Kenny Daglish- what a relief?!
As a certain songwriter once said, these times they are a changin...
Even the most pessimistic of Liverpool fans can't have failed to get misty eyed about the managerial return of Kenny Daglish on January 8th. And so far the romantic reunion has lived up to expectations.
There were many doubters about Liverpool's choice of successor for Roy Hodgson. The shock of last season's LMA manager of the year being sacked, coupled with the end of Daglish's ten year hiatus, meant that nostalgia went into overdrive.
Much was made of the large gap in his C.V., and I even saw the move compared with Newcastle's reappointment of Kevin Keegan (midway through 2007/08). All of this was understandable but also a little insulting and presumptuous.
Football may have got more lavish in it's spending, more physically fit and owe too much to T.V. companies. However, the bare essentials are more or less the same as ever. Tactics, motivation and training evolve slightly, but they are skills that are not easily dispersed, especially if your name is Kenny Daglish.
It is hard to find any examples of a player turned manager, who has been so synonymous with the successful history of a single club. George Graham at Arsenal is an obvious comparison, but even his achievements pale next to Daglish.
Aside from the 3 European Cups, and later the domestic double in his first season as player manager, there is one other nagging statistic. Liverpool's last league title is from another era, and of course Daglish was in charge of that 1989/90 campaign.
His Anfield return has obviously fuelled hopes of a resurrection of the Liverpool glory years. And whilst this may be far from realistic, the signs so far have been encouraging.
Since his first spell as Liverpool manager, the Scot will have witnessed the footballing balance of power shift dramatically. His time there preceded the rise of Ferguson's Manchester United and their subsequent battles with Arsenal and Chelsea. Money has also contributed to Liverpool losing their number one status, although the January transfer window saw a statement of intent.
For all the fuss over Torres' £50m move, it seems increasingly like Daglish has pulled of the shrewdest dealings. After also offloading Ryan Babel to Hoffenheim, the club have made a net loss of a little over £1m and recruited two strikers.
Luis Saurez will undoubtedly provide quality and fire power, and although over-priced, Andy Carroll could be moulded into a proper international. Their greater depth up front and the strong likelihood of more summer signings, all suggest a serious new ambition under Daglish's influence.
Rafa Benitez's era was sometimes haphazard in the transfer market (Robbie Keane, Alberto Aquilani), and he made a fatal error over Xabi Alonso from which he would never recover. Over time his Liverpool became frail and were too reliant on Torres and Gerrard. In contrast it is difficult to imagine Daglish overlooking a squad that isn't the equal of it's individual parts.
The odds are now very slim on there being anyone else in the manager's role at Anfield come next August. The recent run of four consecutive clean sheet victories, after a relatively slow start, have demonstrated the new serene and confident air around Liverpool.
The Reds are still a work in progress and at best should aim at re-consolidating themselves in the top four next season. But with 'King Kenny' back at his spiritual home, Liverpool may have at least restored the values behind their last league triumph, and that is a start.
In Daglish's own recent words, "The players know the football club is more important than any individual". Despite that, you can be sure that there are some fans who believe that that individual is back where he belongs.
Even the most pessimistic of Liverpool fans can't have failed to get misty eyed about the managerial return of Kenny Daglish on January 8th. And so far the romantic reunion has lived up to expectations.
There were many doubters about Liverpool's choice of successor for Roy Hodgson. The shock of last season's LMA manager of the year being sacked, coupled with the end of Daglish's ten year hiatus, meant that nostalgia went into overdrive.
Much was made of the large gap in his C.V., and I even saw the move compared with Newcastle's reappointment of Kevin Keegan (midway through 2007/08). All of this was understandable but also a little insulting and presumptuous.
Football may have got more lavish in it's spending, more physically fit and owe too much to T.V. companies. However, the bare essentials are more or less the same as ever. Tactics, motivation and training evolve slightly, but they are skills that are not easily dispersed, especially if your name is Kenny Daglish.
It is hard to find any examples of a player turned manager, who has been so synonymous with the successful history of a single club. George Graham at Arsenal is an obvious comparison, but even his achievements pale next to Daglish.
Aside from the 3 European Cups, and later the domestic double in his first season as player manager, there is one other nagging statistic. Liverpool's last league title is from another era, and of course Daglish was in charge of that 1989/90 campaign.
His Anfield return has obviously fuelled hopes of a resurrection of the Liverpool glory years. And whilst this may be far from realistic, the signs so far have been encouraging.
Since his first spell as Liverpool manager, the Scot will have witnessed the footballing balance of power shift dramatically. His time there preceded the rise of Ferguson's Manchester United and their subsequent battles with Arsenal and Chelsea. Money has also contributed to Liverpool losing their number one status, although the January transfer window saw a statement of intent.
For all the fuss over Torres' £50m move, it seems increasingly like Daglish has pulled of the shrewdest dealings. After also offloading Ryan Babel to Hoffenheim, the club have made a net loss of a little over £1m and recruited two strikers.
Luis Saurez will undoubtedly provide quality and fire power, and although over-priced, Andy Carroll could be moulded into a proper international. Their greater depth up front and the strong likelihood of more summer signings, all suggest a serious new ambition under Daglish's influence.
Rafa Benitez's era was sometimes haphazard in the transfer market (Robbie Keane, Alberto Aquilani), and he made a fatal error over Xabi Alonso from which he would never recover. Over time his Liverpool became frail and were too reliant on Torres and Gerrard. In contrast it is difficult to imagine Daglish overlooking a squad that isn't the equal of it's individual parts.
The odds are now very slim on there being anyone else in the manager's role at Anfield come next August. The recent run of four consecutive clean sheet victories, after a relatively slow start, have demonstrated the new serene and confident air around Liverpool.
The Reds are still a work in progress and at best should aim at re-consolidating themselves in the top four next season. But with 'King Kenny' back at his spiritual home, Liverpool may have at least restored the values behind their last league triumph, and that is a start.
In Daglish's own recent words, "The players know the football club is more important than any individual". Despite that, you can be sure that there are some fans who believe that that individual is back where he belongs.
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