My recent article on Live4Liverpool – The players are moving forward, Dalglish not so much – invoked a strong reaction from the KOP faithful.
Well I say faithful, let’s change that to worshipers. I say KOP , let’s change that to Kenny Dalglish. There’s a bit of an issue with criticising Dalglish these days. Some people just won’t have it. The focal point has shifted from the welfare of the club on to the one man seen as a Messiah.
Nothing wrong with the faith put in him but this summer, King Kenny has made a few managerial howlers. Point those out and there are those that’ll jump on the defensive bandwagon, citing all the excuses that would absolve their hero. Raul Meireles’ sale to Chelsea this summer was possibly the worst decision he’ll ever make. It’s in the same mould as Rafa Benitez handing Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.
The former Anfield boss has now openly regretted it and perhaps Dalglish will someday too. But for that stage to come by, it would require Liverpool Football Club to suffer another diabolical fall from grace. Mind you, they don’t have much of it at the moment anyway.
That’s where the blind faithfuls will disagree with me – a lot. According to them, it’s a rebuilding year. Guess who said that during the pre-season. I’ll give you a clue – he said it again in not as many words last week after the fourth consecutive home draw.
For Dalglish that seems to be the golden phrase that serves as a getaway card, especially as far as the blind supporters are concerned. Dalglish refuses to bring on substitutes in to the game until almost the final kick of the game (when they’re either losing or drawing) but that’s okay because it’s a rebuilding year.
He chooses to constantly go with Jordan Henderson on the right flank instead of players proven to provide some quality wing play. He chooses to hold Henderson up as the benchmark to get rid of a midfielder who held together the Liverpool midfield last year, after skipper Steven Gerrard was ruled out for the entire second half of season. No issues there – rebuilding year.
Instead of easing new signings in to the side, Dalglish puts them at the front of the pecking order while the ones who’ve been there and done that in a Liverpool shirt are bench warmers all of a sudden. No harm no foul. It’s a rebuilding year.
Whatever Kenny Dalglish feels is right, he does. If it pays off dividends, great. Those are the laurels Sir Alex Ferguson built his management career on. Yet I can’t for the life of me, see him defending his own tactics when they so blatantly blow up in his own face. He does what he feels is right and if it doesn’t work, then he doesn’t still feel it’s right anymore. He changes his tactics.
He is almost always right because he almost always does what’s logical. Not hope it turns out that way, as Kenny seems to be doing. The hardcore supporters have a choice here – Support Kenny or support Liverpool Football Club. As it stands, doing both is a bit of a stretch.
Arrogance only works after you’ve achieved success. Not while you’re still down in the dumps of the Premiership standings with the rest of the pack, trying to survive on bits and pieces of scrap.
