Kenny Dalglish Leaves Liverpool.

[aiyic]

I just remembered - I ordered the new shirt with KENNY 7 on back. LOL!

[LFCJim]

Hmmmn. Share the same feelings mate.

 

From their perspective, bringing in a really young manager, who's won a few things with future ahead of him. Fits into their MO.

 

Maybe to work with Steve Clarke?

 

FSG are getting advised by someone. There is no doubt.

 

Pretty big question though as to who it is advising them.

[Strontium]

Sacking Kenny to replace him with Andre Villas Boas

 

my fucking god is it possible for them to NOT get what this club is about any more than that

[GRADY]

Just watchin the clips from his final game from anfield when everyone clapped the players of. dalglish doesnt half love the club an i hope it hasnt left too much of a sour taste in his mouth.

 

In the 18 months he was back in charge 3 trips to wembley, twatted the blue shite and played some attacking footie that probably didnt get either the credit or the points it deserved.

 

Kenny is Liverpool and i have nothing but admiration for the man.

[Jonny83]

Villas-Boas just gone top of the Oddschecker list.

 

Martinez now second, then Rodgers, Rafa, Capello, and a Pardew/Redknapp/SFG/Big Sami tie after that.

 

Maybe it's the copious amount of ale talking but fuck it, just get Rafa in.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool sacking could be André Villas-Boas's chance

 

• Didier Deschamps and Jürgen Klopp also in the running

• Liverpool sack Kenny Dalglish after poor league form

 

Andy Hunter

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 May 2012 22.00 BST

 

Liverpool have begun the search for their fourth manager in four seasons, having sacked Kenny Dalglish for failing to replicate cup success with a challenge for Champions League qualification. Fenway Sports Group, the club's owners, face costs comparable to the £8.4m spent replacing Roy Hodgson and his backroom staff for ending the Anfield legend's second spell as manager after only 16 months.

 

André Villas-Boas, the former Chelsea manager, Jürgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund and Marseille's Didier Deschamps are among the candidates to succeed Dalglish, who signed a three-year contract 12 months ago but paid the price for Liverpool's lowest league finish for 18 years. Steve Clarke, Dalglish's assistant, has also left the club out of loyalty to his fellow Scot.

 

Dalglish was informed of the decision by John W Henry, Liverpool's principal owner, and the chairman, Tom Werner, as he prepared to go on holiday on Wednesday. The 61-year-old had flown to Boston for face-to-face talks with his employers after the final game of the season at Swansea City on Sunday, a move prompted by concern at the lack of assurances over his position since Liverpool lost the FA Cup final to Chelsea on 5 May. No assurances were forthcoming in the United States and Dalglish returned to Merseyside on Tuesday prepared for the worst.

 

The Scot issued a staunch defence of his reign both in public last Friday and during the meeting with Henry and Werner, at which he also outlined plans to improve the squad for a top-four finish next season. He cited success in the Carling Cup, an FA Cup final appearance and Europa League qualification as evidence of progress in his first full season back in charge. Liverpool's owners, however, were unconvinced the club could achieve Champions League qualification under Dalglish and doubted his transfer acumen following a meagre contribution last season from Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, part of the £120m investment in new players since January 2011.

 

A club statement confirmed: "After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily. The search for a new manager will begin immediately."

 

The departures of Dalglish and Clarke follow those of Damien Comolli, Dr Peter Brukner and Ian Cotton from Anfield in recent weeks, leaving Liverpool without a manager, assistant manager, director of football, head of sports science and head of communications. Werner, however, insisted FSG had no option but to sack Dalglish after Liverpool ended the season eighth in the Premier League, four points behind Everton, 17 behind fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur and 37 behind the champions, Manchester City.

 

Liverpool's chairman said: "Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. We owe him a great debt of gratitude. However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change. We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs."

 

FSG are believed to want a manager with title-winning experience, and who can lead Liverpool long-term, to replace Dalglish. That criteria would appear to rule out Roberto Martínez of Wigan Athletic. Another bookmakers' favourite, former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez, is unlikely to be in the frame.

 

Klopp has won two successive Bundesliga championships with Borussia Dortmund including a league and cup double this season, and his achievements on a modest budget in Germany would attract Liverpool's owners. Tempting the 44-year-old out of the Champions League amid fierce competition should Klopp become available, however, may be difficult. Deschamps, who won the French title with Marseille in 2010, held talks with Liverpool over succeeding Benítez but admitted the time was not right to leave Marseille. Villas-Boas was under consideration when he was still at Porto and, despite his ill-fated reign at Chelsea, now has the advantage of being available and free of the £15m release clause Roman Abramovich paid to bring the 34-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

 

Dalglish departed with one last defence of his second Liverpool reign. "I feel proud that we delivered the club's first trophy in six years, winning the Carling Cup, and came close to a second trophy in the FA Cup final," he said. "Of course, I am disappointed with results in the league, but I would not have swapped the Carling Cup win for anything as I know how much it meant to our fans and the club to be back winning trophies.

 

"Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honourable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when they arrived here."

 

Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool sacking could be André Villas-Boas's chance | Football | The Guardian

[FanchesterCity]

I hope its not AVB personally. He seemed pretty clueless at chelsea and didn't know how to get the best out of his players for whatever reason. Plus he had this bad habit of playing a ridiculously high line to the point where a simple ball over the top had chelsea all over the place. Di Matteo took over and did a lot better job with the same players. Wouldn't touch AVB with a barge pole. People keep talking about his success at Porto and completely ignore how shit he was at chelsea. Thanks but no thanks.

 

AVB was shafted by the players AND Abramovich.

Abramovich wanted a changing of the old guard and got AVB to do it. It caused a player revolt and Abramovich didn't have the balls to see it through himself. AVB was his 'proxy'.

 

Modern day footballers you see... they sulk, they're petulant, and once they decide they don't like you... you're done for.

 

So, either AVB is crap (but then he's been successful elsewhere) and Di Matteo is brilliant (but has been crap elsewhere) OR the players have a significant sway in how it's going to pan out. I suspect the latter outweighs the former.

 

And, with all due respect to a couple of absolutely outstanding players at Liverpool, there's a couple (you know who they are) who are in the very twilight of their careers, or certainly on the downward slope who simply cannot be part of Liverpool's long term future.

When you've got players of that ilk in the current team it makes any manager's job a nightmare when it's time for them to wind down. Fans will scream for them every game that's not going their way.

 

It's a bit like divorce I suppose. On any given day, it's usually easier to keep playing the same old players because the pain of ditching them is too great. But in the long run, it's just prolonging the breakdown.

 

Personally I'd go for O'Neill - accepting the fact it's a bit tricky to get him.

[Warrior]

Saw a clip this evening of Kenny parading aroung Anfield in our last game, he seemed to me to have a tear in his eye and was trying to hold himself together with a sly sports camera stuck in his face. I suspect he knew the game was up. A sad and sobering day.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

I'd imagine most would be happy with Klopp (including me), especially if he brings some of his players with him.

[Jonny83]

Klopp surely goes in the Guardiola/Mourinho bucket labelled "not fucking happening?"

 

AVB I could probably accept, my initial reaction was "the fuck?" but then given the circumstances at Chelsea I don't think he can be written off.

 

Too shitfaces to think straight at the minute though

[AussieRed]

I don't understand some of the posters here. While I would have kept Kenny on for another season, it was not a completely unreasonable outcome for him to lose his job. Our performance this year was completely unacceptable, particularly given the sums of money spent. There is certainly scope to be critical of the owners. We could accuse them of being impatient or lacking the footballing knowledge to make the correct decision. What you cannot argue, (yet some on here are) is that they do not want the club to be successful. While other factors may have been considered regarding Kenny's sacking, the primary reason was due to poor performance on the field. This cannot be denied.

 

My fear is that our fanbase will now be unreasonably critical of any manager bar Kenny for some or Rafa for others.

 

AVB is a completely logical choice. He is young and talented and plays a good brand of football. He is also a winner. I have no interest in Mourinho because he is a mercenary who is more interested in personal accolades than the club. We are Liverpool FC not Mourinho FC. I want a manager to be a part of the fabric of the club and vice versa.

[Rafiagra]

AVB has to get credit for managing to massively fuck off Terry, Lampard and Drogba all at once. He's obviously a good judge of character.

[RedPaul]

Yep. That too.

 

Made a horrendous mess of Chelsea. Don't care what anyone says about the old guard etc.

 

Signed Mata, but also bought Lukaku and Raul (combined £30m).

 

We're speculating of course, just based on the fact that loads of people are betting.

 

Probably means nothing.

 

We need a more experienced manager than AVB personally, as I also agree it's a massive risk.

 

I'm absolutely gutted how this has played out and that Kenny has left the club, but I'm not surprised given how important Champions League qualification is to those who run football and football clubs these days. Kenny should have got another year to put right some of the mistakes he made in terms of signings and, in my opinion, team selections. Football is about patience and our owners are going to have to learn the hard way. AVB would represent a big risk as he is still young, but that is not to say h is not a good manager or doesn't have the potential to be a great manager. If he is appointed, or whoever is appointed, they HAVE to be given time by the owners and the fans. Will that happen, probably not if he doesn't get the required results, but you have to give someone a few years.

 

I just wanted to pick up on what you said about AVB's signings. I like Mata and would have been very happy to have him at Anfield instead of Downing, who we paid a similar price far. I liked Raul too and was very disappointed to see him leave. He'd have done a better job than at least two midfielders I can think of. Thirdly, in Lukaku, Chelsea unfortunately have potentially a fantastic player there. I lived in Belgium for a few years until recently and watched him quite a lot at Anderlecht and at such a young age he looked awesome. Whether he makes the grade here time will tell, but he has all the attributes.

 

Just want to say Kenny's huge smile will be missed. His parting statement was Kenny personified, full of legendary class and Liverpool to the core.

[Magic Sponge]

Following todays news, Spirit Of Shankly have released the following statement:

 

FSG: We need direction

 

We find ourselves once again experiencing another summer where talk centres around off the pitch decisions instead of footballing matters. The position of manager at Liverpool Football Club is one that deserves huge respect. It deserves all the resources of Liverpool Football Club to be put at the manager's disposal to make the Club as successful as possible. Today, we are once again in a position where this is not happening. At this moment in time, we have no Manager, no Director of Communications, no Director of Football, no Commercial Director and no ownership presence this side of the Atlantic, a situation compounded by the continued failure to appoint a Chief Executive.

 

There are also ongoing questions around the lack of a stadium solution. Recent decisions at Liverpool Football Club have led to more questions than they have answered. Today's decision does exactly the same. Many supporters will be asking just what exactly is LFC's strategy for the future. We would expect those in charge at LFC to address this situation urgently in a manner befitting of the Club's history and tradition to allow Liverpool Football Club to move forward. We would also expect those charged with moving the Club forward to engage in meaningful dialogue with supporters, something promised to us in those early meetings with Mr Henry and Mr Werner, but which is yet to materialise.

[kalasoma]

Sam Allardyce? I didn't see him on the list. Ok, now I know I must be dreaming. Kenny is still manager, right?

[xerxes]

I'd imagine most would be happy with Klopp (including me), especially if he brings some of his players with him.

On what basis would he come?

 

He already is challenging for the title, in a fantastic stadium, packed with great fans, playing in the CL and has only ever worked in Germany.

[kalasoma]

They forgot to list the Director of Sports Science in their statement.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

Klopp surely goes in the Guardiola/Mourinho bucket labelled "not fucking happening?"

 

AVB I could probably accept, my initial reaction was "the fuck?" but then given the circumstances at Chelsea I don't think he can be written off.

 

Too shitfaces to think straight at the minute though

 

We can only try and get the likes of Pep and Klopp. They may say no, but there is no point in not asking them. Fuck shitcoat though.

 

If both say no, then I'd be prepared to give AVB a go.

[BCM]

I'd imagine most would be happy with Klopp (including me), especially if he brings some of his players with him.

 

Id be delighted, at least we would be showing ambition. Talk of Martinez and Rodgers is ridiculous.

[thompsonsnose]

I don't get why on one hand people are championing Villas Boas, who couldn't get a win out of a side that have, immediately after his dismissal, gone on to reach the CL final, and scarcely drop a point in the league.

 

And at the same time, be foaming at the mouth at the prospect of Martinez, who has kept a team of no marks and freebies in the Prem for 3 years.

 

One is getting the most out of nothing, the other, has proven to be the inverse of that.

 

I hope FSG know what they are doing.

They are either going to amaze us, or incite riots, in the next few weeks.

So many vacancies.

[Faustus]

And that sir, is the truth.

 

Our clubs are now businesses.

Our owners now buy a club for their own ends.

They sell us shirts, tickets, media subscriptions and bullshit.

It's an entertainment industry now, and in actual fact, life would be a lot simpler for them if the fans didn't exist. Most of the revenue comes from elsewhere anyway (or other fans, indirectly, through advertising).

 

Kenny was right when he said a trophy is a trophy. In football terms it's great

FSG are right when they say a trophy is worth jack shit to the investors, they want revenue, not silverware, and whilst some silverware can increase revenue, Kenny picked the lowest of them all to win!

 

Since FSG are in charge. They win.

And we the fans? we're every bit as bad... because WE have belittled certain trophies in favour of that shameless scam called CL, and that is precisely what it is. A scam.

 

That's a great post, mate.

 

The Premier League and the Champions League are the worst things to happen to football, in my opinion. Both have effectively been the death knell for competitiveness in the game. No chance will a side like Nottingham Forest win the title and conquer Europe ever again through shrewd signings, great man management and incredible tactical nous. The only way a team who missed the gravy train will ever be successful again (and this isn't a slight on your own team, mate, just stating a fact) is through becoming a sugar daddy's plaything.

 

Football fucking stinks and the FA Cup final hit it home to me. I got to my seat and saw a plastic flag there waiting for me; as there was on every seat. Needless to say, me and pretty much everybody else around either lashed them or smashed them in two. They played 'Blue is the Colour' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and as people waved them, it hit me that we're just fucking performing seals for them. They reduce our allocation and expect a free shitty plastic flag will appease us, that we can wave around and have the corporate bods point at us and remark what a spiffing atmosphere it is. As I said, it fucking stinks.

 

Today is one low day. As we've seen in Europe with elected leaders being fucked off at the market'ss whim for their own stooges, this decision today comes from a similar place, in my opinion. Fuck any positive from the season. Fuck the League Cup. Fuck the good football we've played at times. Fuck the solid back four. Fuck the emerging youngsters. Fuck the fact that Carroll and Suarez have started clicking as a partnership, and most of all, fuck the manager's vision. One strike is all you get and you're bulleted if you don't make the holy grail that is fourth place (I hope that part comes across as sarcastic as I intend). The whole thing just fucking stinks. And to treat a man who has done so much for this club- the city and Merseyside as a whole also- who has helped define the Liverpool Way (or at least what remained of it), the man who gave many of a certain generation some of the best days of their lives, the man who was a beacon of light in our darkest hour, well... to treat him as they have done today is truly deplorable.

 

Also, what message does it send out to any prospective managers? One chance is all you'll get? Eighteen months at the most? The decision today and the way it's been handled is just utterly disgusting. The job's in danger of becoming a poisoned chalice- if it isn't already. FSG today have certainly done their bit in turning it/ having turned it into one.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Faustus

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Ryan Babel ‏@RyanBabel

He is and always BE #KingKenny

 

Good lad is Ryan.

[Rafiagra]

I wonder why they haven't engaged in dialogue with Spirit of Shankly..

[Vivaldo]

I'd imagine most would be happy with Klopp (including me), especially if he brings some of his players with him.

 

Don't forget them scouts too... I'm hoping for klopp too

[FanchesterCity]

I'm going to be controversial now, and it's not meant to offend... genuinely.

 

There are certain aspects of Kenny's personality on screen that don't come across too well to joe public, and probably worse still to Americans.

 

 

1) We has a very dry wit, which is lost on a LOT of people. Many going so far as to interpret it as rude.

 

2) He's given short shrift to a number of interviewers (75% of whom are morons asking provocative questions). There still remains that 25% of decent questions where Kenny's looked overly aggressive or defensive. That's just not helped him come across well.

 

3) He's a football man, not a PR officer, but still, in a world of slick (ish) Mancini's and Mourinho's that side of the game is starting to matter more and more. Rightly or wrongly, it will be a factor with Americans.

 

4) The Suarez debacle.... 90% of decent fans know what Kenny was doing. Defending his player, and most would applaud that. Given the nature of the subject though, it would probably have been a safer bet to be more politically correct and whilst not denouncing his own player, at least appearing to be less partisan and more 'sympathetic' towards both sides. Not trying to stir up the Suarez story again, but seeing it as a factor when the owners look back on it all.

 

5) Kenny holds a LOT of sway at Liverpool, and to put it bluntly, that's a pain in the ass for a management team. In business, it simply doesn't do to have those types of guys around (I know it sounds crazy, but it's true). There can only be one boss, and it has to be FSG, and people like Kenny can potentially be a problem for them.

 

So to my mind, this is more than pure footballing issues. It's whole plethora of factors. As soon as the football starts getting poor, all those other factors just tie the noose for him.