Liverpool FC: a Comolli of errors

The Kop relies on elephantine memory

There's no doubt Kenny Dalglish is relying on his legendary status to remain as Liverpool manager at the moment.

Here was a man in his first year as player-boss who claimed the Reds the double, clinching the league at Chelsea and scoring the winner. Real Roy of the Rovers stuff from one of Britain's greatest ever players.

And of his second coming amid the dying embers of the Gillett, Hicks and Roy Hodgson gloom, which Kopite wouldn't have called for the Messiah back then?

But how long can King Kenny's credit last? Six defeats in seven games has left the summer's big spenders out of Europe and out of touch of the big sides. Liverpool FC a big brand? Yes. A big club? Measured against the new arrivals at football's top table in the form of Tottenham and Manchester City? it's highly questionable.

Not even Roy could match King Kenny's '86 triumph

During the latest defeat at Newcastle, I was surprised to see Steven Gerrard shoeing Dalglish off the pitch in a "stop interfering" kind of way. Gerrard is about the only one at Anfield with the status to do such a impudent thing to the gaffer - and it was telling.

But the blame for Liverpool's plight can't entirely be placed at Dalglish's door. It's transfer policy which has been a major let-down too - and that's squarely the responsibility of Damien Comolli.

Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll have yielded just six goals between them. The quartet cost owner John W. Henry an eye-watering eighty million quid in the summer.

Comolli talking a good game with the owner.

They're all British too. Now, I'm not battering the reputations of home-grown players. Indeed, the English backbone of Chelsea and Manchester United has served them rather well over the years. But the contention of building a new team from the British Isles is misguided when as a Premier League club, one can attract the best of the world.

It's just not true that British players settle in better or faster. A high-level professional from Togo or Tel Aviv is just as reliable. But Comolli seems to think so.

Without qualifying for the Champions League, the best players, whatever their nationality won't be Anfield-bound anymore. Without them, Liverpool will become Premier League also-rans. Despite splashing out in the summer, that's what they've become this year.

As with other victorious Carling Cup managers, trophy glory doesn't guarantee job security and sometimes it's the straw that breaks the back of relegation.

Let's not forget Juande Ramos has still won one more piece of silverware at White Hart Lane than Harry Redknapp, but the Spaniard was taken out in a midnight cloak and dagger exit months later.

Alex McLeish steered Birmingham City to the League Cup last year - but at huge cost to the Second City's Second Club, as they were relegated. Next thing you know, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire for Big Eck when Aston Villa came calling.

So it's a results business whether you're Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, former Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle or Newcastle's Kevin Keegan (twice). And if things don't turnaround fast, I can see the passwords to the Liverpool bank account reset for a new manager this summer. Kenny's got to be the on the edge.

But it's not just players that lose managers their jobs these days. It's Directors of Football too.

More on Dalglish at Anfield here. Click here for Dalglish: Never Go Back (written back in January last year)

"Idiot" Spawn of Tom Hicks resigns as Reds director

Tom Hicks Jnr has resigned as both a director of Liverpool and the holding company which owns the club, after a foul-mouthed e-mail rant to a fan.

The son of co-owner Tom Hicks became embroiled in controversy when it emerged he'd responded abusively to a fan who contacted him directly about the state of the club and its finances.

Having initially called the fan an "idiot", Hicks Jnr reportedly then sent a second e-mail saying: "Blow me fuck face. Go to Hell. I'm sick of you."

Hicks Jnr subsequently apologised but it was too late. He's now quit.

The Spirit of Shankly fans' group, committed to the removal of the American co-owners Hicks Snr and George Gillett, had called for wee Tom Jnr to resign.

However, with his father as co-owner it appeared there'd be little pressure from the top to do so. But this episode is problematic for the troubled owners.

Hicks Jnr was seen as a key player on Anfield's finely-balanced board - of daddy Hicks, Gillett and his son Foster and managing director Christian Purslow. At the same time Liverpool announced his departure they revealed a re-structuring of the boardroom of both the club and Kop Holdings.

Casey Coffman, executive vice-president of Hicks Holdings, is the man brought in to replace Hicks Jnr while Liverpool's chief financial officer Philip Nash and the club's commercial director Ian Ayre are also both elected to both companies.

Click here Togo should have let their players play on!

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Rafa shows guile and toughness to secure a better future for Liverpool

Chief executive Rick Parry's departure from Liverpool at the end of the season has secured a more stable future for Rafa Benitez and the club.

Despite disharmony between Messrs. Gillett and Hicks and the spats between Benitez and Parry, Liverpool's first team have continued to produce their most realistic title bid since they last won it in 1991.

Rafa's Reds are year-by-year getting closer to challenging Manchester United for the Premier League - a timely reminder to any big club that if the team keep winning, control comes from the manager's office. Parry had to go.

Benitez has taken a major step towards gaining more control over which players should be bought and sold. He's shown what a tough guy and a clever operator he is after the row which simmered and boiled over after they failed to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

Now all Gillett and Hicks need to do is secure Rafa on a new long-term contract. He's the best boss they've had since Kenny Dalglish.

Finally the Reds are emerging from the shadow of the Boot Room, which so dominates and drives expectation and lore at Anfield.

The club needs to find a replacement who won't stand in the way of Rafa, who's growing powerbase at Anfield will be rather formidable for anyone they appoint.

In Brian Barwick, they have a ready-made replacement to usher in a new era of peace. A Liverpool fan with a tough exterior but an expedient way of working.

Parry's departure was as important to Liverpool as keeping Steven Gerrard or signing Fernando Torres.

Liverpool fans should rejoice!

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Also on Soccermongery: Why aren't these players considered for England? and Nazi history: Dynamo Kiev's Death Match

Whassup! Beware: these could be the new management teams at your club!

Worried Gooner over whether Arsene's got the answers? Concerned of Anfield about Rafa's contract? what about succession at Manchester United when Fergie calls time on his career?

Well, it could be a whole lot worse: it's majestic midfielders turned managerial muppets, Paul Ince and Bryan Robson (book him for taking his shirt off!). You'd be on target about a Manchester United conspiracy if these two were in charge of your starting eleven, so thank heavens for your current boss, eh?

Talking of Muppets, how about these two taking over in your club's boardroom? George Gillett and Tom Hicks might still own Liverpool, but their asset values are sinking faster than the Titanic. They've admitted they can't even muster enough cash to dig the first hole for the new stadium in Stanley Park. Mind you, if they did the Kop might volunteer to bury them in it!

No wonder Rafa's contract negotiations aren't about money!

And after Blackburn Rovers were linked with Graeme Souness, how about Souey and Terry McDermott returning to management? Souness is successful in every other job he's had, so after leaving Newcastle in a right two-and-eight, he'd probably sweep all before him at ... well, Blackpool?

Perhaps even Roy Keane's got more chance of an imminent return!

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No takers for Everton. Liverpool in financial danger. The Premier League promises to look very different in the future.

Keith Harris, who's sold five Premier League clubs in his time admits to having two hopes of selling Everton:

No Hope and Bob Hope.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright instructed Harris of merchant bank, Seymour Pierce, to find new investors after admitting the club couldn't keep borrowing. They've yet to finance the new stadium at Kirkby.

Harris explained it's not a rich city and Everton's cause isn't helped by sharing it with Liverpool either. Which brought him onto Liverpool and the subject of this piece: Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United really do play in the red!

Harris is concerned that the Reds' huge £350million debt with two stricken banks Wachovia and RBS, are due for repayment in January. They've an option to renew for another six months - but time is running short for Liverpool owners Messrs. Hicks and Gillett, to transfer the debt from done-for banks to other super-rich individuals.

Manchester United are £two-thirds of a billion in debt, following the Glazer takeover although United is probably the most multi-layered football business in the world, so it should be okay. They've just got to keep winning!

Chelsea's debt is owed to Roman Abramovich and is interest-free, so they're either here to stay or will fall like a house of cards.

So as the swirling winds of economic turmoil threaten to blow the tops off football's leading houses, it's time for a lofty prediction!

Football's great believers and idealogues will start winning trophies at the expense of debt-laden monsters.

Who couldn't have been immensely impressed by Wenger's kids mashing up all before them in the League Cup this season? And by the time they're 21-year-old first-teamers, Liverpool's debt will have been re-structured and some of their best players may have been sold off.

Arsenal with only £260million of debt, and that to pay for the Emirates (at 5% per annum) are so well-poised to dominate.

That's "good debt" compared with other big three. Huge matchday revenues, increased sponsorship opportunities and secondary rights sales. Looking good, Arsenal.

I take them to win the title either next season or definitely the year after! And once they do, they can dominate for a while.

Aston Villa can take advantage too. The very best chairman - supportive, committed, low-profile. A manager who's been there and done it, as both a player and a boss. Huge supporter-base. Non-controversial. Aston Villa have also done it before!

As football evolves from a debt-led orgy of win today to a more egalitarian lesser-leveraged future, football's great planners and dreamweavers will win the day.

We may never return to a period of such austerity that allowed Nottingham Forest to jump from 3rd in Division 2 to Champions of Europe in two years, but one thing is for sure, football men with football ideas will have more chance of producing winning teams without always being trumped by Big Spending Giants.

In the spirit of Brian Clough, the sport may be about to become much more competitive. As football fans, we can all raise a glass to that!