Within the last few weeks the temperature has gone from warm to white hot in the pressure cooker at Anfield and there are a variety of people who are in the firing line.
Firstly, Damien Comolli who, it seems, is largely responsible for the player recruitment policy currently undermining Liverpool’s challenge for a top four spot, something the club’s owners demanded at the season’s start.
Their purchases over the last year or so, Luis Suarez apart, have varied from the disappointing to the disastrous.
Charlie Adam started well but has faded and has proven himself to be a decent Premier League player, though not someone who is going to dictate games in the upper echelons of the division.
Charlie Henderson has been a huge disappointment, not least as he cost almost £20 million, which for someone who had had one senior cap to his name, seemed pricey at the time. He now appears to be worth less than half that and much like Adam, appears out of his depth at this level.
Stewart Downing has not supplied the ammunition worthy of his hefty price tag which brings us to the ultimate flop of all – Andy Carroll.
At £35 million, much is expected of you. A paltry return of eight goals in 48 appearances and a languid style is not (what is expected of you). Add to that an apparent disdain for hard work and it would not be surprising if he left Anfield this summer, perhaps along with one or two other senior figures.
Yet Comolli and the players are not the only ones in the firing line. The ultimate responsibility has to lie at the feet of their manager – Kenny Dalglish.
It is still not clear who is the one calling the shots when it comes to purchases but he certainly has some kind of say in who gets to see the 'This is Anfield' sign.
What is not in any doubt is who picks the team, who is largely responsible for coaching and trying to goad the best out of them on a weekly basis. This has been Liverpool’s biggest failing this season.
Add to that King Kenny’s handling of the now infamous ‘Suarez’ affair, which in some quarters has been described as “a car-crash”, and you can see why the owners are disgruntled.
Dalglish claims you need an intelligence test if you question the progress made under his tenure, yet the fact remains his points per game ratio is not too dissimilar to that of his much-maligned predecessor, Roy Hodgson.
So why was it enough for Hodgson to receive the boot but not the current incumbent? That is an excellent question and one that John Henry and his cohorts may just answer should, as now appears certain, they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Defenders of Dalglish, and they are plenty, will point to their first trophy in six years as evidence that this ship is more HMS Victory than Titanic.
However, to say that trophy was won in fortuitous circumstances is a slight understatement. The penalty shoot out victory over Championship side Cardiff was lacklustre and was achieved in spite of two misses from the spot.
Should Liverpool continue to plummet down the table further then Dalglish’s position will become untenable.
Firstly, Damien Comolli who, it seems, is largely responsible for the player recruitment policy currently undermining Liverpool’s challenge for a top four spot, something the club’s owners demanded at the season’s start.
Their purchases over the last year or so, Luis Suarez apart, have varied from the disappointing to the disastrous.
Charlie Adam started well but has faded and has proven himself to be a decent Premier League player, though not someone who is going to dictate games in the upper echelons of the division.
Charlie Henderson has been a huge disappointment, not least as he cost almost £20 million, which for someone who had had one senior cap to his name, seemed pricey at the time. He now appears to be worth less than half that and much like Adam, appears out of his depth at this level.
Stewart Downing has not supplied the ammunition worthy of his hefty price tag which brings us to the ultimate flop of all – Andy Carroll.
At £35 million, much is expected of you. A paltry return of eight goals in 48 appearances and a languid style is not (what is expected of you). Add to that an apparent disdain for hard work and it would not be surprising if he left Anfield this summer, perhaps along with one or two other senior figures.
Yet Comolli and the players are not the only ones in the firing line. The ultimate responsibility has to lie at the feet of their manager – Kenny Dalglish.
It is still not clear who is the one calling the shots when it comes to purchases but he certainly has some kind of say in who gets to see the 'This is Anfield' sign.
What is not in any doubt is who picks the team, who is largely responsible for coaching and trying to goad the best out of them on a weekly basis. This has been Liverpool’s biggest failing this season.
Add to that King Kenny’s handling of the now infamous ‘Suarez’ affair, which in some quarters has been described as “a car-crash”, and you can see why the owners are disgruntled.
Dalglish claims you need an intelligence test if you question the progress made under his tenure, yet the fact remains his points per game ratio is not too dissimilar to that of his much-maligned predecessor, Roy Hodgson.
So why was it enough for Hodgson to receive the boot but not the current incumbent? That is an excellent question and one that John Henry and his cohorts may just answer should, as now appears certain, they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Defenders of Dalglish, and they are plenty, will point to their first trophy in six years as evidence that this ship is more HMS Victory than Titanic.
However, to say that trophy was won in fortuitous circumstances is a slight understatement. The penalty shoot out victory over Championship side Cardiff was lacklustre and was achieved in spite of two misses from the spot.
Should Liverpool continue to plummet down the table further then Dalglish’s position will become untenable.
