Kenny Dalglish - in his own words

[Coro]

Kenny Dalglish - in his own words: Hodgson faces a battle to take Reds back to where they belong. Liverpool legend reveals all in his new autobiography, serialised on MirrorFootball - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk

 

Kenny Dalglish - in his own words: Hodgson faces a battle to take Reds back to where they belong

 

It was right for everybody that Rafa Benitez left – for him and for Liverpool *Football Club.

 

There just comes a stage in every manager’s career when the board says, ‘You’ve been good for the club but we feel it would be best if you go.’

 

Sometimes it works the same way for a manager – ‘I’ve done my time. There’s no animosity but it’s time to have a go somewhere else.’

 

When it was clear Rafa was going, Christian Purslow asked me to get involved in the selection process for the next manager.

 

“I’ll help in any way I possibly can,” I told Christian. They drew up a list, asked me to come and meet the candidates and then let them decide who the manager should be.

 

In mid-June, I had to let them know my real views. I wanted the job. I couldn’t miss the opportunity.

 

One day, I was in a meeting with Christian and the chairman, Martin Broughton, and I formally put my name forward.

 

“We don’t want you, Kenny,” came the reply from Christian and the chairman. Fine. That’s their *prerogative. They explained they had different plans for me, a position with greater longevity.

 

“We want you for a role at the club that would be for longer than the tenure of the manager,” the board told me. The job focused on player *development. It wasn’t management, though.

 

Martin Broughton made that *abundantly clear. People have asked me whether I was disappointed, and of course I was. I passionately wanted the job. But I would have been more disappointed if I hadn’t put my name forward. I love Liverpool so deeply I felt almost an obligation to apply.

 

This was about helping Liverpool more than reviving my management career. If another club came in and asked me to be their manager, I honestly don’t know how I’d react.

 

Liverpool’s my home. There was no self-glory attached to my application. I did feel I had unfinished business with the job, though, since my previous tenure was aborted in 1991.

 

But I was enjoying myself with the Academy, going in, helping the kids and attending matches at Anfield.

 

I usually find it difficult to promote myself. That’s not my nature.

 

Liverpool were experiencing hard times and I wanted to help.

 

If I hadn’t expressed an interest, people might have thought, ‘Well, if Kenny Dalglish doesn’t want to help, there must be big *problems at Liverpool.’

 

When the news of my application emerged, the Liverpool punters were more favourable than not. That was reassuring.

 

Maybe I didn’t make the wisest decision in the world in going for it.

 

By expressing my ambition for the job, the board might think that complicated life for Roy Hodgson. They needn’t have feared. I fully respect Roy, a man I’ve known for a long, long time, ever since he was in Sweden, at Halmstads and Malmo, and he visited Melwood with Bobby Houghton. We struck up a friendship.

 

Roy’s a very honourable and decent person, and very experienced in football. He has his beliefs in how the team should be set up, but when he arrived at Liverpool, he will have known that he had to make one or two adjustments to his system, because the individuals are different at Liverpool.

 

No manager can just impose their style. It’s all right having a system but players dictate how it is played.

 

When Roy came in, I knew *Liverpool would be committed and well *organised. He’s the type of guy players enjoy working for.

 

He’s very honest in the way he handles players, and he speaks very well. He’ll get a great deal of respect from the players as well as the fans.

 

Roy must know he has walked into a world of uncertainty at Anfield, and until Liverpool are sold, the situation won’t settle down.

 

Even then, people always feel *uncertain when they have a new employer. What decisions will the new buyer make? Will he keep people? Will he want his own men in? Roy understands the situation.

 

At his press conference, he was asked how he would cope when a new owner arrives.

 

His answer was very good: “I’m the same as everybody else. If I’m getting results, I’ve got a better chance of keeping my job.”

 

Roy knows I’ll help him in any way I canhim I I can. *Liverpool Football Club are much more important than I am, or Roy Hodgson, *Christian Purslow or Martin Broughton.

 

I’ve put aside any resentment I felt about not being considered for the manager’s job.

 

I’m focusing on the bigger picture, which is Liverpool Football Club. Roy has no problem with me being here.

 

I have never undermined a manager. When I was given the Liverpool manager’s job in 1985, I had the best guy ever as my ally to consult.

 

Bob Paisley wasn’t a threat. He was 100 per cent on my side, and I knew that.

 

I’ll be the same for Roy if he wants it. What matters is Liverpool fighting their way back up to where they belong.

 

Liverpool will always be special in my eyes but they must take care.

 

They are in danger of missing out on the support of a young generation, who’ve been brought up watching the Premier League on Sky.

 

They want success. Unless *Liverpool are winning trophies and keeping hold of quality players, such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, the club will struggle to pull in that generation of support.

 

At the moment, the kids go to Anfield because of their dads and the players. That’s the attraction.

 

But that can’t last forever. Liverpool have to win some silverware or lose a generation.

 

Whatever happens, the club can always count on my support.

[manwiththestick]

The greatest man to ever represent our club.

[Irishlad]

How can they say his role will be longer then the current manager role???

 

Something has been let slip right there

 

“We don’t want you, Kenny,” came the reply from Christian and the chairman. Fine. That’s their *prerogative. They explained they had different plans for me, a position with greater longevity.

[Jim MM]

How can they say his role will be longer then the current manager role???

 

Something has been let slip right there

 

“We don’t want you, Kenny,” came the reply from Christian and the chairman. Fine. That’s their *prerogative. They explained they had different plans for me, a position with greater longevity.

 

I presume they said they wanted him in a job where the club would never come under pressure to sack him. A kind of "It's not you, it's me" situation rather than an indication that Roy would be a dead man walking.

Still, it's a sad situation when them two, 5 minutes into their jobs, are telling Kenny Dalglish what's best for Liverpool FC.

[Red Nick]

Not wishing to diss the King but I think he let the club down from promoting himself for the job rather than telling the board to appoint a manager like McLeish.

 

Once he left the appointment process it was all clear for that cunt purslow to appoint our current crettin manager.

 

If Kenny had stayed in the process i am sure he would have made sure we didnt end up with Hodgson.

[moof]

Nobody in the world i'd rather have as our manager

[RedMyst]

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[manwiththestick]

Not wishing to diss the King but I think he let the club down from promoting himself for the job rather than telling the board to appoint a manager like McLeish.

 

Once he left the appointment process it was all clear for that cunt purslow to appoint our current crettin manager.

 

If Kenny had stayed in the process i am sure he would have made sure we didnt end up with Hodgson.

 

Fuck off with this McLeish shit. I'm not Roy's biggest fan but I'm pretty sure McLeish would not do any better in the current situation.

[piscinin]

Not wishing to diss the King but I think he let the club down from promoting himself for the job rather than telling the board to appoint a manager like McLeish.

 

Once he left the appointment process it was all clear for that cunt purslow to appoint our current crettin manager.

 

If Kenny had stayed in the process i am sure he would have made sure we didnt end up with Hodgson.

 

Once they made it clear they were just using him as window dressing to make their choice more palatable to the fans, it frankly didn't matter what he did. The fact he's still there after being used like a cheap whore, just proves he's one of the last of a dying breed.

[Guest TK-421]

Vom inducing. Who the fuck is Broughton to tell Kenny he's not wanted? It's just heartbreaking.

[Arl arse]

I still think it was a huge mistake not taking Kenny up on his offer, the massive boost it would have given the club and the fans would have been priceless.

 

Kenny would have united the fans behind him & therefore turned the pressure up to boiling point on the Yank liars, and for that reason alone I will always despise Cecil and Broughton.

 

Once again Kenny has it bob on, the club is bigger / more important than any individual especially Cecil and Broughton. (Arrogant pair of cunts)

[WaltonRed]

He should of got the job.

 

Fuck off Broughton you fucking wank stain.

 

alterior motives.

[PeteH]

Vom inducing. Who the fuck is Broughton to tell Kenny he's not wanted? It's just heartbreaking.

 

I may be wrong, but I think the real reason he wasn't considered was because of the galvanising effect he would have had on our support.

[Byrnie]

Shows what we've become, gutted after reading that, absolutely gutted.

[WaltonRed]

I hope we get fucking bought by someone who cares and gives him the fucking job.

 

Utterly depressed but also how much do you love him? Sticking round when many more would of cried off.

[TheResonator]

Whatever happens in our future, it's nice to know that people like Kenny have been a part of our history. What a legend.

[Anubis]

There were questions about whether he ever put himself forward for the job. I think those have been very firmly put to bed now.

 

I don't mean this as a slight on Hodgson, because it isn't aimed at him, but when Kenny threw his hat into the ring I think he should have been given the job. I don't think either the owners or the rest of the board wanted someone who would be seen as a talisman by the fans, someone likely to be vocal about what he saw happening at the club, albeit for different reasons.

[piscinin]

There were questions about whether he ever put himself forward for the job. I think those have been very firmly put to bed now.

 

I don't mean this as a slight on Hodgson, because it isn't aimed at him, but when Kenny threw his hat into the ring I think he should have been given the job. I don't think either the owners or the rest of the board wanted someone who would be seen as a talisman by the fans, someone likely to be vocal about what he saw happening at the club, albeit for different reasons.

 

But they also passed on someone who could galvanize the players. Just a further example to me of what happens when you take your eye off of the football.

[Sandman]

Disgraceful.

 

So much for making the best footballing decision for Liverpool Football Club. Dump the legend with the Academy, and hire someone distinctly average who's just grateful to be given the opportunity.

 

I doubt we'd be moaning about the lack of the 'new manager bounce' if it was the King at the helm. It would have inspired the players, the management and fans all across the world. But fuck that, let's just get by for a bit without any more conflict...

 

We don't want you Kenny ? There isn't a person in that fucking boardroom who should be allowed to get away with saying that.

[TommyW]

he should be the boss now, simple as

 

too powerful for the board though

[kacangpool]

kenny cares more about the club than broughton and cecil and the rest of the board, that's for sure. who were they to make such a decision. fuck them.

[gkmacca]

Not wishing to diss the King but I think he let the club down from promoting himself for the job rather than telling the board to appoint a manager like McLeish.

 

McLeish would just have been battered after we drew 0-0 with a shit side like Fulham, then people would have started suggesting Hodgson.

[redfromtubebar]

Who the fuck are Broughton and Cecil to tell Kenny Dalglish that he's not wanted?

 

Somebody please remind me how long these two have worked in football for?

[JER]

Kenny was the right man at the right time, simple as.

 

There was another bit in the mirror where he claimed that he should have been bought in to help Roy Evans in 98, rather than Houllier. Found this a bit dodgy as he was Newcastle manager at the time, and would surely not have wanted to play second fiddle to a man who used to be his physio.

 

All in all though, he exudes class

[silverlining]

Disgraceful.

 

So much for making the best footballing decision for Liverpool Football Club. Dump the legend with the Academy, and hire someone distinctly average who's just grateful to be given the opportunity.

 

I doubt we'd be moaning about the lack of the 'new manager bounce' if it was the King at the helm. It would have inspired the players, the management and fans all across the world. But fuck that, let's just get by for a bit without any more conflict...

 

We don't want you Kenny ? There isn't a person in that fucking boardroom who should be allowed to get away with saying that.

 

Yup.