Liverpool FC: Kenny Dalglish Will Continue as Manager Because of These 5 Reasons

Kenny Dalglish in his first full season as second-time manager of Liverpool Football Club has done very well so far. There are camps among the supporters that agree with this statement and also those that will eventually demand that Kenny be sacked should Liverpool fail to achieve fourth place in the League and Champions League qualification. 

Most Liverpool fans are pretty knowledgeable and often not wrong when it comes to knowing what is best for their club. The ones calling for Kenny's head see reasons that I will not argue with.

Liverpool spent more than 100 million pounds last year. Even though the net spend was less than that figure, the improvement expected was more than is being seen at present. 

Secondly, Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli spent that large sum on players who are not setting the League on fire by any sense of imagination. There are doubts over their scouting capabilities and whether more money given to them will be wisely spent.

Even after taking into account these reasons, the sacking of Kenny at the end of the season with Liverpool FC having secured Europa League football and a trophy will be the wrong decision. The players have had too little time with each other. They and Kenny must be persisted with at least one more season. 

I believe that John Henry will continue with Kenny Dalglish. Whether it will be the right decision or not, only time will tell. Kenny Dalglish will remain as manager of Liverpool FC next season as well because of these five reasons. 

Silverware Has Been Achieved

Liverpool are 2011-12 League Cup Champions after winning the Carling Cup. Is the achievement being hyped? Not really, if you ask me.

John Henry must be knowing that this is the first piece of silverware that has been added to the illustrious cabinet of the Reds after almost six years. That is not the only thing. Liverpool have triumphed in the competition after beating Chelsea away and Manchester City over two legs.

Those are two milestones during the journey you would not have bet your house on at the start of the season even if you were the most staunch of Liverpool fans. The way the owners celebrated at Wembley tells everyone what winning means to them.

Winning the Carling Cup is winning something. If it has minimal financial reward, it does not mean that the achievement is insignificant. For most of the Liverpool players, this is the first trophy in English football and will only serve to increase their hunger for success.    

Contrast to the Liverpool Under Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson had a terrible time as manager of Liverpool. The bond did not even last a full season. Kenny Dalglish in contrast, has seemed like "The Merlin" who has been able to raise the phoenix from beneath the ashes.

This is not to say that the benchmark for Liverpool has fallen to mediocrity over the past few seasons, when we are presumably seeing sixth or even seventh place in the league as good enough. It is just to put things in perspective.

Kenny was a wizard at the end of last season. Now, he has just returned to being a normal human being. Expectations had risen so far over the top at the end of last season, that it would have been very tough to match the same exponential growth from 12th to sixth in the following campaign. Liverpool were four points above the relegation zone when Kenny took over.

They are still with an outside chance of achieving fourth this season, barely more than a year after Kenny has taken over. Progress? I think so.

Money Will Not Be an Issue

Not getting Champions League football means less money to invest in players. It also means that the big names in World Football will not easily come to Liverpool. This is a serious issue.

However, it will not have John Henry change his manager at Liverpool. Before another top manager will even think of taking over the Reds' hot seat, he will ensure that he has ample funds to have a chance of succeeding in a very tough and competitive league.

The Liverpool owner will not take that chance and give the present project a chance to germinate into phase two through spending just enough to fix the perceived shortcomings.  

What is evident at Liverpool Football Club at present is that the players respond to Kenny. He has been able to wind them up into one tight unit.

This is also why I think Dalglish will continue. Though, the money in the summer might well be the last sums that Kenny gets to tune his squad for the last time.   

Competing with the Best

Manchester City have been miles ahead of Liverpool in terms of procurement of world class players. The fact that Mancini's men have been top of the league for the majority of the present campaign has not just been any coincidence. They have assembled a quality squad by spending millions. 

And what has John Henry seen Dalglish's side do to this intimidating team that won 6-1 at Old Trafford? In five fixtures since Dalglish took over, the Reds have been the better side on four occasions, thrice on home soil and once away as well. 

Other than this, Liverpool have beaten Roman's Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in three out of three ties since Dalglish became manager. They have battled Arsenal toe-to-toe, winning, drawing and losing one each out of three fixtures. Two of them were away from home. Against Manchester United, they have been the better side on three occasions out of five. 

All this supports the statement that Liverpool are indeed capable of challenging for honors. They are very much able to compete with the best in the league at least. A one-off result might have seemed a fluke. A majority or parity against all four teams mentioned above does say something about this team.

John Henry will know that Liverpool are not very far off from the desired level. Thus, it is very unlikely he will want to change things.   

Continuity at the Boston Red Sox

People often turn to history to learn more about their mistakes and to reacquaint their mind with what actually worked. The owner of Liverpool is also the owner of The Boston Red Sox and has been since 2002. 

He was able to deliver two World Series Championships within five years of taking control. His time at Boston says that he does not wait for things to happen and makes changes if deemed necessary as seen by changes made in the first two seasons when he arrived. However, there is also a pattern of continuity.

Terry Francona, the manager appointed by the Red Sox in 2004, stayed on till 2011. Yes, he delivered the World Series in his very first season, but it is very hard to think that Kenny was expected to deliver the title this season.

Even the general manager during Boston's success, Theo Epstein, was there from 2003 till 2011. This tells you that even after failing to win the World Series or the Division Title for three seasons after success in 2007, the duo were retained.

Kenny Dalglish has certainly not delivered any World Series, which would be the equivalent of the League Title at least if not the Champions League. However, winning the Carling Cup can be seen as a hint of things to come.   

Continuity was maintained at the Red Sox and I am sure it will be the case at Liverpool too. The Red Sox have a pretty solid yearly budget. The Liverpool fans may rest assured that money will be spent on improving the squad this summer as well. 

Thanks for reading.