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Lay Off Kenny – He Needs Time

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WHEN Kenny rightfully regained his seat in the Anfield dugout last January, nobody envisaged that the clubs greatest ever servant would still be in that position 14 months down the line. Another thing that nobody envisaged back then was that it would be Kenny who would lead us back to Wembley to win our first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2006. If we could all envisage what would happen in the future, we would all be out buying our winning lottery tickets as you read this.

On the subject of envisaging (I’ll stop using that word now, I promise), the question is, will Kenny still be the man in charge in two years time, and more importantly, will he bring more success in that period?

With one league win in 2012 so far, the pressure seems to be rising and a lot of people seem to be getting edgy and questioning whether Kenny is the man to take the club forward. To be calling for the managers head 27 games into his first full season as manager, is ridiculous at the best of times, but when the manager who is being questioned has ended the club’s long trophy drought just two weeks previously, the stick that is being dished out just borders on idiocy.

Of course, that is not to say that the league form this season has been up to scratch. This season, we’ve had 4 home wins all season and some abject defeats on the road, most notably against Bolton and Sunderland. But, this is a team in transition. When Dalglish was handed the job full time last May, he was handed arguably the hardest re-building job in the history of the football club. The club had been asset stripped from top to bottom by two American shysters. A rebuilding job had to be carried out, money had to be spent. Even if it the summer spending didn’t work at first then most people would have agreed that the manager deserved another summer to rectify his mistakes, on the provision that progress was evident.

The Carling Cup success has proven this. Wins at Chelsea, Stoke and Manchester City on the road to Wembley has proven that there is something worth keeping in the team. Some of the football played was reminiscent of what was being played at the end of last season. Pass and move with intelligence and whilst that has been evident in most league games this season, the end product just hasn’t been there. Despite the money that has been spent, the team is still very much a work in progress.

That’s the position we find ourselves in now. Fourth may well be out of reach. A trophy has been added to our already overflowing trophy cabinet and there is a distinct possibility of another trophy and two more trips to Anfield South on the horizon. It’s not all bad. European football was secured for next season by the end of February too. And while it isn’t Europe’s top competition, it will give a lot of the young players, for instance, Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly, some valuable European experience which will help their development.

For this project to work, Kenny needs more money to rectify the mistakes he has made in the transfer window to date. But more importantly, he needs the backing of the fans that helped his cause to get the job on a full time basis.

Every Liverpool manager in recent memory has had a poor first few months in their new job. But all bar one have been given time to implement their ideas and it has reaped its rewards. Rafa Benitez and Gerard Houllier are the most prominent examples of this. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And the same goes for Liverpool Football Club’s next great era. Kenny will get it right; it’s just what he does.

You can find me on twitter @Robbie_OR or you can also read more of my work at  http://ballsoutinpublic.wordpress.com/category/robert/

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20 year old Liverpool fan from Dublin. My first game was a 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in December 1996 and since then I've been addicted. I'm a regular contributor to The Liverpool Way Forum and have been posting there for a number of years. I'm a keen Twitter user and I also enjoy watching cricket.

30 comments

  • David Tyrer says:

    I can see your point Robert, but unfortunately while it may seem ridiculous to want a manager’s head after 27 league games of his first full season, we collectively ended another manager’s first full season after 20 games last season. If we start demonstrating double-standards simply because of who the man is, is that really the way forward for this club? Everybody deserves a fair crack at the job but it’s just beginning to seem like some get a fairer crack than others.

    • Marty says:

      well said mate

    • dixie222 says:

      KK will get a fairer crack as he has helped liverpool to win more trophies than roy hodgson has managed teams. He gets a fair crack as no fan wanted roy hodgson and every single liverpool fan wanted KK. in my mind, people should remember he put his reputation on the line to come back at the begging of the club. now that he is going throu an bad patch we are ramping it up get him the sack. I feel sorry for KK, he sould of not answered the call stayed as ambassador. Liverpool fans should remember that roy hodgson was the best from the bunch who where out their. At the moment if we did sack KK, who would we get??? I can tell you it will be a young manager who the owners think is the next boy wonder who will get eaten alive just like AVB.

      • DaveWestAus says:

        Just to let you know? every single Liverpool fan did’n’t want KK back! There are plenty of LFC fans that did’n’t. I forecast when he was brought in this time that he would not succeed,and many others feel the same.He was carried by Paisley for the first three years! Then he was carried by Ray Harford when at Blackburn!He failed at Newcastle & Celtic. But YES he should have stayed in the ambassador role which suited him. Benitez brought him back only to be undermined by him.
        LIVERPOOL FC need to bring back Benitez ASAP.

        • Dede says:

          Benitez is a manager that will not and cannot manage Liverpool again with his ego a man who never listens or admit his mistakes all he wanted were yes men that is why Paco left coz he was doing all the good work and Benitez wanted the credit. Unless he has learnt from his past mistakes which i don’t think he has from the time he was at Inter.

      • Chan says:

        Dixie you were right about one thing, KD should have stayed as ambassador. Or LFC should not have appointed him on a permanent basis.

        Not all LFC fans wanted KD, just a section of very vocal and blind fans such as yourself.

        Dave was right, KD is a failure and teams others built carried him through. KD should be put in the same category as Souness, great as players, rubbish as managers. If KD was so good, why floped at Celtic and Newcastle? And he stabed Rafa’s back, the man who brough him back.

        We should bring back Rafa and give him proper resources this time, as we saw what he can do with very little and two meddling cowboys.

        Rafa offers hope while KD only offer only excuses. IF we love LFC which one would you choose?

    • Chan says:

      You had made a very good point David, a point that many KD apologist does NOT WANT to understand.

      While i does not agree with RH appointment in the first place, it must be remembered that he had managed teams like Inter Milan and the Swiss national team. At LFC he does not have 100 mill anmd fans support and yet sacked after 20 games.

      Please take note also that at the same point last season after the Sunderland game, we are 1 point better off. So KD had spent 100 mill to gain us 1 point. And the league cup success, we nearly lost to a second div team and that game was won largely by Benitez’s players.

      100 mill is no chicken feed and KD should be given more to correct his mistakes? I did not recall that when JH bought our club, he set himseld as some sort of American Sheikh or Roman. And what about the UEFA rules? JH can only think to himself, 100 mill for 1 point!

      KD together with DC is a colossal mistake and we should throw good money after bad.

      We are not a team in transition, the players KD bought except for Suarez and Enrique is simply too rubbish to do that.

      SACK KD and DC and see real rebuilding work begin.

  • Marty says:

    Any other manager and the fans would be calling for their head…… Simple as that…. Poor results, poor signings and poor league position and then his: >>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/12/kenny-dalglish-kit-deals-liverpool?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29

    Just proves he is doin a poor job, as kenny dalglish said himself: no one is bigger than the club, and that includes him…. a legend, a terrific footballer and a club idol, but that does not mean he is doing a good job in management….

    he will always be remembered for what he gave the club, and will always be a legend, but he isnt the right man for the job… just wait and see if hes there in the summer and the absolute crap that he’ll buy once again, either youngsters or english donkeys……

  • Martinmarx says:

    Totally agree with David and Marty. Well put lads.

    I always thought getting into 4th would be difficult considering the chaos that led to the outing of G & H. I was therefore willing to support Kenny as long as there was signs of improvement in our game rather than through points won. Unfortunately, however, there’s no improvement to be seen. He keeps playing his signings while leaving more experienced and better players to rot on the bench. He tinkers both with teamselection and formation. Bolton away was a disaster and he was wrong to have a go at the players after forcing them to play a weird and never seen before 3-5-2 formation.

    In my view he’s no more fit for the job than Roy so why he’s being judged differently and more kindly is hard for me as an LFC fan to digest.

  • Chambers says:

    I do think that a great deal of this was pulled down on KD’s head due to the fact that the world and his wife KNEW that we needed a goal scorer in January. KD openly decided that we didn’t! This has turned out to be a dreadfully poor management decision steeped it appears in stubbornness on someone’s behalf. The fans can hardly be blamed for showing a degree of dissent over this!

    • Dede says:

      And tell me one manager who hasn’t made a poor decision when it come to management. Rafa the so loved one had the French guy Ngong only as our striker when Torres was injured and we suffered i really believe we should jugde KK after giving him 3 years. I mean Rafa spent 6year as a Liverpool manager but he didn’t even know his first team.

  • abraham says:

    What is wrong with you? How long do you want this club to be average? Is 21years not enough for you?

    Now we have money, time to bring back the coach who brought us closest with huge debt to come in and finish the work this time being able to buy his first choice players!

    KK is out of date; out of depth; and saying the same things as RH who we forced out because he wasnt delivering expected results!

  • Amit says:

    This is ridiculous man. Any team with a new manager is in transition, but not every team gets a 100mill warchest to blow. The same Roy Hodgson who nearly got us relegated is managing a new team and they having spent jack all in the market are sitting pretty and catching us as well. All this talk of transition is also nonsense because he went and bought british players who already have experience in the league.
    Anybody else would be getting crucified by now and Kenny should get the same treatment based on results and league position. He of course deserves respect and love for his contribution to Liverpool but not for the way his team is playing this season.
    There is a certain manager out there who has unfinished business with Liverpool and I for one would love him to come back rather than go to Chelsea. We know who that is. RAFA!!

  • GC says:

    I think you have to look at the football being played this season, and by and large it’s good stuff, just no end product through bad luck and bad finishing.

    Sort that out and we’r’e 15 points to the good … and then people are off KK’s back.

    Support him … all managers make mistakes. We’re playing the best football since he was last in charge, the results will come.

    • Chan says:

      Played great football? Did you see the S’land game? Our strikers can’t score? KD was one right? And he can’t get them to score.

      1 and a half season and 100 mill later, its still give KD a chance we all make mistakes tune?

      Did we give this to RH? Why the double standards?

  • EMEN08 says:

    Sad that LFC are sounding so arrogant&stupid after the few seasons we’ve been through..Sound like Manure fans now believing we entitled 2 immediate success..We are playing brilliant footy just not finishing. KK is doing a great job in his first full season bar the disappointments,but the remarks from so called fans are more disappointing.1st trophy in 6years, good brand of soccer,future looks good. Relax or go support another team..I love Rafa&he will be back someday but we need KK to pave the way 4 that return..YNWA in the King I trust

    • Chan says:

      We are 10 points off 4th and a massive 25 points off our hated rival at the top and you say KK is doing a great job? What are you smoking man?

      100 mill spent and this is what we got? Poor tactical know how, how many times we had we seen him got the wrong tactics and either did nothing or leaving it too late before making changes?

      And what problem has KD got with players like Maxi who have more goals and assist eventhough played less compared to Downing but continued to be ignored?

      You at best is a KD supporter not a LFC fan. We do not need clowns like you.

  • DON says:

    All of u that have been suport this man called kenny should go to hail with him, who is him and what is him up to? What is’t that kenny have achieve with us, fa cup and c cup? What is fa cup and c cup. If u keep all his achievement and keep Rafa 2005 achievement for me to choose i will go for Rafa with full of happeness, Rafa is 100% better than this man, in every thing , team selection, formation, fighting spirit, buying players. How to chang game, Rafa was our coach when G and H was our owners, they are not ready to suport him in the market, with the litle suport he got from them, Rafa try his best and achieve champions league and fa cup and would have win a premier league which we naver win in our histry before finishing 7 and u people asked for his head, if Rafa deserve that what aboup kenny after all the money he spent for one season. We are 7th on the table now, we have played 8 premier league game this year, which is 24 points, we only achieve 5 points out of it and send 19 points to grave, 1 win 2 drow, the worst premier league manager for now. This man want to kill me with heart attack, please our owners sack this man now.

    • Chan says:

      KD should be sack yesterday, our owners are too far away and too gutless to do the right thing.

      • Dede says:

        Why do you all want glory seekers do you want our club to end up like Chelsea i mean a manager is not given time to make his own squad i think we need to give KK some time. This season has had some positives especially the team’s play we create goals which was not in Rafa’s time of playing 90 minutes against Wigan and 1 chance created.

  • cal says:

    first of all, i love rafa and wish that he will come back, but only when kenny decides to go. it is true that we will not be in the CL next year, but shouldnt we be a bit patient and show our support to both kenny and our players? would slating them continuously helpful? let’s be fair amd like what GC said, bar a couple of games, we have played significantly better than last year when we were going for a draw regardless of who we played against. scums or rovers didnt matter. a draw would be a good result.
    that was how bad we were under RH, who likes kissing scum arse more than anything else. it pisses me off when people start comparing him with kenny, who put his name and legendary status on the line to save us from relegation. RH would have concurred with whiskey nose over the liar handshake incident and called suarez a disgrace. is this what we want? come on, what has happened with some of the most vocal bloggers here? so much with supporting our club thru thick and thin. if that is the case, maybe you should go support manc city.

    • Dede says:

      O thank you they all those talking like that are simply glory seekers who are misplaced. Building an empire doesnt come in a season like many of those glory seeker want. This season we have played better away and created chance by chance we just need a little bit of patience and probably some intelligent players to fire us to the title. Whoever wants KK sacked should go to Cash city or Chelsea.

      • red.red says:

        city is 2nd chelsea with an old guard is above us????? I love liverpool u dont you happy being at the bottom after 100mil spent. Curling cup final struggled aganist a ch…….. Side.

  • cal says:

    @ron, if you do not know who kenny is, i suppose you are not a supporter of this club. and who are you? what makes you think you are so superior than others? and to those who keep saying no one is bigger than the club just to get your point across. i think it also applies to you so-called supporters as much as it does to kenny. some people ‘cant see a priest from a mountain of sugar’ ron, get your facts straight and grmmar correct before you open your mouth

  • Fernando says:

    To all the fans that keep on saying hendo carol are stil young give them time thats crap luk at shelvey suso sterling ecleston we never needed to buy those 2 neither did we need adam we had aqau we also didnt need downing we had cole why werent they given time to setl in to the top team like all that english crap kd has bought all the players that is being dropd or loand out were given a raw deal by kd including our academy youngsters why buy a young striker fr 35mil to give him time to setl and develop wen ngo wasnt doing to bad he bangd in goals but was stil sold take a gud luck lfc fans sumthn weird is happening at our beloved lfc all our foreign players are been driven out just luk at maxi not to mention mereiles im gutted we let qaulity players go fr avarage ones and kd is rite we are exactly where he wants us to be dam 7th mid table club wake up smell the coffee before its to late ynwa hw can a coach of the greatest club in british football be happy wth our position and more happy about sponsorship deals rather then points im blown away but i cried tears wen they apointed him cause he knows lfc in an out bt his stuborness is costing us nw i felt i waisted my tears for nothing

  • Vipakindele says:

    I love KD but the problem is if Kenny will still be incharge during summer transfer that means we may be getting further from our goals and aspirations,cos he will continue to defend his wrong signings.Unless he realise his mistakes and stops being stuborn.How many top six team will Henderson,Carrol,and Adam start for?First touch is bad,no pace,pass completion rate? positional sense is zero.Though we need a good striker,but how many goal do our mid-fielders have to their credit?Why wön’t people call for Rafa’s return,we are known around the world to be good shooters,but these day no acurate shot.

  • red.red says:

    ;O kenny had plenty of time to correct his mistakes i will try and list. January. He should have bought a striker. Team selection. Where is maxi shelvey? He keeps playing his buys totally crap Henderson Adam downing. Stubborn. He is pushing away the likes of suso sterling maxi kuyt. Hardly have any excuse on your article I am sorry but kenny is taking our team down. Players who left Liverpool went to bigteams most of them. Kk buys who wants them? Except for suarez n enrique.

    Articles like these make me sick

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