Liverpool, Premier League

Liverpool Fire Kenny Dalglish

The clean out an Anfield continues as Kenny Dalglish has fired as Liverpool manager. A statement released by the club read:

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and Liverpool Football Club announced that Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as Manager after having his contract terminated.

After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the Club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily.

The search for a new Manager will begin immediately.

Dalglish meet with Fenway Sport Groups principal owners John W Henry and Tom Werner in Boston on Monday and obviously Dalglish and FSG have different views not only on the clubs performance this season but where the club are going.

Liverpool Chairman Tom Werner seemed to allude to this in his statement today saying it was a tough decision, but ultimately one that needed to be made.

“Kenny came into the Club as Manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. He didn’t ask to be Manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the Club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.”

Dalglish was fired because of the club’s terrible league performance, plus the PR disaster that was the Suare affair. Two cup-finals and winning a trophy are nice, but ultimately the owners want Champions League football and the money that goes along with it. And they are probably asking whether Liverpool are closer to a top four finish now versus a year ago, and that answer is no.

Liverpool’s starting XI or squad is not as good as Man City’s, United’s, Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle or Chelsea’s. The club needs investment in new players and the big question is whether FSG will support that.

After being pretty hands off since buying the club, the American owners have obviously seen enough and are taking the scorched earth approach to the club.

Consider that in the last two months FSG has gotten rid of the club’s director of football Damien Comolli, the head of sports medicine Peter Brukner, the director of communications Ian Cotton and now the club’s manager in Kenny Dalglish. Considering that Comolli and Dalglish were both hired by FSG, many Liverpool fans have to wonder WTF is going on with their club?

So who will FSG bring in to replace Dalglish? Thee names mentioned already are Roberto Martinez, Rafa and Brendan Rodgers.

I don’t think Martinez is good enough or experienced enough to run a club the size of Liverpool. Similar thoughts with Brendan Rogers. Love the job he did with Swansea, but worry that it is too big a leap to give him the keys to Anfield.

That leaves Rafa, who still lives in Liverpool and loves the club. It is a new group of players since he was last in charge at Liverpool. Could he return to manager the club again?

What do you think about Kenny Dalglish getting fired? Who do you think should be the next manager of Liverpool?