If Dalglish does not produce the goods for Liverpool who will fans look to?
When Kenny Dalglish was named caretaker manager of Liverpool following the departure of Roy Hodgson, it was hailed by the Reds fans as the Second Coming. The affinity of the supporters towards the man who has won 19 major trophies with the club as a player and manager is so great that ‘King Kenny’ can be likened to a mythical being. However, such worship like support can not only bring false hope but it can also lead to fans blaming everyone but the manager.
If such a scenario occurs, it can become very unhealthy as suddenly the manager is bigger than the club. If the team are underperforming, then fans will look at the players and the owners as the reasons for their failings while the manager escapes scot free. How would the supporters react if the owners did the unthinkable and sacked Dalglish if Liverpool were struggling? Rioting?! While this is all speculation, it is something which cannot be ignored.
Since Dalglish took over Liverpool in January, Liverpool have gone from hovering above the relegation zone to 6th in the table and there are still those who believe that they can finish inside the top four and qualify for the Champions League. The highlights have undoubtedly been wins over Chelsea and fierce rivals Manchester United but there has been one major disappointment with the Reds knocked out of the UEFA Cup after a 0-1 aggregate loss to Portuguese side SC Braga. All in all though, there is no reason for Dalglish not to be appointed manager on a long term deal come the end of the season.
The move would be very popular with the fans and could signal the start to a new era at Anfield but it’s essential that Dalglish has the resources available to enable Liverpool to challenge for major trophies in the near future. However, the most interesting factor will be how much time Dalglish will be given to achieve this. The American owners cannot expect such a change to occur overnight and know that they could face a backlash from supporters if they make a knee-jerk reaction should Liverpool struggle. But this is business after all and if the results aren’t there with Dalglish at the helm, then they may feel that they have to act.
To put the emphasis back on the supporters, if Liverpool are deemed to be underachieving, how long will the supporters give Dalglish before they start becoming agitated? Is it possible for the supporters to lose patience with a man that they hold in such high regard and who has brought so much success to the club? There is no doubt that Dalglish’s ‘mythical’ status will give him added protection but after all this is a results business which means not even ‘King Kenny’ is untouchable.
