Ian Rush recently gave an interview in which he explained how Kenny Dalglish had transformed Liverpool and was on the way to restoring the club to its former glory. This was the umpteenth time we’ve read this very same refrain coming from one of Dalglish’s former team-mates from the Anfield of the glorious eighties. Scarcely a day goes by when one of them isn’t trotted out to offer the (shocking) opinion that their old pal is doing a great job and will soon have Liverpool conquering Europe again. They all use words like tradition and aura, and, invariably, one or two talk about the values of the fabled and long-lamented “boot room”.
It’s all very entertaining and good material for taking up space in summer sports sections otherwise too full of transfer tittle-tattle. But it’s also contributed to a ridiculous amount of hype and hysteria surrounding Liverpool’s immediate prospects over the coming months. For all the endorsements from his old pals in the media, Dalglish remains at the very bottom of a rather steep mountain and the climb up to base camp, or fourth place and guaranteed Champions’ League qualification as it’s otherwise known, is going to be a long and arduous affair. Behind all the optimism there are a few warning signs.
Eighteen months before “Canny Kenny”, as some of his tabloid friends like to portray him, forked out (pounds)35m for Andy Carroll, the striker was listed on the Newcastle United balance sheet as an asset worth just (pounds)500,000. Whether this lowly valuation was a result of erroneous judgments of his talent or knowledge of his off the field carousing, he remains somebody with the potential to be one of the most expensive busts in recent transfer history. But that doesn’t matter because they picked up Luis Suarez and he’s the real deal, say the Pool fans.
It’s all very entertaining and good material for taking up space in summer sports sections otherwise too full of transfer tittle-tattle. But it’s also contributed to a ridiculous amount of hype and hysteria surrounding Liverpool’s immediate prospects over the coming months. For all the endorsements from his old pals in the media, Dalglish remains at the very bottom of a rather steep mountain and the climb up to base camp, or fourth place and guaranteed Champions’ League qualification as it’s otherwise known, is going to be a long and arduous affair. Behind all the optimism there are a few warning signs.
Eighteen months before “Canny Kenny”, as some of his tabloid friends like to portray him, forked out (pounds)35m for Andy Carroll, the striker was listed on the Newcastle United balance sheet as an asset worth just (pounds)500,000. Whether this lowly valuation was a result of erroneous judgments of his talent or knowledge of his off the field carousing, he remains somebody with the potential to be one of the most expensive busts in recent transfer history. But that doesn’t matter because they picked up Luis Suarez and he’s the real deal, say the Pool fans.
And they are right. Suarez is the real deal. However, he’s also somebody coming off a second successive summer of tournament games. Following Uruguay’s heroics in Copa America, a competition that took them up to the last week of July, he hasn’t had a significant break since 2009. Against this background, it’s easy to envisage him having a slow start and/or some niggling injuries and a loss of form. Not saying he’s going to turn into this year’s Joe Cole or anything but every Liverpool fan should temper their present optimism by recalling this time 12 months ago, Cole was the man set to lead the return to glory.
After Dalglish took over back in January, Liverpol won 10, lost six and drew three league matches. Over the course of 19 games, his team lost twice more than Manchester United did in the whole campaign. A full season of that form would have yielded a total of 66 points and that wouldn’t have been enough to get them back into the top four back in May. A half-season that was a resounding success according to most pundits was actually well short of what will be required this time out.
After Dalglish took over back in January, Liverpol won 10, lost six and drew three league matches. Over the course of 19 games, his team lost twice more than Manchester United did in the whole campaign. A full season of that form would have yielded a total of 66 points and that wouldn’t have been enough to get them back into the top four back in May. A half-season that was a resounding success according to most pundits was actually well short of what will be required this time out.
It should be pointed out too that for much of Dalglish’s first few months in charge, the pressure was off. The only task was to move them up the table away from the embarrassing proximity to relegation. They weren’t contending for honours. Beyond the traditional historic rivalry, their games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea then were not high-stakes affairs. And somehow, in the midst of the bright new era, they managed to lose to the relegated pair of West Ham United and Blackpool.
Yes, but during all that, Dalglish was brave with his blooding of youngsters. Fans and media alike are quick to give neophytes the benefit of the doubt yet it’s worth remembering there were times when the Liverpool newcomers looked raw and appeared to have more enthusiasm than class. Just saying. Older fans will point out Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher had to have the edges knocked off them too back in the day. True. Now that you mention the veterans, both of them are a real worry going forward.
Like Roy Keane as he entered his final couple of years at Old Trafford, Gerrard’s age isn’t as big an issue as the mileage in his legs. Aside from the injury problems that stymied him last season and will cost him the early part of this campaign, there’s the simple fact he has played nearly 650 games for club and country. Thirty-one is not especially old until you consider the high-intensity performances he’s been putting in for more than a decade. How long more can he keep going at the level he set himself? Are the injuries a sign that the body is breaking down?
Yes, but during all that, Dalglish was brave with his blooding of youngsters. Fans and media alike are quick to give neophytes the benefit of the doubt yet it’s worth remembering there were times when the Liverpool newcomers looked raw and appeared to have more enthusiasm than class. Just saying. Older fans will point out Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher had to have the edges knocked off them too back in the day. True. Now that you mention the veterans, both of them are a real worry going forward.
Like Roy Keane as he entered his final couple of years at Old Trafford, Gerrard’s age isn’t as big an issue as the mileage in his legs. Aside from the injury problems that stymied him last season and will cost him the early part of this campaign, there’s the simple fact he has played nearly 650 games for club and country. Thirty-one is not especially old until you consider the high-intensity performances he’s been putting in for more than a decade. How long more can he keep going at the level he set himself? Are the injuries a sign that the body is breaking down?
The optimistic Liverpool fans will argue those questions don’t matter as much because Dalglish has stocked the club with midfielders. Some good ones too. Charlie Adam has a poetic left foot and Jordan Henderson has raw potential. Neither of them is Gerrard though. And the thing is the same longevity question marks hover over Carragher. He’s just gone past the 700 game mark in his career. Around that same milestone some years back Ryan Giggs dipped so badly United fans wanted him retired to pasture. And he wasn’t being outpaced by strikers week in week out.
The passing of the old guard won’t matter though because Dalglish has bought so wisely. Mmmm. There is an assumption Stewart Downing will be teeing the ball up for Carroll to head it home on a regular basis. As he did against Valeranga in a friendly earlier this week. To Downing’s credit, he did manage to unfurl a whopping 324 crosses for a mediocre Villa team last season. Yet, less than one in four of those attempts were accurate. Even if he has crossed the ball more than any other player in the league this past three seasons, that rate of return will not see Downing turn Carroll into some modern-day John Toshack.
Just don’t tell any of the former Liverpool players that.
The passing of the old guard won’t matter though because Dalglish has bought so wisely. Mmmm. There is an assumption Stewart Downing will be teeing the ball up for Carroll to head it home on a regular basis. As he did against Valeranga in a friendly earlier this week. To Downing’s credit, he did manage to unfurl a whopping 324 crosses for a mediocre Villa team last season. Yet, less than one in four of those attempts were accurate. Even if he has crossed the ball more than any other player in the league this past three seasons, that rate of return will not see Downing turn Carroll into some modern-day John Toshack.
Just don’t tell any of the former Liverpool players that.
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