The long-awaited and highly anticipated return of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish finally happened today as the 59-year old Scot returned to the Anfield managerial hot seat, replacing beleaguered former manager Roy Hodgson, who left the club by "mutual consent" this morning.
Dalglish, widely regarded to be the best player ever to wear a Red shirt, will take charge of team duties for tomorrow's massive FA Cup match against Manchester United at Old Trafford and will remain in charge for the rest of the season as new American owners NESV sensibly take their time over their first permanent managerial appointment in the sport.
Following our worst start to the season in 57 years the time had certainly come for Hodgson to leave the club. Despite one particularly hopeless journalist claiming that Liverpool fans were demanding his departure due to his London birth-place, Reds fans had instead ran out of patience with Hodgson because of terrible performances, awful results, poor signings, illogical media comments and an awful away record that extended across his whole managerial career.
The final straw came when he criticised supporters after the humiliating home defeat to Wolves. From then on it was simply a case of when, and not if the former Fulham manager would leave Liverpool and, although a late win against an injury ravaged Bolton side earned him one more game to save his job, NESV decided to take action to remove Hodgson when we went on to lose in abysmal fashion at Ewood Park this Wednesday.
With the arrival of Kenny Dalglish Liverpool have swapped a mid-table manager who developed no connection with the fans for a successful manager who is loved by supporters across the globe. As a player Kenny graced the Anfield turf with sublime skill and archetypal excellence that thrilled the Kop endlessly.
Although the £440,000 paid to Celtic for his capture was a British record, Kenny was worth every single penny as he went on to claim a sensational 31 goals in his first season at the club, ending the campaign with an iconic winner against Bruges in the 1978 European Cup final at Wembley. He then went on to claim a further two European Cups, five League titles and four successive League cups as Dalglish played a pivotal role in an era of complete dominance for Liverpool.
His role at the club changed surprisingly and significantly though when he was appointed as player/manager in place of Joe Fagan following the Heysel stadium tragedy in 1985. Although the backdrop to his appointment was distressing, his reign as player/manager certainly wasn't as Liverpool won a historic League and Cup double in his first season in charge, with Dalglish scoring the title-clinching goal at Stamford Bridge.
During his time the Merseysiders went on to secure a total of three League titles and two FA Cups, with only an unexpected defeat in the 1988 FA Cup final against Wimbledon blotting Kenny's immaculate managerial record. However, after the horrors of the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 the pressure became too much for Dalglish and, although Liverpool fittingly won the FA Cup that season, Kenny eventually announced his resignation in 1991 after two years patiently supporting and comforting the families of the 96 victims claimed that fateful April day.
Only four years later Kenny Dalglish was back at Anfield, this time as opposition manager as he led Blackburn Rovers to the title in 1995, with the Lancashire club eventually sealing their first Premier League title on a dramatic final day of the season at Anfield.
A strange atmosphere surrounded the stadium on that day because Reds fans knew that a Liverpool victory could deny Kenny the title and hand it instead to bitter rivals Manchester United. Thankfully it was a perfect day for everybody as Liverpool won 2-1 and Blackburn still claimed the title as United failed to take advantage of Rovers' slip up.
Dalglish then spent time as manager of both Celtic and Newcastle before returning to Anfield as both an ambassador and a key figure in the Academy set up in 2009. He now marks possibly the final moment of his time at Liverpool by taking temporary charge of the first team following the departure of Roy Hodgson.
The effect this will have on the team cannot be underestimated. Dalglish's love for Liverpool combined with his deep understanding of the tradition, heritage and culture of the club will provide him with the necessary knowledge to revive the fortunes of our struggling side. Also, his expertise on the playing field and encyclopaedic understanding of the game will earn him instant respect from the players, who should receive a significant morale boost following this appointment, which could spur us on to a remarkable Cup victory tomorrow.
Perhaps most importantly Kenny's appointment will unite the club once again. Under Hodgson the manager and the fans had no connection and the resulting division proved problematic for all concerned. With the legendary status of King Kenny already guaranteed both the manager and the players will receive full and vocal backing from the Kop for the rest of the season, which could prove crucial in pushing us back up the Premier League table.
This move will also provide crucial time for NESV to thoroughly investigate the possible options for the next permanent manager. By their own admission they are still learning about football so this extra time can only be a good thing. However, I expect this to mean little funding will be made available in the January transfer window. Giving a temporary manager significant cash to spend on players the permanent replacement of Roy Hodgson may not want wouldn't be logical, even with Kenny Dalglish being that stop-gap solution.
Nevertheless, the removal of Roy Hodgson as manager and the arrival of Kenny Dalglish is the right move for Liverpool at this stage of the season. For all Hodgson's flaws he was an incredibly polite, well-spoken man who will surely prove successful with team's of lower statute that are more accustomed to his methods should he decide to stay in the game.
Now, with the right man in temporary charge Liverpool can look forward to a much-improved second half of the season, starting tomorrow on Sunday at Old Trafford.
YNWA
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