Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

Kenny Dalglish made the first big signing of the close season last week by bringing ex Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson to Anfield.  Now, I’ve got to be honest, I know very little about this player.  I don’t even know, for instance, whether he is principally a defensive or attacking midfielder.  The Liverpool team which last made a serious attempt at the title had two members who have never been adequately replaced.  There was silk – the peerless passing ability of Xabi Alonse – and steel - from the rugged Argentinian Javier Mascherano. I suppose it’s too much to hope that a 20 year old could immediately fill the shoes of either man.  But although critics will imply that £20 million is too high a price for an unproven player, Liverpool’s new owners, the FSG group, have made it clear that they are prepared to spend big wherever they see potential.  Damien Comolli, the director of football, has been charged with overseeing recruitment.   T...

This morning Kenny Dalglish finally replaced Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager.  It’s a case of out with the new and in with the old, as King Kenny takes up a post he vacated almost twenty years ago. Officially it is an interim appointment, but Dalglish’s popularity at Anfield will mean he could prove difficult to unseat, if Liverpool’s form improves, or if, miracle upon miracles, the team can finish the season with a trophy. Back in June I wrote about the respective merits of Dalglish and Hodgson, when it emerged that one of the pair was likely to take over from Rafa Benitez.  As I saw it, one candidate for the job represented optimism and the other resignation.  Kenny could boost morale and get the players playing exciting football, while Roy was better placed to manage a team in decline. Since then the club has had a change of ownership, John W Henry and New England Sports Ventures replacing Hicks and Gillett.  It’s early days, but it seems that Liverpool FC...

It’s beginning to look like Fulham manager Roy Hodgson could be the man to take over from Rafa Benitez at Anfield.  Several outlets report that Liverpool will approach the London club in the next 48 hours.  It is not considered likely that Fulham asking compensation of £2 million or so would derail any deal.   The move could raise a dilemma of ‘heads over hearts’ for Liverpool fans.  Because it appears that Kenny Dalglish has expressed his readiness to take up the reins at the club, for the first time since resigning as manager, way back in 1991. Dalglish was the last man to deliver a league title to Anfield and he went on to do an astonishing job at Blackburn Rovers.  The Scot is now in charge of Liverpool‘s youth Academy, but he hasn’t managed at senior level since 2000, when he spent a brief period in charge of Celtic. It had been reported that Dalglish was tasked, along with managing director Christian Purslow, with compiling a shortlist of candidates....