Source: Daily_Mail
Kenny Dalglish to the rescue at Liverpool after Roy Hodgson sacked by letter
Kenny Dalglish will take charge of Liverpool for today's FA Cup third round glamour tie at Manchester United after cutting short a holiday cruise in the Arabian Gulf to answer the club's emergency call to replace sacked manager Roy Hodgson.[LNB]Dalglish, 59 and an Anfield legend for his achievements there as both a player and manager, has been given the job until the end of the season.[LNB]He will be in the dugout at Old Trafford today and will pick the team to face United. And he starts his second reign as Liverpool manager pledging to restore key striker Fernando Torres to his lethal best.[LNB]Fernando Torres will relish his chance to give Nemanja Vidic another nightmareKenny Dalglish dashes home from holiday sun to the cauldron of Old Trafford Over and out: Roy Hodgson drives away from the club's training ground as Kenny Dalglish makes his way back from the Arabian Gulf[LNB] Dalglish was five days into a week-long cruise holiday with his wife, Marina, when he received a text message from Liverpool to return to the club he last managed 20 years ago.[LNB]He cut short his holiday early yesterday morning in Bahrain and flew home to answer Liverpool's SOS.[LNB]Hodgson's 192-day reign was ended by American owner John W Henry in a letter delivered to the 63-year-old Englishman's home late on Friday night. Just a few hours earlier Hodgson had been interviewed by the official Liverpool website about today's clash with United.[LNB]But with Liverpool in 12th place in the Premier League - just four points above the relegation zone - and with the fans turning against Hodgson with renewed hostility following the 3-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night, the decision was taken that he had to go.[LNB]Hodgson said the final months of his time in charge had been 'some of the most challenging of my career'.[LNB] Glory days: Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish after being named Manager of the Year in 1990 and with the FA Cup after beating Everton a year earlier [LNB] And he added: 'I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool.'[LNB]Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, under pressure himself at Aston Villa, said Hodgson had been the victim of a 'brutal world', adding: 'If you lose two games you are in the firing line. I feel for him but Kenny has been a friend for a long time, too.'[LNB]Henry said of the appointment of Dalglish: 'Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers - three giants. We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season.' [LNB]Dalglish, who won three league titles, including a cup and league Double, during his six years at Anfield, has set restoring the confidence and form of Spanish star Torres as his first major task.[LNB]But Dalglish is confident he can succeed. In his column for The Mail on Sunday today he says: 'It's true that Fernando has not been as effective for Liverpool this season as in previous years but the team have not had a great season as a whole. I've seen and read the criticism but I don't think he is finished as a top performer, as some would suggest.[LNB]'I regard him as one of the best strikers in Europe and even in this supposedly disastrous season, he remains Liverpool's top Premier League scorer.'[LNB] Out of sorts: Kenny Dalglish's first task with be Fernando Torres [LNB]Torres suffered an injuryravaged 2010 and was far from his best during Spain's World Cup triumph. But Dalglish is aware that United fear the Spaniard after he demolished them singlehandedly in a 4-1 win in 2008.[LNB]'Facing one of your fiercest rivals is a great carrot to help turn around a disappointing season,' said Dalglish. 'Torres, in particular, would relish the chance today. It is strange how certain opponents bring out the best in players. It's the case with Torres and Nemanja Vidic.'[LNB]Dalglish flew into Manchester last night, promising to give his all to the job while admitting he felt sympathy for Hodgson.[LNB]'It's a great honour to be asked to come back but a man of great dignity and integrity has lost his job,' he said.[LNB]Dalglish's return is a huge boost to the Liverpool fans who turned against Hodgson. The Scot became an instant hit as a player after replacing Kevin Keegan in 1977 and he scored the winning goal in the European Cup final the following year.[LNB]He became the club's playermanager in 1985 and won Liverpool's first League and FA Cup double in his first season.[LNB]Dalglish earned widespread praise for the way he handled the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. But the pressure took its toll and he resigned in 1991.[LNB]He wanted another chance to manage Liverpool and knows he will have to do exceptionally well for the owners, The Fenway Sports Group, to consider him on a permanent basis. [LNB] Bye bye Roy: Hodgson exits Liverpool and is replaced by Kop King DalglishKing Kenny's back: Anfield legend Dalglish in the hotseat again 20 years after he leftLiverpool fans were the key to Hodgson departure, says Phil ThompsonThe 2010/11 managerial merry-go-round: Roy Hodgson axed as Kenny Dalglish takes charge at Liverpool[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Nemanja Vidic, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson, Fernando Torres, Gerard Houllier Places: Manchester, Spain, Bahrain, Europe
