Kenny Dalglish Sacked by Fenway Sports Group
So it looks like the talks were showdown after all and, unfortunately for the Glaswegian manager, Kenny Dalglish has been shown the door by John W. Henry and Tom Werner. The official line is ‘parted company’ but many believe there was no other option but termination.
Dalglish had flown out to Boston to review Liverpool FC’s season. He had a tough job on his hands as Liverpool had been disappointing at home in the English Premier League, and although Liverpool won the Carling Cup and were finalists in the FA Cup an eighthplace finish was too inadequate for the Fenway Sports Group.
This move may not go down well with the Anfield faithful, who hold Dalglish in the highest regard, but results were too poor for FSG and, clearly, the owners were not willing to accept another term.
The bookies have wasted no time in installing Wigan Athletic’s Spanish manager Roberto Martinez as favorite to take up the post, alongside former Liverpool manager and fellow Spaniard Rafa Benitez, who lives in the area still. The owners, however, went down the route of making a sentimental appointment in Dalglish when they first came in, perhaps to win over the fans. It remains to be seen whether they would take such tact again.
So who could do a job for Liverpool and, most importantly, would be available?
It depends whether they want an organic continuation of what Dalglish started. He tried to promote British players, with a power from midfield and the use of width. He wanted knockdowns and rebound falling to Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard following crosses from that width. It just was not successful enough.
To keep going with the players there they would probably would have liked to keep assistant manager Steve Clarke on, but he has walked in support of Dalglish. Now there needs to be someone who can instill defensive dicipline and attacking fundamentals. Quickly. Brendan Rogers may get a call at some point, and didn’t Fabio Capello say he wanted to manage in the EPL?
Swings and roundabouts all day in English soccer. Fire up that merry-go-round!
