Skrtel on 11-12 and his future

The centre-back, who was voted as LFC's Standard Chartered Player of the Season on Monday, believes the Reds can derive positives from their overall standard of displays against teams from the top four in addition to their performances in the cup competitions.

Skrtel told Liverpoolfc.tv: "The positives are the games against United, City, Chelsea or Arsenal. I think the performances of the team were good in these games.

"If you look at the game against City at Anfield, we played much, much better than them. We created so, so many chances but we couldn't get the three points.

"That was a game against a big team and the performance was good, but in the games against teams from the bottom half of the table were not too good. If were thinking about positives, they have to be performances against teams in the top four.

"I think we can build on it and if we can repeat the performances we gave against the teams in the top four and score more goals than we did this season, it can be good."

Liverpool finished the Barclays Premier League season in eighth position with 52 points, though they did win the Carling Cup and reach the final of the FA Cup.

"Especially in the league, everybody knows it wasn't a great season because we finished in eighth position and that's not good," said Skrtel.

"I think we deserved to finish higher than eighth position, but there were too many games in which we didn't get three points - and there were too many games in which we didn't get what we deserved.

"In the games at Anfield, I think we did well and created a lot of chances, but we couldn't take them and didn't get three points.

"We won the Carling Cup and got to the final of the FA Cup, so from that point of view it was a good season in the cups - but I think the most important thing is the league and we didn't get enough in it."

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In winning the Carling Cup against Cardiff City at Wembley in February, Liverpool ended a six-year wait for silverware.

Skrtel added: "That was important for us because Liverpool hadn't won a trophy for a while, but we managed to do it in the Carling Cup and we also tried to win the FA Cup.

"We won a trophy, and we can be happy about that."

On a personal level, Skrtel enjoyed an impressive season culminating in him being voted as the clear winner in our Player of the Season poll.

And the 27-year-old pinpoints a moment early in the campaign when he marked his first Premier League appearance of the season with a goal against Bolton Wanderers as supplying the basis for his imposing form.

"I got an injury in pre-season and missed the first two games, but I think the game against Bolton helped me when I came on as a sub for Kells (Martin Kelly) and scored a goal," reflected Skrtel.

"That was very important for me and I got confidence from it.

"From a personal point of view, I think my performances were alright - but the most important thing is the team. The team didn't do well and that is disappointing for me."

Skrtel's header against Bolton was the first of four goals for the Slovakian during 2011-12, including a crucial equaliser in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff.

It's an effort he regards as his own personal highlight of the campaign.

"I think the goal in the Carling Cup final was my highlight of the season because we were losing 1-0. I scored to make it 1-1 and helped the team to win the trophy, he said.

"I scored more goals, so that is the main thing. In the past I didn't score too many goals, but this season I scored four. I think that's not bad for a defender.

"If I look at my game, I think I played more aggressive than I did last season or the one before that.

"That's good because a defender has to be aggressive, so I have tried to improve on it and I think I did."

Meanwhile, Skrtel insists he'll be fit and raring to go when pre-season training begins at Melwood in July.

The No.37 missed the final day of the season defeat at Swansea City after undergoing surgery on a nose problem, but he's in no doubt he'll be fully recovered shortly.

"I am a little bit better now, but still not good as I still feel some pain in my nose," said Skrtel. "I hope it is going to be better in a few days.

"You're always disappointed when you miss any game, not just the last one, but we made a decision to do the surgery after the Chelsea game, miss the last game of the season and take some time for the recovery so I could be fit for pre-season.

"It was disappointing (to miss Swansea), but it was the surgery I needed.

"I saw the highlights. We had a couple of chances, they did as well and they scored a goal and won the game. If you don't score a goal, you can't win the game - and that was the case on Sunday."

Elsewhere, Skrtel emphatically dismissed speculation suggesting he may leave Liverpool this summer and insisted: 'I am happy here.'

Some newspaper reports claimed the defender is considering his future - but Skrtel is adamant he wants to remain at Anfield.

He said: "The only thing I can say is it is not true because I have never said anything like I want to leave the club or handed in a transfer request.

"I have a contract at Liverpool and I am happy here at the club. I haven't thought about leaving the club.

"The things that were in the press are rubbish."