Liverpool owner John W Henry: Dalglish doing “very well”

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-manager-Kenny-Dalglish-ability-to-say-the-right-thing-to-his-players-at-the-right-time-has-impressed-assistant-Steve-Clarke-article725483.html

Silver-tongued Dalglish is worth his weight in gold says No.2 Clarke

He may be incomprehensible to most but, Steve Clarke claims, Kenny Dalglish is great at talking to his Liverpool players.

Perhaps Clarke can understand Dalglish better because they're both Scottish, but he says the Reds' boss is able to come out with the right thing at the right time.

The Liverpool No.2 was impressed by how Dalglish calmed Jack Robinson's nerves as the rookie teenager prepared to make a substitute appearance in Sunday's draw at Arsenal.

"Before Jack went on, Kenny was making a joke and trying to relax him," said Clarke. "Obviously it's a very nerve-racking moment for a young player and Kenny was trying to take the edge out of the situation.

"When you've got someone as experienced as Kenny, who says the right words at the right time, it can only help.

"Every manager I've worked with, you pick up good qualities from all of them. In a short space of time, I've seen a lot of great qualities from Kenny. I hope to continue the work into the future."

Liverpool's late, late equaliser at Arsenal continued their renaissance under Dalglish, and Clarke claims their fightback demonstrated the spirit in the dressing room.

"The way our lads responded… they knew they had very little time left, but they still wanted to get the equaliser," he said.

"Anyone watching us play right now can see the spirit is high, the confidence is good and the performances have been decent. Now we need to continue it.

"If you're working well as a group and working well day in and day out in training, you can see they're taking that on to the pitch right now.

"If you've got that togetherness, it goes a long way."

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Tony Barrett
2 minutes ago

Scot’s appointment as permanent manager at Anfield looks a formality after club discuss long-term deal with his second in command

Kenny Dalglish’s appointment as permanent manager of Liverpool appears to be a formality after the club began talks with Steve Clarke over a long-term deal.

Since assuming the position of Dalglish’s temporary No 2 in January, Clarke has become the caretaker manager’s most trusted lieutenant and the move by Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owner, to tie down the former Chelsea assistant first-team coach to a new contract — expected to be a three-year deal — is the most telling indication yet that Dalglish’s own position is set to be made permanent.

Clarke’s reputation has been enhanced since his move to Liverpool, with the club’s most high-profile players crediting him with creating a vastly enhanced training regime that has been one of the main contributing factors behind the improvement in results compared with Roy Hodgson’s brief stint in charge.

Although Dalglish maintains a policy of not singling out people for praise, believing it apposite to put the club first at all times, he is known to have been hugely impressed with Clarke’s work and remains keen to see the 47-year-old retained beyond the terms of his present deal, which is due to expire at the end of the season.

Liverpool are also aware that Clarke’s stature would make him an attractive proposition to any club seeking to bolster their coaching staff and would be loath to lose such a valued member of their own back-room team.

The most obvious concern has been that José Mourinho would seek to entice Clarke, who was assistant to the Real Madrid coach at Chelsea, away from Anfield in the event of him taking up a managerial post in England.

By opening talks with Clarke, Liverpool are effectively sending a signal to Dalglish that he will be their long-term choice as manager and also making it clear to other clubs that the former Scotland defender’s future is no longer up for grabs.

For his part, Clarke is revelling in his role as Liverpool’s first-team coach, particularly as the opportunity to help to revitalise a previously ailing club came after he had spent seven months out of football. He was first-team coach under Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United, but the former Chelsea team-mates left Upton Park at the end of last season. Now Clarke is keen to extend his stay at Liverpool and the club are equally keen to come to an agreement.

“Every manager I’ve worked with — you pick up good qualities from all of them and so far, I’ve seen a lot of great qualities from Kenny,” Clarke said. “I hope to continue the work into the future. Anyone watching us play right now can see the spirit is high, the confidence is good and the performances have been decent. Now we need to continue it.

“If you are working well as a group and working well day in, day out in training, you can see they’re taking that on to the pitch right now. If you’ve got that togetherness. it goes a long way in any team sport, especially football.”

Clarke highlighted Dalglish’s man-management skills as being one of the keys to the transformation in Liverpool’s form since he returned to the club at the start of the year. Those qualities were evident on Sunday when Dalglish was seen sharing a joke with Jack Robinson before the 17-year-old took to the field during the 1-1 draw away to Arsenal and again when he calmed John Flanagan, 18, after the right back had been involved in an accidental collision with Jamie Carragher that resulted in the Liverpool captain leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

“Before Jack went on Kenny was making a joke and trying to relax him going on to the pitch,” Clarke said. “Obviously it’s a very nerve-racking moment for a young player and Kenny was trying to take the edge out of the situation.

“It was the same with John [Flanagan]. When you’ve got someone as experienced as Kenny who says the right words at the right time, it can only help.”

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Quote from Harry Redknapp

"Liverpool are going to be a team to be reckoned with next year.

"They've been out of the Champions League, but I don't see that happening again after next season. With Kenny Dalglish there, I think they'll have a real go for it.

[Icon]

Scot..?

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http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/kenny-my-proudest-moment

Kenny: My proudest moment

As Liverpool signed up the stars of the future at the Academy last week, Kenny Dalglish revealed his proudest moment in football.

A batch of U8s took the first step on the long road to becoming professional footballers by signing one-year contracts at the club's youth complex.

Dalglish was on hand along with Jay Spearing and Pep Segura to watch the kids and delighted parents put pen to paper on the deals.

It's an occasion that the Reds boss can relate to having proudly followed son Paul's career.

And Dalglish insists watching Paul lift the MLS Cup with Houston Dynamos back in 2006 is the proudest moment he's ever experienced in the beautiful game.

He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I love to see the kids enjoy themselves. I've been through it before with my son, Paul. I watched him play and got fantastic enjoyment out of it.

"Paul played for an American team, Houston Dynamos, and they won the MLS Cup. Marina and I were over to see him play in the final when they beat Steve Nicol's team.

"That's the proudest moment ever for me, on any football field.

"You realise how your parents must have felt when you did something because for me, that beat anything I ever did.

"So you can relate a wee bit to the parents, what they're going through and the pride they must have as well.

"I know it's eight years of age and we're not being judgemental on them, but it's a fantastic start and a great opportunity - but they must enjoy themselves."

[yamiedo]

I wonder if there are any Liverpool fans out there who don't want him to get the job now.

Who knows how it will pan out long term with him at the helm, but (ignoring who he is and his history) he absolutely deserves to be given at proper go at it, just for the way he has turned us from a laughing stock (are your ears burning Roy? ) into a team who handed out beatings to both Manc teams, Chelsea, and got a deserved draw at Arsenal with an understrength team*.

Kenny
















*I'm ignorning the defeats to Blackpool, West Brom and West Ham

The thing is we know we can beat Blackpool, West Brom and West Ham and now we also know we can beat any of the top teams in the league with Kenny in charge. He needs more time to strengthen the squad and with that the consistency will come. He deserves the job for his dedication, loyalty and commitment to the club alone. Also the fact that he's turned this club around, given us self belief and pushed us several places back up the table. This must be what it felt like when the likes of Paisley and Shankly were in charge because I feel pretty giddy these days with Liverpool, looking forward to the future!!

[CJ]

for me its the beating those lower down that we dont actually know. its more of a downfall than against the top 4 in recent years

[Exiled_red]

for me its the beating those lower down that we dont actually know. its more of a downfall than against the top 4 in recent years

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-revival-a-group-effort-and-not-solely-down-to-me-says-Kenny-Dalglish-article726327.html

Dalglish: Liverpool revival not solely down to me

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is keen to share around the credit which has been lavished on him since he took over in January.

Since the Scot replaced Roy Hodgson the team have taken 25 points from a possible 39 and are unbeaten at Anfield, having won four and drawn two in the Barclays Premier League.

Talks are still continuing over him earning a permanent contract, having initially only been appointed as a stop-gap until the end of the season, but all indications are that a new contract will be forthcoming.

Owners Fenway Sports Group are also keen to retain the services of coach Steve Clarke, who arrived two days after Dalglish's appointment to bolster the backroom staff, and the club have been talking to the former Chelsea assistant for some time about extending his deal.

The players have spoken in support of the work Clarke has done on the training ground and Dalglish admitted his fellow Scot had been a huge help.

"We both came in at the same time and he has been really influential in what has gone on," said the Reds boss.

"But it is not a one-man band, everyone chips in to make a huge contribution to results."

Dalglish has had to fend off questions about his contract situation for some weeks now and today was no different.

"We've said before, when there's something to tell you we'll tell you - there's nothing to be said," was his response at his pre-match press conference for Saturday's visit of Birmingham.

[Shaggy]

****, he looks old there. I've always said he looks amazingly young for 60, that's the oldest I've seen him look.

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This week's press conf quip - Q: Has Agger had an operation? @kennethdalglish: "No - does your missus work in a hospital or something?"

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y5UvwAGAYA&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Dalglish previews Birmingham City clash[/ame]

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Vinny O'Connor - Morning Kenny
Kenny - It is Vincent, well done.

[Angryred]

Vinny O'Connor - Morning Kenny
Kenny - It is Vincent, well done.

LOL!!!!...luv it!

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/22/kenny-dalglish-liverpool

Liverpool must carry on spending, says Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool require further investment in players this summer despite spending £57.8m on new talent in January and overseeing the emergence of several talented youngsters from the club's academy.

The development of Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing, John Flanagan and Jack Robinson this season, and the prospect of more graduates to come, such as the 16-year-old Raheem Sterling, have brought encouragement to a club transformed since Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson as manager in January. Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's owners, and the director of football, Damien Comolli, have outlined a rebuilding strategy based on both homegrown products and top-class acquisitions, and Dalglish has insisted there can be no deviation from that policy if the team are to regain their place among the leading pack in the Premier League next season.

"It's important that there is room for development for players, but it's also important that you don't use it as an excuse not to spend money and not improve what you've already got," the Liverpool manager said. "Age does not determine their ability to play. So if we're convinced we have young players who are better than what's available, then we'll keep our younger players. There's no two ways about it. But that does not say we don't want to improve as a football club in any way, shape or form. We do need to leave some path open if we do think there are players who can come in. If they develop then fine, if they don't, we've got a problem. But if you buy a player in and he doesn't produce, you've got a bigger problem."

FSG's £57.8m outlay on Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez in January, their first transfer window as owners, was another factor in Liverpool's rediscovered optimism, although with £56m raised in the same month by selling Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, the full extent of their largesse remains to be seen this summer.

It is still to be confirmed that Dalglish will be manager when Liverpool next enter the transfer market, of course, although talks have opened over long-term contracts for both the Scot and his first-team coach, Steve Clarke. Another indication that FSG are content with the existing managerial structure is that several targets identified by Dalglish and Comolli continue to be monitored, such as Bolton's Gary Cahill, Blackpool's Charlie Adam, Aston Villa's Ashley Young, José Enrique of Newcastle and the Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila.

"Every summer is important for the club," Dalglish said. "The better the business, the more successful the club is going to be. If you do good business, you've more chance of being successful. That just doesn't mean buying players and letting players go, it's about developing what else you have. This summer is going to be very important, not just for Liverpool Football Club, but every football club. And the better decisions you make, the better business you do, the better chance you have of setting yourself up for next season."

Dalglish says talk of a Liverpool revival remains premature but, with the academy prospering and the new owners in place, he is confident the club has the foundations to prosper after a turbulent period. He said: "I hope there's a reality to it. I know this time around the football club is the same as last time around [when he was in charge from 1985 to 1991]. It's always been everyone singing from the same hymn sheet and that's what it is at the moment. The longer that continues the better chance we have of fulfilling dreams and ambitions. As soon as you start to diversify you have no chance.

"I think the best phrase for now is 'work in progress'. For everybody – the owners and the football side of it. I don't think it would be right to judge anything at this moment in time. We have to wait a while and see what happens in a year or two. It's positive work in progress."

Carroll and Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, will both require late fitness tests ahead of Saturday's home game with Birmingham City. The £35m striker suffered a knee injury in the draw at Arsenal on Sunday while Carragher was carried off with concussion following a collision with Flanagan. Both have made progress this week but have not been declared fit to face Birmingham yet.

[ashey]

A wee dig at Wenger in there?