Last week my article on Kenny Dalglish’s dealings with the media did not go down at all well with Reds fans across the world. It was believed that I was viciously attacking their manager and it led to a lot of angry remarks. My name became a symbol of hate in the red half of Merseyside as they proudly stood behind him and while I have huge respect for those fans for loyally defending their boss, I think my comments were heavily misconstrued.
It was not a self righteous abuse of the 60-year-old, it was nothing to do with Liverpool FC and neither was it to do with his managerial ability which, as I will explain, is monumental.
My article was merely a discussion about my distaste for managers that refuse to answer questions properly. Many of the comments I received said that Sir Alex Ferguson controls the media and accused me of being prejudice but that is also wrong. It angers me to see Ferguson’s disregard for the media, refusing to talk to the BBC, walking out of interviews when asked if his team is struggling and choosing which reporters can attend his press conferences are all acts of petulance. While they both have the interests of their respective clubs at heart it is the journalist’s job to ask questions that provoke a response or even a whole article and they are entitled to report their query.
Attending these conferences and answering questions is part of their job and they should answer questions regardless of who they are and who asks them, even if they only offer a dull response. Dalglish was the subject of my article because he was the most recent example, so it was newsworthy, not a mindless slur. While I dislike his manner with the media nobody can deny the immense impact King Kenny has had at Anfield since his return.
Probably the greatest player to turn out in front of the Kop and the last manager to win the league with the Reds, only he could have put a smile on fans faces when he replaced Roy Hodgson in January, with the team languishing in 12th place and looking terrible.
The team looked as though they had lost their way, their confidence and their spark, winning just seven out of the first 20 league games. It even took time for Kenny to work his magic, losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup the day after his appointment, albeit to an early penalty decision and followed that up with a defeat to Blackpool but the determination to succeed was reinstalled into the team and they haven’t looked back since.
What is being built at Anfield is perhaps the most astonishing story of 2011. The foundations of something special are being laid out and with a little more time, they could reach 19 as well.
In the final months of last season Liverpool were in sensational form, looking completely different to how they began the season and climbed the table at pace, putting them just 90 minutes away from claiming an unlikely spot in Europe, something that nobody would have considered possible at the New Year. In that run they defeated United, City and Chelsea as they picked up more points than their title winning rivals from those final 18 games, a true testament to the speed at which the Scot has been able to turn things around.
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Misfit Lucas morphed into something great under Dalglish? Idiot, he had become a vital cog 2 seasons ago itself. Move away from the Rafa Benitez style of play? Again, idiot, aside frm his last season, things continuously improved. And LFC were top scorers themselves in some. Keep stepping on landmines, don’t you?
And one more thing, unlike KD, Rafa didn’t have millions to spend, usually the max he could spend millions on was on one player. Yes, he made mistakes, but who doesn’t. Ask King Kenny, even he would admit to em
Joshua Robbin, now you offend me with this your piece. you are the misfit. STOP writing about liverpool.
Misfit Lucas morphed into something great under Dalglish? Idiot
Move away from the Rafa Benitez style of play? Again, idiot
indeed you are a total idiot twice, no one likes you right now and last week!
IDIOT
I like how kenny handles the media. if its a stupid question why answer it.. id look up to someone like him more than some manager just answering stupid questions because he ‘has to’
Couple of issues 1 I’d prefer kenny ripping the p out of reporters for asking questions that others have already had answered instead of Roy or Rafa getting wound up and saying the odd silly thing or Fergie storming out of interviews. Kenny can’t take the credit for Lucas but he can for everything else. To the commenters what writer meant was Rafa had a very structured team tactic that was very inflexible, most of the time it worked very well but it did mean some teams could prepare a bit too well for us every now an then which is probably why Rafa was better in cup competition than league. But Rafa was our best manager since Kennys last stint so maybe the writer should consider his words more carefully next time. And Royk under Kenny we have so far spent net 35 million under Rafa we averaged around 20 million most years and the squad Kenny inherited was a mess the one Rafa inherited was decent. Add to that the facts players are getting more expensive and we made some of our transfer kitty back by decreasing the wage bill and you REALLY can’t say that Kenny spent ‘millions’ and Rafa didn’t.
Well said A.R. dreamer, your spot on there, it does my head in when people hero worship rafa, I’m glad he was our manager for the time he was here, but let’s get some things straight HE did not win us the champion league for us Stevie G did, HE did not win us the FA cup Stevie G defo did, + under his leadership we could only dream of winning three times at Stamford bridge playing good . Under kenny despite the results not going our way , I can honestly say that spurs twice, west ham away + Europa crap are the only times we haven’t looked like getting a result with good some exiting footy at least for big spells in the games, but under rafa it was one top result followed by one where we barely had a shot on target or pass properly, like I said I’m glad he was our manager but to think that his time here was perfect is just rose tinted glasses time
yeah stevie performance was great..but we didnt jump into the final did we..i..CL..win against juventus,chelsea,FA cup..win against man u,chelsea..idiot..
did you watch liverpool play when rafa was there…win against inter at san siro,barca at nou camp,real at bernabeau,..god there are so many jumping on the bandwagon..that being said this guy who is writing doesnt know a thing about liverpool..kenny is the right guy…
Robbie Fowler is ‘GOD’
rafa’s style of play was not good in the last yr but before th it was good..why do you even write..mostly you dont know a damn about liverpool..
Yes I remember all them great games but they were All in champions league which suited his style of management plus a couple of FA cup games wow f*****g wee, take the champions league out of it + how many Great memories do you have from six years ,maybe going out of domestic cups early every year or the 30 odd points behind leaders every year, yeah I can’t wait to get back to them days lad. Now I never said he was awful some of them CL games are some of the happiest times of my life, its just he’s not the trophy winning messiah everyone thinks he is, red you muppet
okay you mentioned the two were due to stevie and he did nothing and when i said his tactics was one of the main reason’s we won them…stevie was great at both finals no one can deny that..your arguement is that we dont ave great memories..really..4-2 win at craven cottage after being 2-0 down at half time..3-2 win at man city home after being 2-0 down..these are examples.. there are so many ..i remember it cause am liverpool fan..dont jump on the bandwagon…you are calling me a muppet..wow…FYI we average 72 points a season in rafa’s time..his last yr was terrible…but before tht time’s were good..now kenny is the right man..it will take time ..i ave the patience to wait for 3-4 yrs and i hope the rest of the supporters can wait…
Well we can only dream like you that in 3-4 years we can get to 72 points in the league like in rafa’s day. I have been patient for the last 21 years + will continue to for as long as it takes, I ain’t jumped on no f*****g bandwagon mate, its just I remember what a truly good sides looks like + slowly we seem to b getting there like you said, let’s just agree to disagree on rafas greatness