Should Kenny become Liverpool’s Philosopher-King?

Part of that must be down to the fact that he feels that he is one of Dalglish’s contemporaries. Similar ages, Roy feels he is an ally rather than enemy to be kept at arms length, and going by his apparent comments above, he doesn’t feel under immediate danger from Kenny getting his job as he believes Kenny’s role, as a “philosopher-king” as it were, is where he should stay.

I’m kind of split on this idea about Kenny being this figure as the situation stands. On the one hand, you have the fantastic example of Johan Cruyff at Barcelona. After taking over as manager at Barca in the late 80s, Cruyff recognised the lack of local talent at the club. He sold off many foreign players and gave young Spaniards a chance to shine. On the pitch he implemented his trademark attacking style of football which helped Barca to unprecedented success. After he resigned from Barca in 1996 though, his role at the club did not stop. He has become the head advisor to successive presidents and managers, helping the club to develop their now world-renowned youth academy at La Masia while also keeping the attacking style of play and 4-3-3 formation that typified his time as manager.

Barcelona have kept with Cruyff’s philosophy up until this day. So can the same sort of thing be done as Hodgson says with Dalglish at Liverpool? Everyone would love a return to the attacking style of Liverpool’s late 80s teams but Kenny would need to have greater say over everything that is going on at the club. In some ways I feel it would be best for him to be appointed as manager and get the ball rolling for younger apprentice to takeover down the line. In this respect I cannot see how Roy Hodgson can really implement the beliefs and values of Kenny Dalglish. Roy has own immutable style developed over 35 years; he will certainly take advice from Dalglish as he says but he won’t buy in totally to a philosophy which is foreign to him.

For this reason I feel the whole organisation is confused. Currently neither Hodgson nor Dalglish can be completely happy with things. While Roy is always working under the spectre of Kenny, Kenny really can’t have as much input into the role as Johan Cruyff has at Barca. For me, it is difficult in the long run to see both having influential roles and NESV will need to decide down the line who they should listen to.

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