Not buying into the Dalglish managerial myth
I’ve never been sold on Kenny Dalglish’s abilities as a manager. The alignment of the stars that happened at Blackburn is now over fifteen years ago; for some added context, that’s before Euro 96, before New Labour entered Government, and before we realised that the Y2K bug was merely hysterical rhetoric.
Moving back to the present day, I’m not convinced by what’s going on at Anfield – not the players that have been signed and not the tactics that are being deployed. Liverpool are still behind where they were under Rafael Benitez, their squad may be better but their first-team is worse. While stocking a club with ‘homegrown’ players may be popular, it’s not a formula that is likely to bring you silverware. It’s as if Dalglish is using what happened at Blackburn as a blueprint for his reign at Anfield; Stewart Downing is Jason Wilcox, Charlie Adam is Stuart Ripley, and Jordan Henderson is Tim Sherwood.
An old template in a modern game.
While the Liverpool fans may hope that Dalglish’s remodeling program brings silverware, deep-down you expect that already they may have their doubts. The pre-season chorus of belief in being an outside title-bet now looks laughably misplaced, and the re-entry into the Champions League that was almost assumed doesn’t look particularly realistic.
As a player and as a human-being, Dalglish deserves all the respect he gets, but that respect has leaked into the perception of him as a manager – what did he achieve post-Blackburn? Nothing, an underwhelming run at Newcastle with an arguably more talented set of players, and a bizarre and short-lived stay at Celtic Park as both Director of Football and Manager. It’s really not the most comprehensive CV, but strangely it’s not one that is ever really examined.
His tactics at White Hart Lane were frighteningly inept, and even before their numbers diminished Liverpool’s midfield was easily picked apart by Tottenham’s slick football. Martin Skrtel at right-back against Gareth Bale, without any protection in front of him, what did you expect would happen? The failure to introduce Dirk Kuyt after Charlie Adam’s dismissal was also a huge error, and one his side paid for in North London.
In reality, Dalglish may make the club look more cohesive than it was in the latter days of Benitez and during the reign of Hodgson, but as a force within the Premier League they’re really no closer to where they want to be.
Teams will be beaten in the tunnel at Anfield, just as they always have been, but Dalglish looks a little behind the times against more illustrious opponents – that becomes more obvious every week.
Posted on September 24, 2011, in General and tagged Anfield, Blackburn, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool. Bookmark the permalink. 26 Comments.
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I’m suprised your 27. I’m not trying to be contrary, I just think you are writing off a very capable and experienced person far too quickly. What are we, 5 games into the season?!!
I think we both agree that tactics in football change quickly and constantly. I just don’t see why over a couple of years, Dalglish can’t get up to speed. If tactics keep changing every manager who wants to remain successfull is going to have to adapt.
Your theory that Dalglish is past his sell by date is based on the notion that he will stubbornly employ the same tactics as he did in the 80′s and 90′s. This is flawed. He’ll adapt and use tactics that give us the best chance of winning.
It’s all about opinions though, we can only wait and see. I still think a more patience and less short termism would benefit most observers and supporters. Perhaps you could agree that after 9 months and one transfer window, and 5 games of the new season, it’s a little early to be dismissing the manager.
If you were 10 in 1988, that makes you six years older than i am – so i’m not sure you can really play the ‘life experience’ card.
The difference in the game didn’t occur between 1991 and 1992, there’s no need to be contrary. The game has evolved far beyond what it was in the 80s, or the 90s – actually even in the last ten years.
You’re point about David Platt is nonsense – sneering at coaching badges is very outdated. The regulations around those licenses in all the other major leagues is far stricter – and seemingly to the benefit of the players in those countries, given the state of the England team.
The idea of Dalglish returning after all these years is very romantic, I understand that – but it was a heart-over-mind decision to appoint him. He’s not the future of the club, he’s its past.
The relevance is that he lead a team to win the top division in England on four occassions. So he undeniably has fundamental abilites and qualities that help make a great manager. Obviously it would be more relevant if this had happened in the last 10 years, but your position seems to be that it has absolutely no relevance and that it counts for nothing.
He’s the same intelligent, driven, focused individual he was then. You point to his lack of modern tactical accumen. Well if that is the case, that can be quickly learned and replicated by an intelligent man. He’ll observe and quickly adapt as Ferguson adapted to Mourinho’s tactics. On the other hand, all of Dalgish’s considerable man management qualities can’t be learnt. Football is full of over qualified ex players like David Platt who will never make a mananger because they aren’t leaders.
Your position is very harsh but perhaps understandable as your football references begin in 1996 and you’ve only ever known the Premiership. Those of us who were fortunate enough to see Dalgish’s team of the late 1980′s(even though I was only 10 in 1988), know that there was no seismic shift in 1992. As you gain a bit of life experience you’ll realise that 10 years isn’t a lifetime and one bad game isn’t enough to draw conclusions.
Right, so not true to say that it ‘in all but name it’s the same competition’ then is it.
Ferguson and Redknapp are not good examples, because they’ve have been in management continuously – Kenny Dalglish is returning to management after eleven years, it’s different. If you’re involved in the day-to-day running of a football club and the game as a whole, then you have the chance to evolve with the sport – if you’re out of the game for long periods of time then it’s a lot harder.
Explain how trophies won in the 1980s are relevant now?
I agree that elements of football have changed but you go too far when you say his 1980′s achievments are irrelevant. The same skill sets are still required, man management, motivation, intelligence. At times this will be a learning process for Dalglish tactically, but he has demonstrated the capacity to learn quickly in the past which is vital, and should be given more than nine months to prove his worth. Harry Redknapp has adapted his tactics whilst at Tottenham, Ferguson spent 4 or 5 seasons adapting to the Champions League. These are examples of people of learning on the job rather than on a FIFA coaching course.
And lose the stupid digs. Why the f##k would I need to look up the definition of a commonly used word like ‘myth’? This sort of thing makes you look childish.
Why has the competition changed?
Influx of foreign players.
Change in tactical preferences.
Change in managerial game preparation.
Increase in TV revenue.
Expansion of both European club tournaments that run simultaneously.
Increased use of squads rather than ‘first XI’s’
Higher-calibre of athletes.
Change in the game’s rules.
Different training methods and preparation techniques.
Increased scrutiny of the media.
Enhanced visibility of the game and the league as a whole through ubiquitous TV coverage.
Other than that it is the same. Why don’t you get that Season Review 89/90 VHS that you watch every night before you go to sleep, and compare it to what you see next time you go to Anfield?
Good work googling ‘myth’ for a definition by the way, although unfortunately it’s given you a slightly out-of-context meaning.
League titles in the 80s aren’t mentioned because they’re not relevant, this is about what Dalglish brings to the club now – in this generation of football.
What is the ‘myth’? A myth is superstition, not based on fact. Dalglish has factual managerial credentials. He won the league several times as a manager with Liverpool and once with Blackburn.
Alignment of the stars? Are you biased at all. Man City have spent multiple times what Kenny spent at Rovers and still haven’t won it.
And please explain why you think the old 1st division is a differnet competition to the premiership. To quote on of your responses “Which is really where you’re going wrong, because it’s not the same competition”. This makes no sense at all. In all but name it’s the same competition, the top teir of English football.
Really, what age are you? I’m guessing teens.
Come of it. Were you saying/thinking this after the Bolton game? Another example of knee jerk journalism. Spurs was a terrible day at the office but don’t go overboard.
You also expect to much to soon. If we are to get back to Dalglish standard football which is league winning standard (and better than Benitez standard btw) it’ll take years from where kenny took over in started in 2010. Huge work has been done trimming the dead wood from the squad. This isn’t going to be a single season transformation. I think 3 or 4 seasons at least.
He did win the league 4 times as a manager with liverpool. You have neglected to mention that at all.
Agree with the bad selection for Spurs game. KK definitely went wrong there. Kuyt shd have been brot in and both Adam and Skertel shd have been sub after their yellows. It was clear they wud get red later. Flanagan with Kuyt to protect him wud have been a better option and with the 11 men they wud not have been beaten so bad.
Agree again boyofdarovers, would have loved a Villas-Boas or someone of that generation at Anfield. Tradition and history is great, but not at the cost of winning.
Presumably that will leave you with just Empire of the Kop left on NewsNow Mark?
Maybe all of the other sites that you’ve deleted aren’t ‘wrong’ or ‘biased’ or ‘disrespectful’ – maybe you just need to be ever so slightly less sensitive to opinion.
Just a thought.
note to the Owl-
I think your post will be taken as the ultimate insult to he of the God like status on red Merseyside. You’re likely going to get a stream of highly emotive responses (think Salman Rushdie and you’ll get the picture!!). I think in reality a large percentage of Liverpool fans know what you’re saying is correct. Whilst the Dalglish fairytale sounds great, what the club needs is someone who is going to come in and shake the whole place upside down to have any chance of breaking into the Man U/Chelsea bracket. Liverpool is still as big a club as these boys, however the fact remains that their recent output has not been anywhere near good enough.
Is your name Jamie Kanwar – because this is the sort of clueless disrespectful bullshit that total **** writes…
You are clearly a brain dead moronic ****…
Fuck off arsehole
Yet another site I have to remove on Newsnow…
I love the way these insightful authors of articles like this wait for a bad result to voice such concerns. Had the writer of this piece shared his thoughts last week I’d say this piece is credible but everyone’s an expert with the benefit of hindsight
Agree with the Hodgson assessment boyofdarovers, very true.
‘the only player manager to win the league in history, just shut up.’
Which is really where you’re going wrong, because it’s not the same competition.
Who do I think I am? To what? Question the managerial record of someone that hasn’t won anything in the current century? How dare I.
‘Another under 25 year old who believes football only started in 1991 with the formation of the premier league.
Remember Alex Ferguson didn’t win anything with United for 6 years Mr Know it all but Know nothing!!!’
Yup, the Premier League was formed in 1992 – but just an all-round good job otherwise. You’re absolutely right though, everything here is wrong and Liverpool will definitely win the league this year, playing Skrtel at right-back was a good decision, and had it not been for the referee you’d have comfortably beaten Spurs last week.
I had exactly the same discussion with a Liverpool fan last night and to be fair they were agreeing with my points. Although Roy Hodgson never got a fair crack of the whip, he was the wrong appointment in the first place. Dalglish was always going to be seen as a better option comparatively to the fans. In reality they haven’t moved forward at all.
It’s not a comparison of Adam and Ripley as players – just couldn’t really compare Adam with Batty!
the only player manager to win the league in history, just shut up.
Utterly butterly rubbish!
Charlie Adam is Stuart Ripley? i agree with the main point of the article but these two players aren’t similar in any shape or form!! Ripley was an out and out right winger!!
And who are you?
Another under 25 year old who believes football only started in 1991 with the formation of the premier league.
Remember Alex Ferguson didn’t win anything with United for 6 years Mr Know it all but Know nothing!!!
Another joke so called football fan!!!
And who the F*** do you think you are. Too scared to put your name to the s***e you write. Got to be a Manure or a Bluenose.