It has come as no surprise over the weekend that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has found few allies in the English media. His star has well and truly fallen. One of the few sports writers I noticed on Sunday who was still – futilely – fighting Hodgson’s corner was Dave Kidd of the People. Surprisingly, it was one of the tabloid ‘journalists’ that was championing him, it is usually them that are first to maul the injured and wounded at the first whiff of blood. His argument revolved around how Hodgson was a more than capable coach and manager but he just hadn’t had the support of anybody at the club. Funny that, but I seem to remember him having had the backing of the owners and the players a number of times. He does, however, seem hell-bent on shooting himself in the foot and that is how we have come to his current predicament. If there is one thing that has surprised me though, it’s how quickly press opinion of him changed; almost overnight. Now the reports are all about who will replace him and how many games he has left. My only concern is that the owners are reluctant to do a quick change mid-season, so we may be left with only one option: Kenny Dalglish.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as big a fan as anybody of Kenny. He was undoubtedly our greatest player throughout his time at the club and would probably still be considered so now, if a poll was taken. How long has it been though, since he last managed a club? 10 years. And that was Celtic; hardly the top-tier of English football. Given that Dalglish created probably Liverpool’s greatest side, you would always have to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I would be willing to should that situation arise (and it appears to be the most likely one that will arise) in the coming weeks. It is fair to say that he couldn’t do a worse job than Roy has over the past 6 months. I doubt that even I could.
My only concern is that – having applied for the job on permanent basis before Hodgson was appointed – personal preference and nostalgia might get the better of both Kenny and a lot of our fans once the caretaker period is over. If we reach the end of the season and he has steered us away from the relegation zone; strung a few wins together here and there, won a few big games (the Derby, United, etc.) and we finish in the top 5-10, there may be clamour to keep him on full-time. Worse still, Dalglish himself may decide to attempt to hold on. Whatever kind of a job he does (and who knows, I may be forced to apologise 100% and admit I was wrong), I don’t believe keeping Kenny on past May would be the answer. If re-signing Rafa as manager is not the way forward, then re-signing somebody that hasn’t managed the club since the 90’s certainly isn’t either. He would be as good as we can expect for an interim period but during that time, the board and everybody involved at the club needs to look forward and start thinking about the future and what is best for the club, long term.
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I can understand where you are coming from, however, i believe king kenny is untouchable at liverpool.
He has a reputation bigger than anyone in the club and is loved by every fan, young and old. He knows the club inside-out and what it stands for and knows how football should be played on the pitch. He has strong relationships with our better players at the club for example; steven gerrard, jamie carragher and as is found in his autobiography – he couldn’t speak any higher of pepe reina and fernando torres and i am under the belief that they all admire dalglish. Therefore, after two horrendous seasons; 09-10 season and the current, i believe he could be the man to hold onto these players and bring in names as big as them, providing he had the money. Building on this, his reputation is so great, worldwide, that i seem to believe dalglish was also a large influence when it came to the signing of our, arguably, best forward since robbie fowler in the 90s, in fernando torres.
He has also played in the side where ‘the boot room’ was a tradition within the club and could potentially bring that back into the club by allowing space for carragher, gerrard (possibly), hyppia (as hodgson tried in august), and maybe hamann.
I would rather have The King other than Roy Hogson coz he team is pathetic not playing any football at all besides The King had given warning signs of managing the club again after United won their 18th tittle. I want a winner what is wrong with him having the job permanently.