Liverpool resurgent under Kenny Dalglish (Part 1)
In October 2010, Liverpool were the next big flop already. Looking down and out of the title race and in the relegation zone, Merseyside’s most famous club was looking in tatters. Title rivals were gaining ground and teams such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City were firing on all cylinders. Big money moves were happening in London and Manchester whereas Merseyside was under a veil of a shadow which mirrored mediocrity.
Several Liverpool fans were blaming Roy Hodgson for his woeful impact on an already below-average side whilst some were attributing the downfall to Rafael Benitez’s mismanagement of the club in the 2009-10 season. All in all, Liverpool were no one’s favourites and everyone’s laughing stock.
The club was embroiled in a vastly devastating court battle for the ownership. For once, it seemed that the Reds would no longer reach the heights of Istanbul 2005 or Athens 2007. In short it was more doom and gloom, as Liverpool were on the verge of being extinguished as a fighting force in the English Premier League.
Then finally the court ruled in favour of the Reds as the club was wrestled free of the disastrous control that was practiced by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749 Sports Ventures and John. W. Henry, but still the results on the field remained largely subdued. Liverpool were defeated by their staunchest rivals Manchester United and also lost an away outing at Saint James’ Park against Newcastle United.
There was an inevitability that had dawned upon the hallowed turf at Anfield; an inevitability that signalled towards an end of a dynasty. In a decision which might be termed as a fortune altering one by the club’s management, Roy Hodgson was sacked by the Merseyside giants after just six months into his job as Liverpool’s manager.
The response was sceptical at best and cautious at worse. Hodgson’s replacement was named almost soon afterwards as Kenny Dalglish took over the club in its time of need. Kenny, who himself played for Liverpool during their golden decade of 1980s laid down a plan of action and brought the club back to its roots. Amidst criticism that the Scotsman was out of touch with the game and that Liverpool were going for broke by appointing Dalglish as their manager, the club looked to be on the verge of outright turmoil.
Then came the make-or-break F.A. Cup tie against Manchester United which Liverpool lost under Kenny’s command. Jeers erupted from several quarters but Kenny remained hard-skinned and resilient. This approach eventually paid off as Liverpool fought hard to claim a point against Everton in an enthralling encounter at Anfield. That match in fact can be termed as a turning point for Liverpool. Since then, Liverpool have gone on a remarkable five-match unbeaten run.
In an overall course of the season, five matches might seem insignificant but Dalglish has truly turned the team around in these five matches, four out of which have ended in wins for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809. The Reds have made a massive improvement in their approach as their new manager has introduced a spirit that resembles Liverpool teams of the past. Liverpool look like a team now rather than just a bunch of individuals. Moreover, Kenny has also initiated a no-nonsense approach at Anfield.
To read Part 2 of this article, click http://www.senore.com/Liverpool-resurgent-under-Kenny-Dalglish-Part-2-a55354.
(The views expressed by the writer are his own and do not reflect the editorial policy of http://www.bettor.com/)
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