Can Dalglish drive Liverpool to fourth spot?
Liverpool’s victory, against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge means the Reds have moved up to sixth in the Premier League table. Now with a Liverpool side revitalised under Kenny Dalglish, the question that is starting to be asked is ‘can Liverpool finish inside the top four?’
When ‘King Kenny’ took over after the departure of Roy Hodgson, Liverpool were only four points off the relegation zone. The team had lost three of their past four games and the players looked devoid of confidence. However the return of Dalglish provided a massive lift for the club; so much so that it seemed the last five months under Hodgson had been forgotten. You could see how much it meant to both the players and fans to have a Liverpool legend (as a player and manager) at the helm of the football club once again. For many a new era had begun.
However, at the moment Dalglish is only in charge until the end of the season as a caretaker manager; although it was made clear that he would be a candidate for the post on a permanent basis. The victory over Chelsea means that Liverpool have won their last four games and following Sunday’s result there were more calls for him to become manager. Not surprisingly, two figures who desperately want him to stay are Liverpool’s loyal servants, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher who view him as a ‘hero.’
The recovery instigated by Dalglish has been mightily impressive. A team that had only kept six clean sheets in their first twenty Premier League games suddenly looks impenetrable – they have not conceded in their last four games. In addition summer signing Raul Meireles is starting to look every bit the player that persuaded Liverpool to pay £11.5 million for, while the fans can look forward to see the new strike partnership of Andy Carroll and Luiz Suarez in action in the near future.
Liverpool’s next two Premier League games are at home against Wigan and a trip to Upton Park to face a struggling West Ham side. It is a massive chance to gain six points before they host arch rivals Manchester United on March 6th at Anfield. Liverpool will be looking to avenge their FA Cup Third Round defeat which also happened to be Dalglish’s first game as caretaker manager. However more importantly, it will be the perfect opportunity to show everyone that they are serious about qualifying for this year’s Champions League.
The direction the club were heading under Hodgson meant that only the optimists believed that Liverpool would finish in the top four. However, with the club under the reign of ‘King Kenny,’ even the realists among the Liverpool fans are starting to believe that anything is possible.
