Kenny Dalglish is going to be our new manager until the end of this season at least. While I have to agree that his credentials both inside the club and outside the club are impeccable – the man is a legend plain and simple – I do wonder if his appointment might be a retrograde step for the club, and not what is best for the club at this moment in time.
Remember, he has not managed a club in over a decade, and it doesn’t always work bringing in legends to steady sinking ships (it didn’t work when Manure bought Busby back a couple of years after he left; it didn’t work when Newcastle bought Keegan back and even when they gave Shearer the job and it didn’t work when Bryan Gunn took over at Norwich either) so there is no saying that this will work.
If it does work then brilliant, but if it doesn’t then what was the point of making the decision in the first place? I personally would have stuck with Roy till the end of the season, and then if it still hadn’t worked then bring somebody new in, but I am not in charge of the club (a bloody good job too you are all saying), but I just hope that this isn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back and backfires on us all.
Given that the statistics of Roy Hodgson’s brief tenure as Liverpool manager weren’t that great (but conversely to compare him to other manager’s when he only had the job for six months is really taking the piss. He is the only Liverpool manager never to win a trophy. Ok that is a fact, but if you take into consideration all of the other Liverpool managers, how many of them had won anything in their first six months?), you can see why his stewardship was not working, and also that is was probably time for him to call it a day, but I fail to see what Kenny can do with the same group of players that Roy couldn’t do.
I am not convinced that a Dalglish led Liverpool will lead us to a higher position than we would have got under Roy Hodgson, only a few league games under his stewardship will tell me that, so it is a bit early to judge but I really can’t see it making that much of a difference at the moment. It may do at first, as more often than not, new managers get a good start when they first join a club, but if the players start playing like they have been doing then we are back to square one, and these are the same players who have been underperforming all season.
The players obviously didn’t want to play for Roy, that much is obvious, especially in the Bolton game when Stevie G clearly missed that penalty on purpose and the attitude of Fernando Torres all season, but who is to say that they will want to play for Kenny more? What a shocking indictment on professional footballers if they suddenly start playing well again after playing shit for the majority of the season so far, just because there is a new man in charge. That is not on in my book, I know that it happens, but it shouldn’t and it is just plain wrong!
I will be happy if we can beat the scum tomorrow, get a couple of decent players in the transfer window, and finish around the same position as we did last season, all of which we could of achieved under Hodgson. There will be no magic wand that the appointment of Dalglish will suddenly give us to make us a great team, and propel us into the top four.
It will take a lot of time and a lot of hard work, which Hodgson was not given. What if Dalglish’s record at the end of the season is no better than Roy’s was? We will never know what a full season with Roy Hodgson in charge will be like now, but you can guarantee he will get the blame if Kenny doesn’t miraculously turn the club round in the next six months.
Dalglish was a great manager for the club back in the eighties; let’s hope that he doesn’t fail the expectations the fans have of him this time. The current squad has to take a long look at themselves, and what they have done to the club this season, and bloody well pull their collective socks up. They failed Roy Hodgson; let’s hope they don’t do the same for Kenny.
Adam, we could have gotten relegated if we carried on with Hodgson. It was a shambles.
There are not a million proven managers around at the moment to take over.
King Kenny will unify the club, and bring back YNWA into the heart of the club. Hodgson walked alone from day one. Rafa understood YNWA but the 2 previous owners didnt!
Kenny will do well. There is no point in doubting it. Bryan Gunn and Shearer had never managed before. When Keegan went back to Newcastle he did ok, but again their owner never understood the club, and still doesnt!
Frankly, I dont see the point to your ramblings. Lets get behind Kenny, the players and be together. Lets see what happens at the end of the season – you never know, we may start playing breathtaking football – finish in top 4, and win a cup – would you really say that Kenny was a bad appointment?
Well Adam, I think you are in a fairly small minority that would have been happy for Roy to drag on until the summer. The idea of him having any involvement with this transfer window, scared me very much. {shudders}
I can agree with most of this but have a different opinion about the player’s attitudes . Yes , they were poor on many occasions but it is a vital part of a manager’s role to squeeze every last drop of ability and motivation from each member of the team .
I attended my first game at Anfield in 1967 and in all that time
I have never witnessed a worse motivator than Clueless Roy and can understand why Torres , signed as a clinical assassin but being employed to clean toilets , is a little grumpy !
I dont feel sorry for Roy coz we never progressed under
him,in some matches we were shocking. Kenny will bring belief back
to the players and a buzz amongst the fans thats for sure. We
definately need to improve the sqaud so NESV please get a move on.
Oh n another thing, if i was sacked from my job i wouldnt receive a
penny, how much did Roy get? MMM not bad for 6 months work is
it?
Christian Purslow should be held accountable, he should
have got Kenny as manager in the summer not Roy. Im glad to see the
back of Roy and kenny until the summer makes perfect sense. In the
meantime the club can look for Rafas successor not Roys he was like
fitting a square peg in to a round hole, never going to
work……YNWA
Whilst I apprecaite your sentiment and witheld optimism I
think you slightly contradict yourself in this article. I agree the
players have not played to the best of their ability under Hodgson,
but this is no indictment on their capability. The only club in the
premiership who received more compensation from FIFA than us for
players playing in the world cup was Chelsea, and to note we were
fourth in the world for compensation ahead of Utd, Arsenal, Real,
Inter etc. So the quality of players we have, whilst in need of
improvement, certainly suggests we should not be languishing four
points from the drop zone. So what is the problem? As you say they
seem not to want to play for Hodgson therefore, with such a squad
of players, who, I ask you, could do a worst job than Hodgson? He
did not inspire or motivate, constantly picked the wrong side,
employed overly defensive tactics relying on a seemingly undrilled
and underperforming defence, said the wrong things constantly and
had little in the way of imagination either for positive
substitutions or in terms of giving some of the very talented
youngsters (notably Pacheco) we have at our disposal an
opportunity. So the owners, who in my view have not put a foot
wrong since taking control, did the wise thing and shifted the
reins to the fans choice, the Liverpool legend that is King Kenny.
As I said at the start of this comment I agree with your sentiment,
and it does remain to be seen if the King truly can turn our
sinking ship around, but surely he cant do any worst than Hodgson.
One thing that is unquestionable is that he will just by
reputation, never mind his actual management (which everyone who
has played under him acclaims), motivate and inspire our current
crop of players. And with the team of world cup stars that we do
currently have on the field I can not see how this appointment can
be anything other than a positive step forward. It will be
interesting to see what other facets of leadership he will bring
during his second tenture as Liverpool manager but I have a
sneaking suspicion that considering his role as academy ambassador
we may see the talented 18-20 years olds on the fringe be given an
opportunity to shine in our current time of crisis. Again whether
this would work would need to be seen. But one thing is for sure.
Our team needs motivation and it needs to be shaken up, I have full
confidence Kenny will do the former and think it very probable he
will do the later.
I don’t understand why we should keep Roy till the season
end. With him in charge we would have the more chance to go down
and I am not saying that Dalgish would produce wonders straightaway
but atleast he is gonna send us to oblivion and go bacwards 10
years.
i havent read or heard anyone condeming hodgson for not
wining a trophy at liverpool in his 6mths in charge,thats just
silly stuff, only in hindsight will we know how good a decision it
was to appoint kenny as manager,thats the same no matter who was
given the job,but at this moment in time in my opinion it is the
correct decision,
stick with roy, i would sooner put my arse in a vat of boiling oil while watching a replay of the utrecht game and listening to the inane z cars tune, then have fiery jack rubbed on the blisters by george michel before he had washed his hands.
Erm how can you not see what kenny can do with these players that woy couldn’t he bleeds
red more than stevie n carra if any 1 can pull this team together it’s him, if you n woy had your wish till the end of the season forget about champions league we’d be in the championship!!!
who gets away with no flak – the real culprit for our present state – david moores.
KENNY DALGLISH MANAGER OF LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.Look’s good and sound’s good.Welcome back.
It is clear that NESV want a manager who they can trust with the funds to buy players. Hodgson couldn’t be trusted after losing the respect of players and supporters. The road ahead isn’t easy but Dalglish’s appointment galvanizes the team which was clearly unhappy with Roy’s methods.
Are u mad. You would keep Hodgson till the end of the season. First time in months i am looking forward to see my club play again. You would be happy to watch Liverpool play away knowing that we will lose regardless who we play.Nothing to lose with bringing the KING back. With Hodgson in charge we would get relegated. I am so happy today that i can not describe in words. I thought it will never happen. Just look at who wanted him to stay as Liverpool manager. A Ferguson, A Gray and all people who dont like Liverpool. Welcome back KING welcome back. YNWA
I hope that Kenny does the job for us and makes the squad
play well again. I really do. I want nothing more than for us to
win games. Watching them lately has been painful but I don’t see
why Roy couldn’t have been given more time. Lets hope that Kenny
can motivate these players to actually want to play for the club,
which will be nice.
Kenny Dalgish is our caretaker manager simply because the
other option – leaving Hodgson in charge could/would of had
devastating consequences for the club! Not managing a club in over
a decade is not really the issue here! The ball is still round, the
pitch is still square and the point for a win, loss or draw are all
still the same. As for your reasoning, (it didn’t work when Manure
bought Busby back a couple of years after he left; it didn’t work
when Newcastle bought Keegan back and even when they gave Shearer
the job and it didn’t work when Bryan Gunn took over at Norwich
either). Busby won 11 games out of 21 on his return losing 7 in
that time. Not brilliant but also not a disaster considering what
he had to work with in such a small period of time (5 months). The
damage was done before he arrived. Keegans second stint was short
due to politics at the club not football. Shearer and Bryan Gunn!
Please that’s really lame. If Liverpool failed to improve under
Hodgson for the remainder of the season we where on course to make
47pts! Disgraceful and that’s only if we don’t recede further. As
for the players not wanting to play for the manger, that’s nothing
new in modern day football! Chelski refused to play for a world cup
winning manager and the following season after he was released went
on to win the title. If nothing else this action will unite the
fans, players and the entire club. If you truly believe that
Liverpool fans are the biggest and best 12th man in the world then
that’s got to be worth making the change.
a good article. The success achieved by lfc this past
decade has largely been down to sg and jc. Sg papered over cracks.
Torres and johnson need reminding how lucky they are.
Adam, whilst I appreciate your aticle, and I genuinely do,
I strongly disagree with your argument. Firstly, i feel obliged to
ask you whether you’ve actually had the opportunity to watch the
QUALITY of football that LFC have playing this season under Roy?
With very few exceptions, its been utterly horrendous. Certainly
the worst football i’ve ever seen the reds play. The tactics were
hopeless. King Kenny will be better because of his better grasp of
tactics and because he is actually interested in attractive and
crucially, effective football. And he may actually lead to us to an
away victory. Good riddance is all i can say.
I’m sorry but this article is the biggest load of tripe
I’ve read on the net since King Kenny was appointed to return. For
one thing, to suggest that with Hodgson we would have finished the
same as we did last season (7th) is just pure delusion. It was
pretty clear to anyone who bothered to pay attention, that with
Hodgson we were headed for a relegation battle. Secondly, how
anyone can with a straight face suggest that Steven Gerrard who
bleeds Liverpool Red, intentionally missed a penalty is not only
beyond me, but begs the questions what sort of a Liverpool fan you
are. IF he had wanted us to lose then why did he bother scoring the
first and our only consolation goal in that match? Did you even
bother asking yourself that before slagging him off like that.
Seriously, this article is pure drivel of the highest order.
Defending Hodgson whom everybody agrees was not suited to this job;
Trying to cast some doubt on King Kenny’s ability to turn this ship
around and then slagging off the current best player we have in the
squad and our captain by suggesting that he intentionally missed a
penalty. If you miss Hodgson so much already, fell free to follow
him out of the club with that nonsense.