As the dust settles after Rafa Benitez’s departure from Anfield, the media speculation is now focused on who will replace him. A host of top European managers have been linked with the job, but one of the most mentioned is that of Reds legend Kenny Dalglish. The former Liverpool player won many honours on the pitch with Liverpool, and continued his success as manager, winning three League Titles and two FA Cups, before resigning in 1991.
Dalglish went on to manage Blackburn Rovers, where he famously won the Premier League at Anfield in 1995, before short and unsuccessful spells with Newcastle and Celtic. He left the latter at the end of the 1999/2000 season to be replaced by Martin O’Neill after a short caretaker spell, and despite being linked with a number of vacancies, he has not managed since. This is the main reason why I believe he is not the right man to be in charge of Liverpool.
Pundits and ex-players have said that Dalglish will be respected by the players, and that he will unite them in a time of crisis, but at the moment that’s not enough. With very little funds available, the club needs someone who can get the best out of what is, with a few exceptions, not much more than an average squad of players.
Which is exactly what can be said of Roy Hodgson. The Fulham boss has done a remarkable job since he took over in 2007, taking the club from the brink of relegation to Europa League runners-up in two and a half seasons. He has enjoyed a long, nomadic career in management, which has seen him lead Internazionale to the 1997 UEFA Cup final, as well as helping Switzerland to qualify for USA 94, the country’s first World Cup since 1966.
Whilst it is by no means certain that Hodgson would want to take over at an unstable club, with a possibility of the sack once it is sold, he has stated in the past that he would like to manage a big side given the opportunity, and at the moment it looks like a straight fight between him and Dalglish for the job.
King Kenny has been out of management too long to be a success, whilst Hodgson has already shown that he can exceed expectations. We don’t want what happened with Kevin Keegan at Newcastle to happen with Dalglish here. I’d be fully behind him if he gets it, but I believe Hodgson is the man for the job.
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We want kenny. enough of those cautious soccer. Let’s play the beautiful soccer we once were known for … we want kenny
Here here Susu – Get the King back now we will have our first game in July so he needs appointed now so he can get on with things. Woy Hodgson would be a step into mid to bottom table, if we appoint him we will of finish behind the blue scum of merseyside – totally unacceptable. King Kenny all the way!!
The only way to find out if Kenny would turn out like Keegan is to give him the job.
Otherwise we will always wonder what if………………
Petition to re-instate Kenny.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dalglish/
If you want him back get your name down
If it comes down to a choice between Hodgson and Kenny, then it has to be Kenny all the way. That average squad you talk about is more than capable of a strong season with a manager that will ignite the fire in their bellies.
BUT Roy will get the job solely because the board know they’ll have the ‘yes man’ they crave for.
It appears that most of the calls for Dalglish are based around emotional responses, which is understandable as there is no recent evidence upon which to base any consideration.
I believe the Newcastle fans wanted Kev to make the team “play the beautiful soccer we once were known for” due to frustration with Big Sam’s tactics. They also hoped his personality would provoke a positive player response “that will ignite the fire in their bellies”.
The parallels are so plain to see it’s quite spooky. However, in Dalglish’s favour he did at least have some genuine success as a manager, albeit a long time ago now. If he does end up taking the job, I hope it works.
Look. You dont know what you’re talking about. I would like the club goes into a safe hand, and that is to Kenny Dalglish. He loves the club more than anything else in the world. I would rather have a manager who is a big big fan of the club than an old master who loves fame and success but with very little passion for LFC.
With Kenny, you wont see Torres and Gerrard being substituted in 65th minute with Liverpool being held goalless in a premiership game or neither u will see Lucas leading as attacking midfielder. LET KENNY TAKE CHARGE!
Good grief can some of you lot get a grip. If loving the club qualified someone as a manager then there would be 100s of thousands ready to take the club on to its next title – “He loves the club more than anything else in the world. I would rather have a manager who is a big big fan of the club than an old master who loves fame and success but with very little passion for LFC.” Who are these idiots…have they got half a brain cell?
Having said that, typing away in their bedroom is probably the only chance they get to spout the rubbish going on inside their tiny minds. I’ll try to be a little more understanding in future.
Please we need someone who knows the premier league, Kenny is a legend but his management success came well before money was totally crucial to success. Whoever gets the job it is doubtful they can challenge Man City or Chelsea because of their money.
If anything give it to Hodgson because he has usually had teams that punched above their weight. If he can do it with Liverpool we may have a half chance of winning something.
Loving the club isn’t enough Evans loved the club, Souness loved the club, Houllier loved the club. Logic suggests Dalglish would be a disaster, his success at Liverpool and Blackburn was when the club had the biggest cheque books in the league. He has no experience of working with a limited budget apart from with Newcastle and that was an unholy mess. I love Kenny but they were different times and we risk ruining his reputation. Hodgson isn’t ideal but there isn’t exactly a queue of candidates.
Roy Hodgson is the right man for this club at this time.
Emotional responses just make us all look stupid.
And lets not forget the state that Kenny left Celtic in.