With the odds on Manuel Pellegrini to become the next Liverpool manager dramatically shortening over the last week, it appears as though the battle to succeed Rafael Benitez has become a two-horse race between the Chilean and Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. Whilst the news that the managerial vacancy will soon be filled will surely provide Reds fans with cause for optimism, some sources are suggesting that the appointment of the new manager may place doubts over the Anfield future of the club’s most revered son. Enlisted with the task of scrutinising any potential managerial candidates, club ambassador Kenny Dalglish was overlooked for the Anfield hot-seat, with the board expressing doubts over his ability to manage in the modern game. As such, the man known as ‘King Kenny’ upon Merseyside is rumoured to be waiting to see who is appointed before committing his own future. Surely the club must do everything in their power to retain the services of ‘King Kenny’.
Due to the immense, unrivalled knowledge of the club that Dalglish has, retaining ‘King Kenny’ will provide the new manager with the services of a respected figure who will help to continue the club’s traditions. Dalglish will be able to school either Hodgson or Pellegrini in how to do things ‘the Liverpool way’, which may be particularly helpful if the Chilean Pellegrini is appointed. Dalglish’s unquestionable love for the club means that someone with the best of intentions for Liverpool Football Club will be in a position of power at Anfield. With fans irked by the questionable motives of senior Anfield officials such as Christian Purslow and Martin Broughton, the reassuring presence of Kenny Dalglish as the club’s ambassador has helped to calm fears that the club is being torn apart from within.
In addition to his ambassadorial role at Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish also oversees the club’s academy. Prior to his departure, Rafael Benitez drastically revamped the academy structure, having been perturbed by the club’s failure to produce any homegrown talent of worth over the last ten years. In order to maintain the good work of the revitalised academy it is important that Dalglish continues his observatory role, making sure that the foundations laid down by Benitez are continued and developed upon.
Whoever is appointed as the next Liverpool manager will surely oversee the largest period of transition at Anfield in recent memory. Aside from the switch from the ‘Rafael Benitez’ era, the next 12 months may or may not oversee the club trying to move forward without its biggest stars (the futures of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are uncertain), with a new set of owners and competing in a much more competitive domestic league (the ascendancy of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have helped to oust Liverpool from their berth within the top four). Whether it is Hodgson or Pellegrini who will take the vacant post, it is clear that the new manager will have a huge task on his hands trying to restore order and glory at Anfield, and having ‘King Kenny’ on board will surely help to alleviate the magnitude of the task at hand.
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