Weekend Guest Post: Supporting the Manager

By: Noel | July 2nd, 2011

**This weekend’s guest post comes from Chris, who’s been with us a long time in the comments section as Galahad Threepwood. He tackles questions of blind faith, looking at why being able to ask questions is a key part of supporting any manager, no matter how much you might like and trust him. You can find him on Twitter as LFCAustin **

The summer transfer window is a difficult time to be a Liverpool supporter. There’s very little accurate information available, and a lot has to be taken on faith. It’s especially difficult after the season we just went through. We’ve experienced every possible emotion, it seems, and now hopes are high that a new crop of signings will carry us back to the Champions League next year. Kenny Dalglish is very much key to those hopes. His confidence and ebullient personality were a huge part of the transformation that brought the Reds to the brink of European competition after flirting with relegation. It’s no surprise that so many fans have taken him to their hearts and are determined to trust him no matter what.

Unfortunately, this loyalty and trust can make it hard for us to evaluate Kenny’s decisions honestly and effectively. When, for instance, rumors were rife that the club was showing a lot of interest in Charlie Adam, some supporters were skeptical. They pointed out that while Adam had a definite upside, he also had significant flaws, and they said we should be cautious about giving our wholehearted approval to bringing him to Liverpool.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was one of those skeptics. I still think Charlie Adam would be surplus to requirements if he came to LFC, especially since we already have two effective midfield playmakers in Raul Meireles and Alberto Aquilani. Now the skeptics could very well be wrong—there’s certainly room for debate. But I was surprised by how many supporters declined to engage the arguments against Adam, and instead insisted that we should suspend judgment about anyone that Liverpool was planning to bring in simply because Kenny was in charge. The idea was that it if King Kenny wanted a player that should be enough. Questions were unnecessary, and were seen by some fans as a sign of disloyalty. For those fans, it seemed, support for the manager meant unquestioning faith in him.

I love the King as much as anyone, but I disagree that the best way to support him is to have complete faith in him and ask no questions. The great thing about LFC supporters is they love their club and take a personal involvement in it. We saw this when a courageous group of supporters mobilized to drive a bad pair of owners out into the street. And, just as importantly, we saw it when love for the club and fear for its future led a growing number of fans to question the terrible decisions Roy Hodgson was making as manager. Those supporters didn’t just take Roy on faith because of his vaunted “35 years of success,” but rather analyzed his tactics and pointed out what was wrong with them.

Of course it was easier to criticize Roy because he wasn’t a Red. Over and over, he made it clear that Liverpool’s traditions weren’t his traditions, Liverpool’s attitudes weren’t his attitudes, and Liverpool’s fans were unworthy of his respect. Kenny, of course, is as Red as it gets, and it’s tempting to give him a free pass for that reason. But if we really care about the club, that’s just what we can’t do. I think there are two reasons why it’s important to keep Kenny accountable.

The first reason is our commitment to the club demands it. If the manager signs the wrong players, employs the wrong tactics, or exemplifies the wrong attitude, he doesn’t just make a fool of himself, he hurts Liverpool too. We all know Roy could have set the club back decades if he’d been left to his own devices. But it’s not just managers like Roy who can cause problems. Well-loved managers with long-term connections to LFC can create setbacks if they know their decisions will be accepted without question. We all want the best for Liverpool, and we owe it to the club to speak up if we think the manager (or anyone connected with Liverpool) is making the wrong decision.

The second reason is that we love Kenny and we want him to do well, and the best way to ensure that is to keep him honest. We already see this in everyday life. If you have a friend who’s making a bad choice, you’re not really supporting him if you let him keep going in the wrong direction—you’re actually helping him self-destruct. Even though it hurts, if you care about him, you’ll call him out. I think the same is true of the way we deal with Kenny. He’s the manager, of course, and in the end we have limited influence in what he does. But if we really want the best for him, we’ll speak up when we think he’s made a mistake.

Kenny is a great manager and a great Red, but he’s not infallible. If I think he’s put his foot wrong, I think it’s my responsibility as a Liverpool supporter to call him on it. We owe it to the manager, and the club, to keep his feet to the fire. No one person is bigger than Liverpool Football Club, and because of that, no Liverpool manager’s decisions are above reproach. Not even if that manager is our beloved Kenny Dalglish.

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Category: Miscellaneous, Premier League, Special Features, Team News

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GalahadThreepwood

Thanks for all the comments, supportive and critical. And thanks to Ed and Noel for letting me have my say on the blog. This is my favorite Liverpool blog, and I think the writers and commenters here are first rate. YNWA everyone!
anfield tours

It does seem increasingly the fans are splitting into two camps. Looking at it objectively myself, I think KK has been on the right track on the whole thus far. I agree Charlie Adam might take a back seat for a while, but he's still a valuable asset to the club. Playing in the Liverpool team for a season would take his football up a level I think and make him capable of mixing it as a regular starter.
Eshan KoKiloo

Finally someone who echoes my emotions.
Even though Kenny is a legend and knows what he is doing everyone is bound to err, which I think would be a big one if we had signed Adam because in Meireles and Aqua we have two class players who have proven themselves at pretty good regularly Champions League playing teams. Just cz the King is a legend does not mean he will be right all the time just like in matches against Spurs, West Ham( Oh, do not remind me of that pathetic match) and Villa.
Its how we utilize whosoever we buy. I think the first job Kenny and co. have is to clear the crap who is rotting at LFC i.e. Poulsen, Kyri, Jovanovic, Cole, Konchesky, El Zahr and Degen. I dunno why but I have a soft corner for Joey and think we should give him a chance till the winter market but even if he goes I dont mind.
I dunno how on earth are we talking about signing Aguero or Baines or any other player when we cant buy Wickham cz of his wages!
It mesmerizes me sometimes how on Earth did we give all this crap such astronomical wages. Never the less clearing them at whatever bids which come would be best cz we have to reduce our wages.
I think we should buy Mata/Hazard for wings.
Then Cahill/Dann for Centre Back.
I dunno whether we really require Aguero but if he comes then I can guarantee that floodgates of goals will open for LFC.
I think its high time we send our Academy starlets on loan in order to give them some experience. Sterling, Morgan, Suso, Wisdom and Coady should go on loan.
RedDownUnda

Nice work Mr Galahad Sir Chris of Threep. Outlines nicely the schismatic dichotomy that is the life of a Liverpool supporter. (No real idea if that makes any sense, it just sounded terrifically intelligent).

For example: It's interesting that we all pretty much agree that King Kenny indeed sits on the right hand of one's chosen deity, but if he so much as looks at Charlie Adams all of a sudden it's, "He's not the messiah, he's just a very naughty boy."

And while I agree that blind faith is a dangerous state; when you get someone of KK's calibre, history and Scouseness to grasp the barbed wire bound tiller of this club, and immediately steer it out from some pretty deep shit, then it behooves us as true supporters to show him true support. And if that means keeping the faith when he (and his Archangels Comolli and Clarke) CAN see the useful side of a Charlie Adams, then sod it, I'm with him - in all faith.

I have to believe he knows more about football than all of us out here. And so I'd like to believe all of us out here are behind him, even if he cocks it up a few times. Say three times. Then he's out.
Makarand Bhoot

Like some of the other loose-tongue people, King will not set his tongue loose.He is a man of his words and believe in solid performance rather than talking bullshit.Whatever may be his strategies,they are just like a Jigsaw puzzle which makes a sense when he links them perfectly with each other.He knows better then anyone what he is doing.
Mike

Great post Chris, thanks.
Anurag Upadhyaya

I liked the way you have put it, but I don't think the manager is calling all the shots here.

Liverpool's approach is not straight like that of the United (of of-course their position helps to attract top talent) but we have been a bit dubious ... JWH coming out on twitter is another thing that makes me feel uncomfortable .. why did he choose to do it ..?

More on this http://wp.me/p1AJJH-aiD

Thanks
Suarez from the car park...

We mustnt forget that progress is required. Despite injuries, the loss of the last 2 games was a reminder of work needed.
Red2death

Well said.

If Kenny can deliver that title, that'd be a fairytale. But that doesn't give him any more right to manage the club just because of the fairytale possibility. He's there because he's currently the best man for the job.

He'll be judged on the same criteria as Roy, and like you said, if he starts faltering the fans definitely have a right to call him out on it. The only difference is that with Kenny, you know that if there's a better manager out there he'll be the first to admit it and the first to step aside for the sake of the club. I'd take comfort in that.
Ed

Great stuff, Chris, thanks for contributing!
mardia

Great post, Chris.

For me personally, I started out on the "blind faith" brigade, but the talk of replacing Raul Meireles with Charlie Adam put quite a few dents in that.

That being said, I don't think there's anything wrong with being optimistic, or with having doubts about LFC's transfer strategy. The real issue is when people go to extremes on one side or the other, and start labeling fans as "disloyal" or "idiotic" simply because they view things differently.

Finally--I'm actually starting to wonder whether anyone, either among the fanbase or among the media, has a clue about LFC's real targets in the window. Wickham was listed as definitely going to happen, and yet, were we really after him, we would have signed him BEFORE the U21s, like we did with Henderson and tried to do with Jones. The fact that we DIDN'T sign him should have been a clue that we weren't ever really in for him to begin with. As for Adam (and Downing, but particularly Adam) something about the length of this supposed transfer is making me suspicious. If we were after him that hard, we would have signed him by now, or Adam would have put in a transfer request. Plus, again, with both Meireles and Aquliani supposedly on the squad, I just don't see where there's any room for him. I'm all for having depth in midfield, but come on now.

At the end of the day, I think it's pointless to be fretting over transfer rumors until something credible, really credible, comes along. And given how unreliable the media is during the closed season, at this point, until I see the announcement on LFC.tv, I can't rely on it.
SmithyJr

BLASPHEMY! OFF WITH THE AUTHOR'S HEAD!!
HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THE ALMIGHTY AND ALL KNOWING KING!!!
poorscouserbobby

The King would agree.
Barry Brogan

Adam of course has a range of passing, but surely to compete at the very top we need complete players. It's not even as if Adam's passing compensates for all his deficiencies. His passing is actually sometimes downright POOR, he loses the ball more than anyone i've seen, which is dangerous for us because we ALWAYS get punished for that because of the way we play.

Downing is good but hardly a target for any of the top 4 teams we hope to challenge. In short, despite our handsome budget, we don't seem to be ordering from the same menu as anyone we hope to compete with.

We can only have opinions based on our own experience, and for me, everything about our transfer targets feels wrong.

However.

I am actually one of those who who the author would classify a member of the 'blind faith' crew.

If Woy had targeted Adam or Downing etc i would have gone buck mental. Or any other manager for that matter, including Rafa.

But with Kenny, i'm more than willing to give him a chance to show that my every instinct regard transfer targets is wrong.

Several reasons:

1. As Tont Barrett points out, in previous lifetimes with Liverpool, Kenny has had a track record of identifying winning ingredients in unfashionable players, Oxford John Aldridge being just one of them. I would point out that at Blackburn, he identified and took a raft of absolute nobodies to the title. Sherwood, Hendry, Ripley, Kenna, Wilcox, Pearce Atkins.

2. Whilst i would love to be targeting the cream of Europe, Mata, Martinez et al, i am realistic enough to concede that we desperately need Champs League qualificationNOW, and whilst these future superstars might be brilliant in the long term, we might be more assured of CL qualification with proven performers like Downing who are safe bets in the PL.

3. I believe that whilst our targets are frustratingly British (and therefore average) we are not limiting our ambitions to overpriced Brits. I believe we ae serious about targeting top quality continental targets like Hazard. It's just that we're not currently in a position to attract him. Or Aguero. Or Sanchez. Or Neymar. Or any of these Lucas thingys from Brazil.

So i'm not really a blind-faith merchant, even though to you, i may appear to be. I'm just accepting of the fact that despite our budget, we cannot yet choose from the top table, cannot afford to take chances on people who might notsettle immediately, ad and am willing against will that in an impossible situation, Kenny can pull a rabbit from the hat and make a silk purse out of Charle Adam's ear.

Follow me @boggerland on Twitter.
Amy

THIS.