Now activists among the fanbase — including members of a
powerful Scouse media cartel — are warning of dire consequences for
the poor unfortunate who replaces Kenny Dalglish.
How, following the dethroning of King Kenny, the new man had
better be prepared for a hot and sceptical reception.
And how he had better get it right from the start or
else.
Or else what? Or else the chants of “Dalglish” will come
tumbling out of the Kop.
And how he will be gone before you can say Roy
Hodgson.
And what of the identity of this candidate for the ducking
stool?
First out of the blocks yesterday was Wigan’s Roberto Martinez
with chairman Dave Whelan indicating the Spaniard would be the
ideal manager of a club that, according to Whelan, was “functioning
without a heart.”
Martinez is certainly a passionate individual but also extremely
personable, good on TV, a natural communicator with the media and
an all-round good egg. He also gets his teams playing the sort of
football everyone likes.
But he’s just the first of a shortlist that could include Didier
Deschamps, Holland boss Bert van Marwijk, Fabio Capello, AVB
(gulp), Alan Pardew (who ticks most of the boxes), Brendan Rodgers
and Paul Lambert.
Like Martinez, the last two have been told that the club is too
big for them.
And, anyway, what have they achieved?
Apart, of course, from the near miracle of Rodgers and Lambert
getting their clubs into the Premier League and keeping them there
while Martinez, the original architect of Swansea’s attacking
style, has again defied the odds to maintain Wigan’s status among
the elite.
Yet you get the feeling that a number of Liverpool supporters
will only be happy when the new manager fails and they can
REALLY start to get into the ribs of another set
of American owners.
The anti-anyone-but-Kenny brigade are also on their high horse
about how the game is now all about filthy lucre and the Champions
League rather than the fabled Liverpool tradition of winning
trophies.
One posting on a Liverpool fans’ website read: “Tears in my
eyes. Soul of this football club is being ripped apart by people
intent on seeking money rather than success.”
Now let’s hang on a minute.
Yes, the Fenway Sports Group are keen to make a return on their
investment — like any other businessmen. After all, they are not a
charity, although many fans believe club owners should
be.
But FSG believe they can make money AND have
success.
And the best way of doing this is by qualifying for the
Champions League. That is what modern football is about.
We know sentimentality is a strong currency on the Kop but it
sometimes clouds reality.
We should ask ourselves one question: just how did Liverpool get
to their position of omnipotence in the 1980s and 90s?
By the skilful use of money to buy the players to win the league
and so qualify for the European Cup. Which, in turn, generated even
greater funds with which to top up the team. Dalglish benefited
hugely from this during his first stint as Liverpool
boss.
Now suddenly money has become a dirty word to some Liverpool
supporters.
As for Dalglish’s dismissal, the pros outweigh the
cons.
Yes, the Carling Cup became Liverpool’s first trophy in seven
seasons and in both this tournament and the FA Cup they produced
memorable displays against the two Manchester clubs.
But when it came to the FA Cup final, the manager made a
fundamental error in not playing Andy Carroll from the
start.
Then there was the excruciating Luis Suarez affair where
Dalglish’s old school mentality, chippiness and failure to see the
bigger picture embarrassed the club.
Then come the stats... Liverpool’s lowest league position since
1993-94, their second fewest home wins (six), finishing 37 points
behind the champions and 17 off fourth place.
Yes, Dalglish could have been given a dozen games at the start
of next season. Except, if things had still failed to improve,
where would they have gone for a manager then?
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre summed it up well yesterday
when he said: “No one is saying we didn’t enjoy winning the Carling
Cup and getting to the FA Cup final but, ultimately, the backbone
of football now is the Premier League and European football at the
highest level.”
Deep down, even Dalglish knows that.
