http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/fa-cup/9047117/Liverpool-v-Manchester-United-Kenny-Dalglish-can-use-the-cups-to-find-his-Holy-Grail-glory-for-Anfield.html
By Henry Winter
11:00PM GMT 28 Jan 2012
A week on, Liverpoolâs manager finds himself in the final of the Carling Cup after beating Manchester City and in the last 16 of the FA Cup, having yesterday knocked out their greatest rivals Manchester United at Anfield.
Some week.
Some turnaround.
A week ago, the headlines were all about King Kennyâs crown slipping, about a poor Premier League run of only six points from six games.
These were testing times for Dalglish.
His management style was questioned.
His purchases were questioned.
He even questioned his own players at the Reebok.
Good managers react, provoking a response in their players, and his words are worth revisiting because they give an insight into Dalglish and into how Liverpool revived their season. It is difficult to disparage Dalglish now that his road to Wembley is turning into a dual carriageway.
âThe foundation of the football club has always been built on respect for other people, built on the philosophy that the next game is the most important one, not the one thatâs two or three down the line,ââ Dalglish remarked at Bolton, sending a message to his dressing room.
âIf they thought they could just turn up and get a result and not match the opposition for effort and commitment then they got a lesson today. If that was what the problem was, if they thought this game was not as important as the next one, then fine â but they wonât be here.â
This was more than an eloquent version of âtake each game as it comesâ.
This was a call to arms, a challenge to his playersâ professionalism.
Dalglish reminded his men of their duty to Liverpool Football Club, of the importance of upholding traditions set in place by Bill Shankly.
Although signed by Bob Paisley in 1977, Dalglishâs connections with Liverpool go back to 1966 when Shankly gave the shy teenager a trial. On joining Liverpool, Dalglish immediately visited Shankly, who summed up the relationship between players and the club when discussing Tommy Smithâs knee injury. âTake that bandage off â and what do you mean your knee. Itâs Liverpoolâs knee!â
The honour at being associated with Liverpool was echoed by Paisley.
âThis club has been my life,ââ Paisley once remarked.
âIâd go out and sweep the street and be proud to do it for Liverpool FC if they asked me to.â
That commitment to the collective is what Dalglish embodies, expects and demands. He hadnât seen it at the Reebok. His stern words were also deemed a criticism of some of the new signings. Andy Carroll, the ÂŁ35million man, has been poor since arriving from Newcastle United. Dalglish omitted the striker against City in midweek, starting instead with Craig Bellamy, a decision that was handsomely vindicated as the Welshman drove Liverpool to Wembley.
Dalglish restored Carroll to the line-up yesterday, knowing that Unitedâs centre-halves Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans can be beaten in the air (and also because Bellamy struggles to start three games on the spin).
Carroll justified his selection, working hard in an isolated role. On three occasions in the first half, he also tracked back, Ian Rush-style, to close down United attacks at source.
Dalglishâs tactics paid off.
Carrollâs presence put off David de Gea and Daniel Agger headed in a Steven Gerrard corner to give Liverpool the lead. After Park Ji-Sung equalised, Carroll then flicked the ball on for Dirk Kuyt to score the winner. He almost made it 3-1 with a powerful header against the bar. As performances go, it wasnât Alan Shearer against Holland â96, but it was a stride in the right direction by Carroll.
Victory still hid flaws.
Dalglishâs side were outplayed for substantial periods, particularly when the ball was in the mesmeric sway of the majestic Paul Scholes. Liverpool were too deep, almost inviting United to build a stage in front of them. Jamie Carragher lacked the mobility to operate as a holding midfielder. The memory also remains of Jose Enrique, so good going forward, being caught out defensively by the excellent Rafael for Parkâs strike.
On hearing Dalglish had berated his players at the Reebok, the Scotâs critics mused on whether he was risking losing their respect.
Nonsense.
His bond with his players is strong.
Tracksuited and booted, Dalglish stood for much of this match, patrolling the technical area, sharing the emotional fluctuations with his team. At one point, he called Gerrard across for a conflab. When removing Gerrard with 18 minutes left, the respect between captain and manager was obvious.
Dalglishâs substitutions helped Liverpool wrest the initiative back. Charlie Adam arrived in midfield just after the hour, allowing Gerrard to push on briefly, while Dirk Kuyt replaced Carragher, giving Liverpool more impetus. Then Bellamy came on for Gerrard, who is still regaining sharpness and stamina after his long injury lay-off.
Liverpool poured forward, eventually scoring through Kuyt.
Dalglish was typically modest about the changes afterwards, saying that if Kuyt had started Liverpool could have won âin the first halfâ.
When the Dutchman struck towards the end of the game, Dalglish raised both arms jubilantly, rolling back the years as if celebrating one of his many goals in front of the Kop. Some relief must also have mixed in with the adrenalin.
Dalglish has walked through a storm at times this season, failing to handle well the fallout from Luis SuĂĄrezâs racist abuse of Unitedâs Patrice Evra. Yet during the week, Dalglish was diplomacy personified, appealing for calm. Sadly, Evra was booed by Liverpool fans.
Afterwards, Dalglish was keen to look forward not back, praising both sets of fans.
Dalglish has much to look forward to, not least on the road to Wembley.
Henry Winter never slags us off......has his opinions ... but always positive to LFC.
Road to Wembley. Sounds good that.