Whilst Liverpool fan support for Kenny Dalglish seems to be dwindling (has he lost his King Kenny moniker? Is he just plain old Kenny now?) I can’t help but wonder if it’d be a mistake to send him packing. Jamie Carragher’s recent quotes (which appeared before Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle) were of great interest to me and certainly provide an alternative picture to that of Steven Gerrard shoo-ing an enraged Dalglish off the turf during Sunday’s calamitous outing.
It’s clear that the players still support Kenny, even if fan’s patience is beginning to wane. The Liverpool defender was staunch in his defence:
“People need to remember where we were when Kenny took over again as manager. The club were on their knees. We’d gone through a difficult period and found ourselves in a poor position in the league. Kenny took over and it wasn’t just that he gave everyone a lift in terms of his presence around the club, but most importantly with performances and results.”
So one Liverpool legend defends another, but is there substance to his words? Last season was all well and good but what about Liverpool’s failings this year?
“Everyone knew this season was all about rebuilding the team and bringing a lot of new playing staff to make an improvement. Winning our first trophy in six years was a sign of that. It was a massive achievement for everyone at the club. We’re still in the FA Cup so it could get better.
We all recognise we’ve come up short in the league compared to where we’d like to be – because we wanted to be closer to the top four – but considering there’s been a lot of change it was always going to be difficult given the established sides we were up against. We were just starting the process again so you can’t just expect it happen immediately.”
Carragher is right – Liverpool have made some progress under Dalglish. Back in 2010 they were at an all time low, hovering above the relegation zone with Roy Hodgson threatening to lead them to the drop.
Kenny took charge and pumped ambition back into the club. But with so many signings looking to make their mark, it’s little wonder that the Red’s season has been so mixed. Whilst the likes of Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson have disappointed, Dalglish’s expertise could still rescue a bad situation.
It’s not like there’s no potential in this Liverpool side – their cup runs have shown that they can still challenge the top teams and with the right change in mentality (and a slight change in personnel) the Red’s can certainly challenge for a Champions League position next season.
Liverpool need a man with Kenny Dalglish’s mentality to help them fight back from a disappointing season and put them on the right path. If the Reds have a good summer (and don’t splurge on pricey, nonsense signings) then they have every chance of coming back strong next season.
What’s your take? Is Kenny Dalglish still the man for you?
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