Hodgson out! Can King Kenny resurrect Liverpool?

After a week of intensifying frustration amongst the Liverpool faithful who were vehemently calling for the sacking of manager Roy Hodgson, the fans have got their wish as Hodgson has left the club through mutual consent. The sacking comes just a day before Liverpool’s crucial FA Cup clash against Manchester United. In a move that will appease the fans even more, Reds legend Kenny Dalglish has been appointed as the caretaker manager till the end of the season.

PERSPECTIVE: HODGSON A DEAD MAN WALKING

Former Fulham manager Roy Hodgson who took the Cottagers to the Europa League final last season was entrusted with the difficult job of rebuilding Liverpool after Rafael Benitez was sacked after an uncharacteristic seventh place finish in the league. Having been chosen over club legend Kenny Dalglish, who was the overwhelming favourite amongst the fans to land the job, Hodgson’s biggest challenge was to warm up to the fans due to his lack of his experience at managing a ‘top club’. After six months in charge, Hodgson has clearly failed to do that and has left the fans frustrated with his ‘mid-table club management’ style. The signings he has made during his short tenure reflect this view of the fans with Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen all failing to make a big impact; the sole exception being Raul Meireles who flourished in the central midfield role during Steven Gerrard’s absence.

Graffiti put up outside Liverpool's training ground at Melwood

Hodgson was always lacking the forceful personality necessary to manage such a big club, but the question was whether he could let his team’s results do the talking. That hasn’t happened either. Hodgson’s poor management has left the players disillusioned with strong speculations linking star performers Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Glen Johnson with moves out of the club in the last month. Poor tactics and team selection have brought a string of poor results which include embarrassing losses to newly promoted Newcastle United, League Two side Northampton Town, Blackburn Rovers and lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers. From a bad seventh place finish in an injury ravaged 2009-10 season, Liverpool have gone to worse under Hodgson’s management this season as the Reds languish in 12th spot in the Premier League with four points keeping them from the drop zone. Such relegation-threatening form is unacceptable at a club of Liverpool’s stature and it was a matter of when with regards to ousting Hodgson. Wednesday night’s 3-1 drubbing at Ewood Park was the last straw as the fan protests intensified. Looking back, Hodgson was never really the right man for Anfield.

CAN DALGLISH’S APPOINTMENT RESURRECT LIVERPOOL?

Kenny Dalglish’s appointment will bring huge cheers at Anfield as the fans adore him. A Kop legend, Dalglish’s achievements speak volumes about him.

1. At Liverpool, he won the European cup 3 times and the League 5 times as a player before going to win 3 more league titles and 2 FA Cups as player-manager.
2. He won promotion with Blackburn Rovers in 1992 before leading them to the Premier League title in the 1994-95 season.
3. He led Newcastle United and Celtic to runner-up finishes in the English and Scottish Premier Leagues respectively in his maiden seasons at both clubs.

Can King Kenny resurrect Liverpool?

Despite these amazing stats, Dalglish has not been in management for the last ten years, which was the very reason cited by Liverpool when they overlooked him for the Anfield job at the beginning of this season. So whether or not he can come to terms with the modern game is a big question. Another huge challenge for him will be to hold on to the star players like Torres, Reina and Johnson who have grown increasingly discontented. However, what will be in favour of Dalglish will be the unanimous fan support that he will enjoy and the overwhelming respect that he will command in the dressing room due to his extraordinary reputation. With such a spirited personality at the helm, Liverpool have a real chance of resurrecting their season. But getting Dalglish is just not enough. The board must bring in some big-money players in the transfer market in order to reinforce the weak team who are still looking for miracles from Gerrard and Torres and thus give Dalglish a fighting chance of achieving something noteworthy. It is absolutely vital for English football that Liverpool stay competitive given their rich history, and with Dalglish at the helm they are in capable hands.

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