KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Liverpool made a mistake not appointing Martin O'N

If Ferguson started in todays football he would not have been allowed the time he had to build. Football is a totally commercial business our owners will allow some time but LIverpool have to be at the top table and very soon. At stake is tens of millions of pounds a year and capitalised maybe £300 / £400m million of Henry's money at stake in terms of value over and above the aquistion price. A lot of fans think Henry is one of us and sleeps with an LFC quilt with hope in his heart. They live in a dreamworld and Kenny has to deliver in the short to medium term or he will be shown the door, he won't have the time Ferguson had in the 80's because we live in a different world now.

Yeah, quite right. Henry is a businessman first, a supporter second. In a lot of ways that's the way it should be, because there's no room for sentiment in business - and football is big business. A lot will come down on how patient he can be, and how patient the fans will be with him should he choose to exercise it. We all want to win, but while we're putting in a thousand or more pounds a year into the club his risk is orders of magnitude more. If he thinks Dalglish is not the way forward I think he'll act swiftly. But a cup and 6th place sits in that grey area where one can't say Kenny's been good enough to earn huge plaudits or bad enough to earn the sack. And that might just be where we finish.

Yeah, I agree with virtually everything Thundyr's saying.

I think Kenny will get next season to prove he has the potential to challenge for the title the year after, or at least get us back into the CL comfortably. There's argument to defend the team this year, from transition, SG/Suarez missing, whether we 'just need a striker/right winger' etc... or other teams have improved/invested. This season, I expect we'll win at least one cup and god-willing we'll finish 4th, but it's looking less and less likely. I hope he'll then get the attacking players in the summer (hopefully first choices) but then the pressure will be on next season in a big way. If we're not up there at least fighting for 3rd, rightly he should walk away - but he still has time.
I think as some have said, Henry wanted to appease the fans and as soon as the Nostalgia's gone, Henry will act quite swiftly and appoint his own man. A win tomorrow could change everything.

Totally agree if he wins a cup (carling more or less certain) that might keep him in a job. But the season after will be the deciding point. The big issue for me is will the owners give him major funds in the close season that will tell us what is in their mindset. However I suppose that is the rationale behind Comolli you have a long term transfer stategy which is independant of any manager. THat by its nature implies a manager would go quickly if not delivering.

I certainly do remember the team he created back then and you seemed to contradict yourself by saying it was his support staff who made his reign successful (which certainly helped) but then pointed out the quality of signings he made. In 87-88 season we played some of the best football ever witnessed by any LFC fan which included a 5-0 thumping of seconded placed forest (which i was at Anfield for). As for the odd signings I think you are getting confused with the Souness purchases and the players he sold. Liverpool were still playing well and winning. The "good" manager you talk about proved pretty influential as we went on a slide when he left and haven't seen too much success in the league since he left. He's restored a great deal of pride and improvement in the standard of play in a very, very short time and he should be supported accordingly.

This time last year I remember a lot of people touting AVB for the job cause he'd won a few games. Be careful what you wish for lads. We could easily get someone who doesn't give a toss about our club and destroy the soul of it because it's only a business now allegedly?!

Firstly I did recognise the great team he built in 87 / 88 and I said so in my post. As for the signings don't you remember David Speedie / Jimmy Carter which were panic buys when he was running out of ideas. And if you were around for the 5-0 demolition of forest I cannot believe you were not aware of the decline that followed up to his departure in 1991. I strong dispute the club slid only when Kenny left I will argue that one till christmas with you if you like. The club was on its way down well before Kenny left and Souness took all the blame. Yes he was a failure but he tried to modernise the club his ideas were right but he failed to implement them. That was all required because of the neglect under Dalglish reign. If you read his book he was suffering from a nervous breakdown the book does not explain why (but discounts Hillsborough) but it mat well be Kenny did not know how to stop the decline of the club.

Kenny Dalglish must surely be aware of his fate if he does not deliver but they owners cannot have said one season 4th place or better or your out.

I would not have thought they said that but they will have told him generally what is expected I would think. He knows the standards of the club but not how long their patience is.
The other factor is I am not sure he was their choice they may have reacted to the Hodgson fall out and fan pressure.

You know what stanley I am afraid this might be true, as much as I like Dalglish, it did not make sense to appoint someone full time who had been out of management for that length of time,
He has done well but I feel that he will be judged on what he done this season by the owners