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Posts Tagged ‘predecessor’

• Konchesky and Poulsen have both failed to win over fans
• ‘If we can get them back on side that makes the squad deeper’

The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, has admitted he has some bridges to rebuild in restoring the damaged confidence and reputations of some of the experienced members of his squad. He specifically named Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen – both much-maligned signings of his predecessor Roy Hodgson – as the ones who have suffered the most.

Konchesky has not played once in Dalglish’s three matches in charge since taking over a little more than a week ago and was an unused substitute in yesterday’s 2-2 draw against Everton. Poulsen made his first Premier League appearance in two months in last Wednesday’s defeat at Blackpool and was omitted from the squad for the Merseyside derby as the 22-year-old Jay Spearing made a surprise start in central midfield.

“We’ve got a couple of senior players who the supporters haven’t exactly seen eye to eye with,” Dalglish said. “We’ve got to try to rebuild them. If we can get Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky back on side then that makes the squad that bit deeper. Christian played very well at Blackpool and Paul will get an opportunity as well.”

Of his decision to continue playing Johnson at left-back despite Konchesky and Fábio Aurélio being fit the Scot added: “We want our best players on the pitch. I don’t know if he’s the best option but he’s an option.”

After back-to-back defeats having taken over from Hodgson, Dalglish claimed his first point in the entertaining derby – his first match at Anfield for nearly 20 years as Liverpool manager. Dalglish, who once again praised his players’ character, believes performances are improving after Dirk Kuyt’s 68th-minute penalty earned a draw for the side.

“There is a lot we still have to analyse but really there has been a lot of positive things from the players,” he said. “We were happy with the way we are playing. There is a lot of belief coming back into the players and that is great for us.”

LiverpoolKenny Dalglishguardian.co.uk

Kenny Dalglish may well struggle to do any better than Roy Hodgson – but there’s no doubt Kopites are 100% behind him

As Kopites prepare to make their way to Old Trafford for tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United, there is no doubt their mood has been lifted.

“I can barely type this as I’m in fucking heaven right now, my hands are shaking,” is how one supporter reacted to Dalglish’s return on the Red and White Kop website. “It’s a dream, the King is back” was the reaction of another. And this from Carras Left Foot: “I’m on the verge of tears.” It would take Sherlock Holmes to find a fan who is not happy with the appointment as manager of Liverpool’s greatest ever player and the last man to lead the club to a league title.

As dramatic as these sentiments are, the underlying emotion that links them is relief. The supporters have become fed up with feeling low for more than 18 months now and while there has been moments of respite – most notably the ousting of Tom Hicks and George Gillett last October – the general mood among the faithful has been one of misery and frustration with rock bottom being reached on Wednesday when the team sunk with barely a fight at Blackburn Rovers. They needed a reason to feel buoyant again and now it has arrived.

Given his long absence from frontline football, there is no firm reason to believe Dalglish will do any better at Anfield than Hodgson did, but the point is that the fans will remain united and supportive throughout the further pain that is sure to follow. That will be obvious tomorrow when Dalglish’s name will be sung in defeat as well as unlikely victory and will continue into the rearranged midweek fixture against Blackpool and then into the Merseyside derby next Sunday. Ironically, Dalglish’s first game back in charge at Anfield will come against the last opponents he faced as Liverpool manager before his resignation in 1991.

Gone, then, is the toxic air that spread between Hodgson and Liverpool supporters whenever they came into contact and that can only be beneficial for all concerned. The now departed manager is a good man and a decent manager, but for a multitude of reasons it simply was not working out for him and the 63-year-old as good as wrote his resignation letter when he criticised the fans in the aftermath of last month’s abject defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. That was the moment when Kopites knew for sure that Hodgson wasn’t one of them. Dalglish well and truly is.

As the fans rejoice the return of the man who first arrived at the club from Celtic in 1977 some should, nevertheless, reflect on the way they treated his predecessor. The chants of “Hodgson for England” may have been smirk-inducing but they were also cruel and unhelpful, as was the painting of “Hodgson out” at the club’s Melwood training base following Wednesday’s defeat. But these were the manifestations of long-standing frustrations which, in truth, Rafael Benítez, another darling of the Kop, must take some responsibility for. That has all gone now, though, and even as the defeats continue to come in, the club’s fans will remain fully behind their new manager, a man whose name is sung with gusto every time The Fields of Anfield Road is bellowed out by those who once watched “King Kenny play”.

A re-energised support base may even lead to a much-improved team and then Dalglish’s return really will be seen as the right move at the right time. He may even, in that case, be given the manager’s job on a full-time basis. But that is all for the future. For now Liverpool’s fans are just happy that they have been given a reason to feel happy again. Old Trafford’s away end is going to be quite a sight tomorrow.

LiverpoolKenny DalglishSachin Nakraniguardian.co.uk

• Manager backs down from criticisms of Benítez
• ‘I didn’t mean to be in any way critical or negative’

The Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has apologised for any offence caused to his predecessor Rafael Benítez for criticising the state of the club when he took over.

Last week Hodgson bemoaned the number of “expensive failures” at Anfield when he arrived, prompting the Spaniard to hit back, saying: “He’s talking about things that he doesn’t know.

“Some people cannot see a priest on a mountain of sugar. Instead of talking about flips and flops, he has to concentrate on his job, try to do his best and not talk about the level of his players or the new players.”

Hodgson today tried to calm the situation, saying: “I totally agree with him that every manager needs to work with his own club.

“If I have upset him by saying something which I certainly didn’t mean to be in any way critical or negative about his work at the club, then I would happily apologise because there was never any intention to do that.

“As far as I am concerned I work at Liverpool and do my best for Liverpool, and he will work at Inter and do his best for Inter.

“I have no comments to make about other people’s opinions – I’ll allow them to make them and in this case I’ll accept them if that’s what they want to be.”

Roy HodgsonRafael BenítezLiverpoolguardian.co.uk