Why have the Liverpool owners not offered Dalglish a new deal yet?
Rafa Benitez was shouted out by the Liverpool faithful whilst they cried for their King, Kenny Dalglish. Roy Hodgson was swiftly dispatched also, with the Kop End continuing their calls for their King, Kenny Dalglish. This time they were listened to, but were they right to dip back into their illustrious past for a saviour? It is debatable; a debate which is currently based between the lines and floating into conversation in the Liverpool boardroom.
Liverpool have fallen from their pedestal as one of the world’s best sides, they currently sit sixth in the table and look to turn around a 1-0 deficit in their Europa League last 16 match. They fell under Benitez, then stumbled dramatically under Hodgson with Dalglish coming in to simply steady the rocking ship. He has a 46% win average as Liverpool manager in his latest stint, but being quoted as saying that the recent 3-1 win over Manchester United was “the highlight of our season” it is not what Liverpool fans want to be hearing.
Why Dalglish is yet to know his future is a question that can only be posed to the Liverpool board itself. There has been some strong indication that he will be offered a long term contract from club captain Steven Gerrard and chairman Tom Lerner.
Lerner was questioned about Dalglish by The Guardian newspaper, but he has suggested strongly that he will be offered a long term contract. When directly fronted, Lerner stated that:
“Sure. [Dalglish] is extremely competent.
“You have to be thinking for the long-term and he is, as everybody knows, an iconic figure in our club’s history. He’s got many of the qualities that we admire. He’s been in the job only for a short time, but he’s quite aware of the challenge. The players are quite supportive of Kenny and I’ve been very impressed with him.
“I don’t like to play hunches, but he certainly is a candidate. He understood that it was a short-term position but he’s certainly done everything not just to impress us but our fans and players.”
It seems clear from this indication that Dalglish is likely to be offered a longer term deal. He had a rough start as Liverpool manager, with consecutive defeats and even talk of relegation on the cards, but has pulled them up to fighting potential (although unlikely) for a Champions League place and maybe even a Europa League trophy as a token for his tough season in charge.
The Guardian also put forward supporting rallies from Steven Gerrard, perhaps a man who has a voice in the club that is just as loud as that of the infamous Kop End supporters. Gerrard had nothing but praise for King Kenny, stating that: “I want to do everything in my power to ensure that he stays here for a long time, beyond the initial six months” which is more than just a vote of confidence for Dalglish.
Now admittedly, Liverpool fans weren’t entirely jumping for joy at the replacement of Fernando Torres with Andy Carroll, with a mere £15 million being the only profit from someone who is considered one of the best strikers in the world. Obviously I’m not talking about Carroll here; £35 million for an unproven, injury prone and not exactly sensational striker is not one of the best transfers you could possibly make. Although he is arguably one of the best England strikers around at the moment, with the international fortunes of the nation being superbly terrible at the moment, he could become the gem in Kenny’s crown or one of the biggest flops in footballing history.
Probably the main reason why the board are holding off a contract offer to keep Kenny Dalglish on a long term basis is due to this stark contrast and inconsistency that is plaguing the club. Their fortunes are better than they were, but a 3-1 loss to West Ham coupled with a 3-1 win against the Red Devils is not what you would like to expect. The massive transfer fee for Carroll and the sale of your prized asset is another move that is potentially questionable – there is a major contrast. Kenny may have got Torres out at the right time for the best price, but he has not replaced him with a sparkling talisman.
Many football clubs are criticised for rushed decisions, particularly when it comes to management. It is likely that Dalglish will be offered the job on a long term contract, but the board are delaying their decision until the summer, simply to allow for more evidence on whether he truly is the Kop’s saviour or a further dampener in the fading gold of Liverpool Football Club. Only time will tell on whether he will be given the job full time or not – but either way, the final few months of the season will be a crucial one for the future of Liverpool.
