Source: Daily_Mail
Kenny Dalglish: We can't live on past glories for ever...
Kenny Dalglish may see himself as a custodian of the Liverpool way but his high regard for Anfield's heritage will not blind him to the need to shake off the past rather than cling to it. [LNB]While the man given charge of Liverpool until the end of the season is determined to reintroduce the spirit of the Boot Room - if not the room itself - he insists that fans deserve more than reminders of the club's glorious past. [LNB]Dalglish will sit in the home dugout at Anfield today for the first time in 20 years as his side attempt to provide the first victory of his second managerial reign by winning the Merseyside derby with Everton. [LNB] Derby showdown: Dalglish can restore pride to his beleaguered side with a win against Everton[LNB]He says today's game must signal the end of the romance which has greeted his return to the Anfield hot seat - and the start of results. [LNB]Although immensely proud of the club's traditions, he is aware that today's Liverpool fans need their own magic moments. [LNB]Apart from Gerard Houllier's cup treble in 2001 and the miracle of Istanbul four years later, the Kop have had little to cheer since Dalglish, now 59, stepped down as manager after the famous 4-4 FA Cup draw with Everton. [LNB]'I don't think the history and tradition should ever be forgotten and it certainly should never be seen as a problem or an excuse for how we're doing now,' said Dalglish. 'Showing that this club have enjoyed success in the past provides a target for everyone. But there is a generation of fans who are fed up with hearing about the European Cup victories from my time. [LNB] Glory days: Dalglish hopes he can return Liverpool to their winning ways of old[LNB]'I would really like this generation to share the times that the previous ones have done, as they did when they got a bit of glory in 2005. It is a huge ask to get back to where we were in the Seventies and Eighties, but you always have to aim as high as you can, while at the same time being totally realistic.' [LNB]Dalglish is adamant that internal divisions which recently threatened to tear Liverpool apart have no place at Anfield while he is manager. [LNB]'This club used to be so unified; everybody was pushing in the same direction,' he said. 'As long as I'm sitting here, there will be no divisions. Everybody will be treated with the utmost respect in the position they hold in the football club. [LNB]'The Boot Room wasn't just somewhere to go for a drink after the game, the people in there made an unbelievable contribution, in training and everywhere else at the club. [LNB]'They were educated in football - as sharp as tacks. Ronnie Moran (former captain, coach and caretaker manager) was at the training ground on Friday, having a walk. It was fantastic to see him wandering about with his new knee. Every club should be like that. Certainly that's the way I've been brought up.'[LNB] Enlarge Whether the new Anfield regime of John W Henry and Tom Werner buy wholeheartedly into 'the Liverpool way' remains to be seen. The first test will be to see if they allow Dalglish his thoughts on January signings or let director of football strategy Damien Comolli have the final say. [LNB]Potential targets such as Ajax striker Luis Suarez, 23, and Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, 25, have the right age profile for Henry's Fenway Sports Group to invest money, but will they back Dalglish if he feels 29-year-old left-back Stephen Warnock from Aston Villa is important to the club rising up the Premier League table? [LNB]The result of the derby is all important, with Dalglish's emotional homecoming from a cruise ship in Bahrain last weekend not so far matched by results, with defeats at Manchester United in the FA Cup and Blackpool in the league. [LNB]Magic man: Liverpool's immediate future lies in the (very) talented feet of Fernando Torres[LNB]David Moyes is in an even tighter financial squeeze at Everton and desperately trying to offload the likes of Steven Pienaar and James Vaughan to bring in new blood. [LNB]He needs to sign a top striker on loan until the end of the season for no more than £50,000 a week and is still interested in long-time target Chris Eagles of Burnley, to play on the flanks. Last season, Moyes was in despair and wondering how much further he could take Everton after nearly a decade in charge. [LNB]But as the blue hordes prepare for their annual visit to Anfield, he underlined that he sees his future at the club. [LNB]'I am at a brilliant club and really fortunate to be here,' he said. 'I wouldn't change my owner (Bill Kenwright) for any other owner, that's for sure.'[LNB] Having played for both Dalglish, when he was at Newcastle, and for Moyes, Steve Watson knows the last place he would want to be today is in the losers' dressing room. Moyes has a reputation for being intense but Watson, who played in an FA Cup final for Newcastle, says Dalglish is also capable of venting his fury. [LNB]'Kenny is very protective of his players publicly, which is a great trait,' said Watson. 'He is unbelievably loyal and would rather put himself than them in the firing line. [LNB]'But he would certainly berate you in the dressing room if you did something wrong or made a mistake. He'd be as hard as nails when he needed to be and let you know about it. Once he leaves those four walls, though, the siege mentality kicks in. [LNB]'David Moyes is a driven person. People have told me he is a bit more relaxed now but he won't have lost his passion.' [LNB] Explore more:People: David Moyes, James Vaughan, Steve Watson, Bill Kenwright, Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier, Charlie Adam Places: Newcastle, Istanbul, Liverpool, Bahrain
