The Kop idol was axed four days after a disastrous campaign
which saw Liverpool limp home in eighth, with their worst home
record in more than half a century.
Arguments have raged whether King Kenny would have survived the
chop had he followed the Carling Cup triumph — Many of the King's
adoring fans have openly wondered what may have happened if their
hero had lifted that famous trophy, to go with the Carling
Cup that he won in February.
Yet now Henry, front man for Kop owners Fenway Sports Group, has
finally ended the debate, after revealing Dalglish would have been
dumped even if they had beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Henry admitted: “The FA Cup would not have made any difference
had he won it, no, no. For us we were 17th over the second half of
the season and Liverpool should not be in that position.
“I don’t place the blame on Kenny and assistant Steve Clarke but
I think it was obvious to every fan that something was wrong and
something needed to be done.”
But despite 2012’s woeful form and the Luis Suarez race storm,
Henry insisted there were others in the dock beyond Dalglish and
his backroom team.
He added: “That Suarez situation did not really play a part. It
did not come into play.
“No one man is bigger than the club and no one issue is going to
determine the long-term viability of the club.
“We had a very poor second half to the season last year. You
could say the response to Kenny and Steve from the players was
lacking, the play was lacking, so that entered into our
considerations.”
Makes no difference: The result of the FA Cup Final didn't
doom
Ayre explained for all the romance of the cup runs, the
Premier League and a top four tilt remained the minimum target...
and for very good financial reason.
With Liverpool finishing an eye-watering 37 points off the
league’s top two, the owners needed to make a critical decision on
whether the Reds legend would be able to turn things around next
season...and the answer was clearly in the negative.
“In the end, it’s a very simple decision based on results and
based on do you believe that the results are going to change?” he
explained.
“As I said, 37 points off the winners and 17 points off fourth
place and 14 losses, that was the measurement on which the owners
made their decision.
“Fans want trophies, but you have got to have both. The Carling
and FA Cups don’t generate the revenue and the success that is
needed to keep investing, and to be successful, you have to keep
investing.
That is the emphatic message from Liverpool managing director
Ian Ayre, who has explained to
stunned supporters exactly why Kop idol Dalglish was shown the
door .
