Sacking Kenny Dalglish was a brave decision. Will it be one they live to regret?
The reputation of FSG, and the latest Liverpool era, will live or die by the success of the next boss.
Time can change perspectives, and while now fans are split over whether or not it was right to sack Kenny Dalglish, many are prudently taking the ‘wait and see’ approach.
If the next manager comes in and fails, what then?
Fans are right to be concerned about ‘Chelsea syndrome’, where Abramovich’s trigger-happy approach has given the managerial hotseat the reputation of being among the most unstable in football.
If the next manager gets it right, such worries will be gone, for he will be in the Anfield hotseat for many a year.
The good news for a new manager, is that surely, the only way is up.
Andre Villas-Boas is one name linked, who had a torrid time at Chelsea, who had finished second the year before.
When it became clear he was struggling to achieve that, the pressure grew, where as at Anfield next season, Dalglish led the side to such a low finish that any improvement on eighth will be seen as a step forward.
Fenway Sports Group have had the past season to get acclimatised first hand with the Premier League; they very much rushed into appointing Dalglish, and it was the right move at the time, a scratch that needed to be itched, and they will regret that it has not worked out.
Now, with the experience they have gained, they can make a move for a new man, who they feel fits the identity in which the club needs to go.
They need to choose whether they want a young ambitious manager, like the hotly tipped Roberto Martinez, or Andre Villas-Boas, who both have question marks hanging over them, or a more experienced head like the out of work Fabio Capello.
Without a doubt the dream man would be Pep Guardiola, and while Liverpool are a club of such huge global stature that could tempt him, he will likely stay true to his word and take a complete break from the game.
FSG’s next appointment will say a lot about them, their vision and creativity. Have they got it right this time? Most would say probably, but if their new man does not get it right, sacking him will do no good; the heat will be on them.
Who do you want next in at Liverpool?
image: © kong niffe
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