Kenny Dalglish: Why Liverpool Must Keep Faith in Their Manager
By
(Featured Columnist) on April 18, 2012
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Kenny Dalglish's name has come in for a lot of criticism during his second stint in charge at Liverpool.
Beginning with the usual diatribe of "he's so out of touch" to the sometimes-funny "sack Dalglish, bring back Rafa!", Kenny Dalglish has had to bear the brunt of the modern-day supporter from the message boards of the club's website all the way down to the B/R forums.
He has been criticised a lot more for his "questionable" team-selection policies and playing tactics than for his ineffective way of dealing with controversies involving star man Luis Suarez.
Then there's the media decking Kenny's current Liverpool squad as just a mid-table cup competition team.
But what is it that has incurred the wrath of the supporter on the Anfield King?
If the answer that you arrived at was anything other than "a disappointing Premier League campaign," then welcome back to planet Earth!
With a mere 46 points to show from 33 games, Liverpool's 2011-12 Premier League season has been everything short of desirable. As a result, Liverpool now face the prospect of having to live without Champions League football for the third season running, though there is the consolation of the Europa League by virtue of their Carling Cup victory.
The main reason cited for this has been the poor home form of the Reds. Liverpool, trailing rivals Everton FC by a solitary point, now face an uphill task to finish at least seventh on the table.
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However, the buck doesn't stop there. Criticism of Kenny's reign extends to the captures he made during last summer. Craig Bellamy apart, none of Kenny's new signings could deliver strong performances week in, week out.
The supporters do have a really good point in their favour. Being Liverpool Football Club, one normally expects them to go all-out and fight with the likes of Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea for the league title. The very least that is expected of this club is to be in a position where qualification for Champions League is achieved with comfortable ease.
Bringing back Champions League football to Anfield was the task set to Kenny by the board of directors. But, as we now know, he failed at it.
That brings us to the question: Is the Carling Cup and a possible FA Cup triumph a decent enough compensation for the failures under Kenny?
Some say, no. They argue that top teams prove their merit by excelling when challenged.
The pressure of Jose Mourinho's men pulling clear by 10 points didn't deter Barcelona from pressing on with the challenge. It definitely didn't deter them from entering the final of the Copa del Rey, and it certainly wouldn't impede their mindset when they face Chelsea in the semifinals of the Champions League.
The same goes for Manchester United, who showed champion mentality to keep pushing despite the five-point deficit that separated them and then-league-leaders Manchester City. The result, Manchester United are now firmly in the driver's seat, with the 20th league title clearly visible in their eyes. They are the masters of their own fate now, and that is what describes a champion the best.
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Similarly, Liverpool should have come out the better team against mid-table oppositions, in the process sustaining serious momentum in their pursuit of Champions League football. Unfortunately the desire was not there, and with crucial injury blows to important players like Gerrard and Lucas, Liverpool never were the same team again.
What it showed was a lack of squad depth. Despite the over £100 million outlay, Liverpool barely had the bench strength to churn out results when faced with adversity.
Or maybe it could be that these so-called smaller teams and mid-table clubs really upped their ante this season. I mean, when you see Swansea City beat Man City and Wigan Athletic beat Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool, then that ought to stand for something.
Coming back to the original question, there are another set of people who are quite satisfied, to say the least, with how things have panned out.
They argue that this season could never have been the season when the Reds fought for the league. They believe that this season was all about reconstruction and redevelopment of the team.
Fair enough. There was ample reconstruction done with players shipped out and players coming in. But did it necessarily end up in redevelopment of the team?
Popular opinion says, no. Kenny tried to justify the redevelopment process by pointing out the bumper-kit deals and off-ground activities at Anfield.
But if it was about getting kit deals, a solid season in the league would still have earned them that plus the possibility of having to deal with lesser criticism. Liverpool also had to deal with several off-field issues concerning Luis Suarez, and that might have played a part in distracting the team.
Has Liverpool gone down the right path this season?
· Yes
27.2%
· No
53.3%
· Can't Say/Don't Know
19.5%
Total votes: 261
Nevertheless, this reconstructive season did see the Reds make it all the way up to the balcony of Wembley to collect their first major trophy since 2006. And they have a good chance to do it yet again on May 5th when they line up against Chelsea for a chance to win the FA Cup.
Surprisingly, arriving at a conclusion from all the facts that lay in front of us appears to be a daunting task, because the question is a bit of one as well.
Does Kenny Dalglish Deserve the Faith of JW Henry and Company?
To put in a single word—totally. Yes, Kenny deserves the support of JW Henry and the supporters.
However, Kenny may stand to lose the trust of legions of supporters if he fails to lead the Red men to their eighth FA Cup trophy. In the eyes of the supporter, a full season with just the Carling Cup to show for is not a step up from the last season.
The failures of this team haven't gone down too well with the club's American owners. And the recent boardroom change, when Damien Comolli felt a pressing need to return to France, is evidence to that.
Kenny's position may come under scrutiny once the season gets over. But unlike Comolli, who got the stick for his role in the bumper-flop purchases, Kenny will never feel threatened about his status at Anfield regardless of whether he continues to be the manager or not.
Replacement for Kenny Dalglish will be an easy find once news filters out that FSG is looking to replace him. So that's not the problem.
Doesn Kenny Dalglish deserve JW Henry's trust?
· Yes
62.0%
· No
27.1%
· Can't Say/Don't Know
10.9%
Total votes: 221
The real problem, however, happens to be a quality—patience. Patience is something that the modern supporter should learn to possess.
Agreed it's been 22 years and running since Liverpool last topped the English first division. But that is no reason to run out of patience, especially when you look back at the mess that Rafa left behind in 2010, one that worsened at the hands of Roy Hodgson.
People talk about achieving Champions League qualification as a necessity to attract players. I beg to differ.
Teams that achieve a Cup double (the jury is still out on that) can also be equally attractive as, say, Arsenal, who haven't had a single trophy in ages. If the money involved in CL football is important, then Liverpool have managed to earn double the amount owing to their kit sponsorships.
So, as you see, developments have happened at a sturdy pace. It's just that supporters need to have that patience in them to understand the work in progress here.
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