27 Mar 2012

Has stubborn Kenny Dalglish *alienated* his biggest fan? It looks that way...

Beleaguered Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish needs all the friends he can get at the moment but in a churlish display of needless intransigence, it seems Dalglish has alienated one of his biggest and most vocal supporters.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is one of Dalglish's biggest fans, and he's constantly praising the Liverpool boss in public. For example, he recently described Dalglish as a 'legend', and said that he can't remember a 'better player' in his whole lifetime.

In a recent interview with LFC TV, Holloway also enthused that Dalglish is an 'absolute hero' of his.

Well, after this week's events, I doubt we'll see Holloway gushing about Dalglish any time soon. It transpires that Liverpool (i.e. Dalglish) turned down Blackpool's request to take Jonjo Shelvey on loan for the rest of the season. A clearly upset Holloway revealed why in a press conference earlier in the week:

"Forget Jonjo Shelvey. I don’t want to talk about him. The reason we haven’t got him is because we were talking about him for months and he was somebody else’s player. He is on the bench for Liverpool at the moment and they bought him for a lot of money, so well done to them"

There's a note of sarcasm in Holloway's comments there as Liverpool did not spend 'a lot of money' on Shelvey (he cost about 1.7m), but I can understand his frustration; Blackpool are just outside the Championship play-off positions at the moment, and Shelvey - who got 6 goals and 2 assists in his first loan spell - could've contributed to a vital Premier League push for the Seasiders.

It's not as if Shelvey is an important player for Dalglish; look at his stats since he returned from his first successful loan spell at Blackpool:

* One start in 16 games.
* 25 minutes of pitch time in the last month and a half.
* 298 minutes of football overall, averaging of 18 minutes a game.
* On the bench for 14 out of 16 games.
* Uunused sub in 9 out of 16 games.
* Dropped for 5 games after scoring/creating 2 goals vs. Oldham.

With these things in mind, Surely Shelvey's development would've been better served by allowing him to continue learning and *playing* at Blackpool? How did warming the bench for fourteen games help his development?

It looks like Dalglish's legendary stubbornness has struck again. Was it really worth alienating Holloway just because he said a couple of *positive* things about Shelvey and Liverpool? Is this an effective way to foster good relations with other managers?

Jaimie Kanwar


87 comments:

  1. shaelvey will be lucky to see another 25minutes of football this season for lfc.it must piss him off seeing the golden boy henderson be picked week after week.
    shelvey is a fine player and can arguably improve our side,shame to see him not being used.

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  2. If shelvey starts inthe next couple of games then he was right to keep him, if he doesnt then why didnt he let him go on loan??

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  3. Shelvey hasn't started a league game since December, so the chances of him starting the next two games seem slim at best.

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  4. why start shelvey when you're trying to convince that 20million henderson is worth his place in the side.

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  5. Alienating Holloway or 'fostering good will' with other managers is irrelevant imo. They are the competition, and will sell players to the highest bidder, rather than their friends anyway.

    Of far more concern to me is Dalglish's alienation of the wider footballing world and his team's failure on the pitch.

    In this case, Shelvey should've been left with Blackpool because it would've been better for him as an individual and consequently for Liverpool too in the long term, not because we need to curry favour with Ian Holloway.

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  6. Michael McCarthy2:29 pm, March 27, 2012

    stupid article, ye would want to realise  dagleish is looking after liverpools interests and not blackpool

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  7. especially with the comments KK made after the game about being reluctant with young players

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  8. Yes, 'best interests' - is that why Shelvey has been on the bench in 14 out of 16 games since his return? Does Liverpool's bench have some kind of rejuvenating power that improves a player's fitness and ability?

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  9. My god but this site sucks. Pure filth.

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  10. is that really you Titi Camara? I liked your goal vs Bournemouth, I'll never forget it!

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  11. And while he is at LFC he is not getting injured and being "looked after" he's LFC's investment no-one else's!

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  12. You can always bugger off to RAWK

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  13. SStop calling him king kenny....he doesn't deserve that anymore

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  14. If we are going more direct like Kenny has said wouldn't Shelvey be starting for the rest of the season?

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  15. Imo Henderson and Adam should have been sent out on loan to Blackpool instead of Shelvey.

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  16. agreed, I like Shelvey and he is a much much better otpion that henderson.

    The only reason KD plays henderson is to justfiy the stupid money he spent on him, and of course he was a Rafa buy - KD has been sytematically dismantling the squad Rafa built and refusing to play them. See Maxi, Shelvey et al - basically KD is looking after hsi won interests and not that of the club, hence why we are suffering. Stubboen as he is, KD will not admit the colossal mistakes and disservice he has imposed on the club. he has to leave, I already resent him now.

    The only way he will get my respect back is if he stands down

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  17. You would have to say 1.7 Mil when we bought him is rather expensive for a young teenager when you consider the price for *most* at that age!

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  18. seriously please have a word with yourself!!! The reason he is called the king by liverpool fans is because as a player and manager he has 3 european cups, 7 league titles,  2 FA Cups, 5 league cups and was arguably the best player to have ever played for our club. To be fair mate if i had his record i would wear a f****n crown when i was on the touch line!

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  19. Jamie lets put the whole facts down. Is there not only a certain time of the season to loan out a player. He was brought back as a two week or more cover. We can`t loan him back even if we wanted to. Yet again I don`t see  your point.

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  20. You've got a bloody short memory Kanwar.

    Remember what Holloway was saying when we werer chasing Charlie Adam?

    I do and he wasn't happy.

    But I'm curious... when Benitez was in charge you ran a personal and highly vindictive vendetta against him ignoring the fact that Rafa's work was crippled if not deliverately sabotaged by Hicks & Gillett.

    Now that Dalglish is in charge you run a increasingly personal campaign against him too.

    Regardless of what you say or your protestations to the contrary I find it impossible to believe that you are a Red because every story you run has an angle which runs the club down.

    I'm not the first or indeed the only person to notice this over the years and like a lot of others I'm tired of the pretence.

    It's clear you hate LFC and you are obviously not a Red so just have honesty and integrity to come out and say so.

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  21. The loan window closed last week, so LFC could have loaned him out, but specifically chose not to.

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  22. Lawrence Spencer3:10 pm, March 27, 2012

    You are a very negative man, not sure I have ever read a positive post from you. You should really concentrate your efforts on another club.

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  23. If I remember correctly, Shelvey's loan was terminated prematurely due to an injury to Gerrard. He was then held back from going out on loan again due to injuries within the squad and the hectic schedule facing Lfc. With Lucas out for the rest of the season and possibly Adam also, we would have been left with Gerrard, Spearing and Henderson for the central midfield positions - inadequate cover should one of them pick up an injury/suspension.

    Ian Holloway is being Ian Holloway, if KD disliked Holloway talking up the loan move, but really wanted Shelvey out on loan, there were a host of other Championship clubs interested. So ignore the Ian Holloway show, Shelvey didn't go out on loan because he was needed for cover at Lfc.

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  24. Jay m8 go play football manager then do what you see fit with the managers job if Kenny thinks we need the cover in midfield then we need the cover am thinking if we needed him and he was at Blackpool youd be the first to be saying Kenny was wrong to loan he out you just a Kenny hater m8 if he was to win the prem in the next couple of seasons will you still hate him ?

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  25. I use to ignore others talking bad about KD but lately some consecutive games of loses and giving all sorts of excuses I have lost faith in him. Is he a real deal I wonder. I would love to see these young players coming in with energy if he said some players are tired. More tackle which JH shy away from and his passing is horrendous. 

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  26. Philip, take them sentimental BLINKERS off!.

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  27. Won't be much of an investment if he gets so sick of being on the bench he decides to leave.  Also won't be much of an investment if his development is stunted by not getting any games thus lowering his later value both as a player on the field and as an asset to the club.

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  28. Kenny will NOT win the Prem in a hundred years, cause that's how old his methods are!.

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  29. Chi Bai lu, only now you know that Kenny is stubborn.

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  30. It is worrrying that managers feel they need to prove something to the world by making a success of players which only they have bought. Did it always be like that? Kenny is making it very clear that he prefers to play the players HE bought, so Shelvey, Maxi, Meireles, Kuyt all sidelined. Henderson has a god given right to every single game to play as mediocre as he pleases just because Kenny bought him? However to confuse me a little, Kenny has opted to stay with Rafa's GK even though Reina is rubbish.  Confusion all around!

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  31. Hi everyone, my name is Al, I am a long time Liverpool fan and reside in New York City. The biggest problem at LFC is not Kenny Dalglish but Damien Comolli. I do not understand how nobody can see that is this French guy who has made some terrible choices at LFC long before KD came into LFC. DC must be fired immediately and a former Liverpool legend like John Aldridge or Steve Nicol, must be given his position of Director of Football. As per KD have some respect please. He is the greatest legend at LFC and must remain for years to come. All he needs to do bring some new good strikers and turn LFC's game into an all attacking one. Thank you.

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  32. He's still taking advantage of his legend status ( as a player ), that is why he is still managing LFC, if it was anyone else, with the same dismal record, so far, he would have gone long ago!!

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  33. Kenny needs to get off his high horse and admit the mistakes he has made and learn from them, otherwise we will end up in mediocrity !!

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  34. Unfortunately Football Manager takes up too much time for me to continue playing nowadays :-(

    I'm not a Kenny hater at all (actually, tbh I might be getting close now, but that's more to do with his off the pitch persona and the whole Suarez incident rather than on the pitch perfromance), and I'd love it for Liverpool to win the Premiership, regardless of the manager.

    I just don't believe that he will win it for Liverpool though. And following the arguments from the realists through to the logical conclusion, then you lot believe it is impossible for Dalglish to win the league in the next few seasons too anyway!

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  35. as a player and manager.

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  36. I dont care what other people think, but King Kenny is special for me. It seems that some quarter of LFC fans are does not like him even from start, well. what a suprise!

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  37. Curtesy to him if you want....but me am a republican no monarchy

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  38. if we win two cups thats 2 more than 1 ov the manc teams will win and people who were not born in liverpool want to get real my dad uncle's cat was a scouser ! or i seen them on tv as a kid, who cares follow your local team cos they need your cash liverpool fc don't 99.9% ov scousers follow liverpool/everton the rest don't like football

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  39. tis me alright,you're not very good on front of goal are you? the current side needs me.

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  40. Good point. 

    But seriously, the manager might not have a better reason than stubbornness?

    As analysis it's a bit ridiculous isn't it.

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  41. I don't have to curtsey to anyone. 

    Kenny is called the King as a sign of affection and in honour of his achievements. He's never demanded anyone call him that.

    You say he doesn't deserve it any more? Ludicrous. We're 7th in the Premier league. Not 17th. Maybe you're in the top 7 at whatever you do too. Otherwise why aren't you resigning?

    Ridiculous.

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  42. Not blinkers at all. There's no way he doesn't deserve that respect from people willing to show it.

    Or time for that matter.

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  43. He deserves sack SACK SACK

    HE'S COMING HOME
    HE'S COMING HOME
    RAFA'S COMING HOME

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  44. fair comment. didnt know that. at all. when is the loan periods? does anyone know? don`t know anyone who has  moved.

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  45. I thought it was the  1st to the 31st of January as mid season loan. Can you please verify this. I am a little confused.

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  46. How is it Rafa's home any more than Kenny's?

    Kenny's the right man.

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  47. oops I meant the goal you scored vs Coventry, amazing stuff. I just wish I was back at Newcastle, the players here are shyte

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  48. Shelyey is probably 'pulling his hair out' ( see what i did there )watching Henderson and Adam play, while he rusts on the bench.

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  49. Different rules for the lower leagues. Non-PL/SPL sides in England and Scotland, have until the 24th March to bring in loan players. I think the start date of this dispensation is the end of the normal Jan window or a week after 31st Jan (not sure on this but definitely sure on end date)

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  50. Shelvey had a couple of good games when he came back, that's why he was left out. Carroll did well against Everton and Stoke so he got dropped, Downing had started to play ok so he got shifted to the other wing, even when Henderson does ok in the middle he gets moved out wide where he's worse than useless. Can't have any of them getting too big for their boots can we.

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  51. Oh no........

    We've alienated Holloway

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  52. Anyone posting comments against Kenny Dalglish is NOT a TRUE Liverpool supporter. Please wash your hands before you type anything against the Greatest of All Liverpool legends. King Kenny will remain forever as the greatest player in my heart, a man who has given me great joy time after time, a man who has made me proud of being a Liverpool supporter. It is not his fault of Liverpool problems right now. It is the Frenchman Damien Comolli who is to blame for everything for bringing to LFC players who are not capable of playing good football. Thank you.

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  53. With Adam injured Shelvey may well get games. And Henderson may play in the middle more, which could be a blessing as he cant play on the right.

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  54.  you were bought for five years,the first year and a half have been shite.

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  55.  commoli was appointed by fsg,it's not like he has been there years before kenny-again i'll say that kenny has FINAL say on signings NOT commoli.

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  56. do you honestly think that commoli signs players for kenny?
    take off the blinkers,does commoli pick the team too?

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  57. How old are you Abush? And have you ever heard the saying; "no man is bigger than the club"?? (especially not a flipping scout! lol)

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  58. I really dont follow you... "...made some terrible choices at LFC long before KD came..."
    I dont know about you but for me, two months is not "long before KD".
    And if you are dismal about KDs signings, then blame KD - he has the final say on the signings. And I really dont believe that i.e. Adam was Comollis choise. And Adam is the worst of the ones brought in.
    It's not Comolli who plays Carragher (so he can break some records) in stead of Coates.
    Its not Comolli who keeps playing the underperforming Downing when we got Sterling (he cant possibly do worse than Downing).
    Its not Comolli who keeps playing Hendo out of position.
    Its not Comolli who sacks Carroll after a good game, and so on!
    KD is a legend, but to keep his legend status he better leave by him self!
    If KD throw his towel soon enough, then I'll revert to call him KK.

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  59. shelvey better than hendo and adams. and he only cost how much??
    il give you a wild card that should have been played months ago??????
    .................... jo cole!!!

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  60. Eh, WHAT?, achievements as a player, yes!, as a manager? clueless, gone the 'buy british' way with Newcastle and Celtic too, and look what got him.......the SACK!!!

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  61. In that case you might want to google Kenny's managerial record. 

    He's won plenty.

    1 year in and he should get the sack? Ridiculous.

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  62. Actually, i remember, a while back, when Preston sacked Darren Ferguson, writing on a football thread how petty it made Ferguson look when he took out Man Utd's loan players. For the same reason, Dalglish looks petty when he refuses to loan Shelvey to Blackpool, when he is not going to play him, because Holloway has spoken too much about trying to get Shelvey on loan. Forget about whether it is offending Holloway or not, Dalglish's actions are not the best for the player, not the best for the club, they are just the best for his ego. Shelvey was playing very well there, I cannot see how it is better for him to be on the bench for us while our team flounders. More pig headed stubborness, to no avail, from our manager.  

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  63. Hope you are still saying the same when the club is in a relegation battle. Hope you are saying the same when the team's reputation around the world is further diminished because you don't think that anyone outside Liverpool should support the team. Unless you are very rich, I think you will find that the owners and the people that finance the club will not agree with you. Its a big world out there nowadays, you should learn to get used to it. It's this kind of blinkered small minded nonsense which is leading clubs like Man Utd and Arsenal to pull away from us economically. Liverpool is one of the major clubs of world football. I doubt they want to downsize just to keep opinions like yours happy.

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  64. Hey Jay, I am old enough to have lived the days when KD was the best player at LFC and when he scored the winning goal against Club Brugge of Belgium in the forerunner of CL final in 1978. But I do not think you are even a LFC supporter and yes no man is greater than the club but KD is the man who has given most for his club. And I do not really know how old you are but you sound very disrespectful to somebody's feelings so please go someplace else to write your comments perhaps to your favored team site.

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  65. If Gerrard or Spearing goes down, there's only Shelvey unless Henderson moves to the middle. Holloway can take a running jump!

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  66. Shouldn't Henderson be in the middle in any case? Wouldn't it be worth giving Coady a run out for the slight chance of Shelvey getting 20 minutes here or there in a couple of games? When Shelvey can get a full run in, possibly with big games in the play offs to add to his experience?

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  67. KK served and sacrifice for the club doesn't mean he's a good manager,nothing personal we just want someone who can manage better.

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  68. Should not shock anyone considering how inept the clueless bumbling manager has been all season... 

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  69. Kan Ni Lau Bu ashfah Ngog, just about everyone knows that the king is somewhat stubborn.

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  70. Where exactly was I disrespectful to anybody's feelings? And what about wanting the best for Liverpool (rather than any particular individual) indicates that I am not a LFC fan?

    You sure are hyper-sensitive for a grown man/woman!

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  71. thanks boss, explains it.maybe blackpool wanted him free. afterall we paid them ten mill for adams and the cheeky buggers only offered fowler 90 quid a week lol.  who knows.....

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  72. selective in your achievemnt list, try liverpool and blackburn as manager!!

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  73. Hey Abush i think that you really miss the point mate, Diego Maradonna was arguably the best player to play the game for club & country but he is a useless manager so if you are offended about people saying that KK is not a good manager, then you need a reality check  and yes i am not as old as you (i am 40) but i to have seen how great he was at playing the game and now i see him managing our club and let me tell you Camolli might have had something to do with the transfers but in the end KK decides who plays and how, so right now he is doing a shit job (sorry truth hurts sometimes).

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  74. Wilson Michaelpaul2:24 pm, March 28, 2012

    Kenny's signing his own P45 with his stubborn persistance i n playing hendo for every game just to justify the money he's spent  - when he leaves a far more effective and threatening player in Shelvey on the bench to rot , Kenny is a living icon of all that is good in the game - but this season his tactics, subs and interviews really boggle the mind.

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  75. Wilson Michaelpaul2:32 pm, March 28, 2012

    A great player, icon of the game, living legend - but no man , not even kenny dalglish is more important than the security and future of Liverpool FC  - do you seriously believe that Comolli told kenny " these are the players you have to use next season , now get on with it " Kenny had the final say on who was signed  - Comolli was in charge of finance and brokering  - thats on record .

    Too many praise kenny for bellamy and enrique signing - then dismiss the rest as comolli signings , its childish to even think thats how it happened .

    you seriously think that as manager of LFC kenny would let anyone  pick who to buy for 'his' team ?

    be realistic mate.

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  76. Holloway is naturally KD's greatest fan as he can get him to spend large amounts on any absolute duff footballer simply by telling him how brilliant they are. Note he wanted Shelvey but not Adam back?

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  77. LFC are short on midfielders with Lucas out for the season and Gerrard only just getting back to full fitness, Park hasn't had much game time for Utd and he cost a lot more than Shelvey, Why dont Blackpool get him on loan.
    Behave yourselves

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  78. Hey, peace to you all. I probably over reacted a little. I was just trying to make a point that is not KD to blame for the LFC current situation. It is the performance of the players on the pitch and the selection of players like Henderson or Carroll that has created this situation. Jonjo is a much better player than Henderson if you were to ask me. He just needs to be more resolute in the box and not shoot high up. Yes, Dalglish may have the ultimate word in new signings but I am sure he is not the one finding them. That would be Comolli. And that is why I am trying to make another point here. It is time that LFC must appoint somebody else to look around the world for talent. Somebody like Robbie Fowler for example. I have nothing personal against Comolli. I checked his brief bio on wikepedia and don't think he is the right guy for that job. May he continue to be employed by LFC in some other position. Please check the web and you will find out that very recently he said that LFC fans must not be prepared for many new signings this summer. Is he out of his mind? There is definitely a need for replacement of a whole number of players to make the team stronger especially strikers. But please give Dalglish a chance. I am sure his mind is working tirelessly how to improve the team this upcoming summer. PLEASE SUPPORT KENNY DALGLISH THE KING, FOREVER.

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  79. you are just a tit who knows nothing about this club

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  80. BITTERS AND SCUMMERS GO BACK TO YOUR OWN SITES

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  81. No way is Comolli choosing the players over Kenny.

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  82. It is amazing how us football fans act. Anyone who comes from outside is treated as ineligible to take up a position in higher management as 'he does not know football'. Well, here's a new flash: all over the world people in management are not always who know how to play or run a factory or man the till or have been involved in the lower-level operations of their organisation.
    Another thing that is common in us fans is that we judge people only with what they did in the past: KK was a great player for us and we therefore think that we would be a great coach (no matter how strong the evidence to the contrary) and that it some kind of crime to even call him a bad manager. Similarly, we think that since Comolli interfered in the team selection and transfers at Spurs, he would have done the same at Liverpool.

    But if you see things closely you would see that it was KK who wanted to leave out Aquilani. While the owners and Comolli were quite open to keep him, it was KK who wanted him out. It was KK again who transferred out Meireles, elected to keep Rodriguez on the bench and signed a bunch of players not for their talent but because they were British. And now, again, it is KK who is selecting the players in the team.

    If Comolli was to blame for the current form of our team, I can tell you one thing - if that were the case Dalglish would have been screaming his innocense to the world every day and not saying things like 'oh, we were really tired today and so we lost', 'oh, I do not know why we lost' and 'oh, the referee never gave us a penalty and we got frustrated and so we lost'!

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  83. why do people even read the crap this manc wrights

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