotseat at Manchester United in the FA Cup last Sunday.

And the visitors were given the perfect start by striker Fernando Torres' third-minute strike.

However, Gary Taylor-Fletcher drew Blackpool level before halftime after Torres and Raul Meireles combined to lose possession, and DJ Campbell's headed winner in the 69th minute was no more than Ian Holloway's side deserved.

Liverpool now have just two wins in almost 13 months on the road — hardly the start Dalglish was expecting on his return.

The Scot said when he took over last weekend he did not think the game had altered much but when he was last in charge of Liverpool almost 20 years ago, Blackpool were in the old Fourth Division and now they have a first league double over the Reds since 1947.

Dalglish admitted his team needed to improve defensively.

"We are disappointed we have come away from the game with no points," Dalglish told BBC Sports.

"Their first goal we were on the verge of breaking clear, misplaced a pass and they turned it around, went up the pitch and got a break of the ball off Daniel Agger before their lad finished well.

"The second goal we cleared the corner quite sufficiently and then it has come back in and we've not picked it up.

"Some of the problems you can solve yourself. I wouldn't be too harsh on the players as they've been a credit to themselves. A lot played for over an hour against 11 men last Sunday (against United).

"We've had three days of training and I'll get to know them a lot better through training and playing matches. It doesn't matter how good a player you are, if you haven't got the confidence it will take a little while to get there.

"I wouldn't be here if the club were flying. It might have fallen in league points, but it definitely hasn't fallen in the love people have of the place.

"I haven't had conversations with Damien Comolli (football director) or the hierarchy about money or transfers this January. I don't know. I haven't asked and they haven't told me."

One positive from the match was Torres' early goal, which Dalglish was impressed with.

"It was a fantastic start and a great goal from Torres but more importantly, great passing to get him in there," he told Sky Sports.

"We passed it well up to a point. The final ball wasn't as good as what the boys are capable of, but we'll work away and try and develop that and give them the confidence they need to go on and produce more positive results than that."