• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Kenny Dalglish.

Status
Not open for further replies.

dossena

Active
Member
Now now..

I have not seen him play once. How good was he in comparison with like other international players at the time?

Is his style comparable to any current player?

If we had him at the peak of his ability playing for our current, would we win the big one?
 
There's an excellent Granada documentary on him - a year after he became player-manager, I think - in which George Best rates him as the equal of di Stefano. There's a torrent of it in circulation - it's well worth watching.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963168#msg963168 date=1255618021]
There's an excellent Granada documentary on him - a year after he became player-manager, I think - in which George Best rates him as the equal of di Stefano. There's a torrent of it in circulation - it's well worth watching.
[/quote]

Oh gkmacca, whatcher of the skies, please locate said, "torrent", thankyouplease.
 
I remember Alan Hansen talking about a Bob Paisley team talk against Chelsea (the goal on 3.55). He just told Kenny "sometimes the keeper wanders off his line". And there's the result...
 
Great viewing, thanks for posting that.

Being able to pick The King in his pomp was literally as good as having twelve players in the team.  Though he played mostly up front (we occasionally put him in midfield but he was never as good there) he did far more than just go for goal, laying on all sorts of goals for Rushy in what's still our best forward combo ever, and often pulling the strings for the rest of the side too.  The one thing he didn't have was pace, but it really didn't matter.  Kenny's skill, intelligence and strength (he was never a violent player but could mix it when he had to, and it was practically impossible to knock him off the ball) marked him out as a special, special player pretty much from the beginning of his time with us.

Other international players were flashier but I doubt that anybody even remotely associated with LFC would have swapped any of them for The King.  I can't honestly think of current players whose style is comparable, but would be interested to see other posters' ideas on that.  Would we win the Big One now with him in the side?  Hard to say (the teams he played in were better overall) but it would be one giant step towards the title, that's for sure.
 
He's the best I've ever seen in a red shirt and, I hope I'm wrong but, probably the best I ever will see for LFC.

He had the vison of Scholes, the finishing of Rush and the work ethic of a Souness/Keane. His finishing was superb and he was guaranteed to get us 15-20 goals per season but it would have been way more had his remit not been to set up chances for Rush and our attack-minded midfield.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963168#msg963168 date=1255618021]
There's an excellent Granada documentary on him - a year after he became player-manager, I think - in which George Best rates him as the equal of di Stefano. There's a torrent of it in circulation - it's well worth watching.
[/quote]

I think I might even have that on video
 
He had precision as well as great vision. It was amazing how often he lined up shots that had to go through defenders' legs - Souness recalls one match against Norwich when Kenny did that and Souey just shook his head as it happened. The precision stopped him looking very 'flash' because most of his shots and passes were very clean and clinical.
 
The complete Footballer. Up there with Pele, De Stefano, Eusebio, Best, Maradona.

I have to say that Gerrard is getting close to him in terms of legendary status these days, and deservedly so. Although I don't think Stevie is as good a player as Kenny was. For dynamism yes, for class and skill, no. That will make youngers wonder but Kenny was a class above.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963191#msg963191 date=1255619576]
[quote author=refugee link=topic=36458.msg963184#msg963184 date=1255618741]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963176#msg963176 date=1255618385]
http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Kenny-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-1986-TVRip/559372f5baf12affcbc3735adf2c8326cb9281241b77
[/quote]

You need to be a member to use that.
[/quote]

http://www.torrentroom.com/torrent/2200426-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-avi.html#b3

Happy now? Anything else? Shoe shine? Cup of cocoa?
[/quote]

No, that will be all for now.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963191#msg963191 date=1255619576]
[quote author=refugee link=topic=36458.msg963184#msg963184 date=1255618741]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963176#msg963176 date=1255618385]
http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Kenny-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-1986-TVRip/559372f5baf12affcbc3735adf2c8326cb9281241b77
[/quote]

You need to be a member to use that.
[/quote]

http://www.torrentroom.com/torrent/2200426-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-avi.html#b3

Happy now? Anything else? Shoe shine? Cup of cocoa?
[/quote]

Erm...still doesn't work for me.
 
Well, it'll be slow. What torrent software do you use? The file sometimes pops up on other sites like uknova, so keep checking.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963191#msg963191 date=1255619576]
[quote author=refugee link=topic=36458.msg963184#msg963184 date=1255618741]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963176#msg963176 date=1255618385]
http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Kenny-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-1986-TVRip/559372f5baf12affcbc3735adf2c8326cb9281241b77
[/quote]

You need to be a member to use that.
[/quote]

http://www.torrentroom.com/torrent/2200426-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-avi.html#b3

Happy now? Anything else? Shoe shine? Cup of cocoa?
[/quote]

I'd love a beer. Cheers for the link(s)
 
[quote author=Doped White Mouse link=topic=36458.msg963204#msg963204 date=1255620333]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963191#msg963191 date=1255619576]
[quote author=refugee link=topic=36458.msg963184#msg963184 date=1255618741]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36458.msg963176#msg963176 date=1255618385]
http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Kenny-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-1986-TVRip/559372f5baf12affcbc3735adf2c8326cb9281241b77
[/quote]

You need to be a member to use that.
[/quote]

http://www.torrentroom.com/torrent/2200426-Kenny-Dalglish-Documentary-avi.html#b3

Happy now? Anything else? Shoe shine? Cup of cocoa?
[/quote]

Erm...still doesn't work for me.
[/quote]

Try this one

http://www.mininova.org/tor/2980401
 
You know how sometimes you start watching a film - and after 5 minutes you know its going to be a classic? That was Kenny at Liverpool. He scored in, I think, his first 6 games for us. We thought the sky was falling down when Keegan left - Kenny didn't just put it back in its firmament he painted it all sorts of colours we'd never seen before - and we got to the end of the rainbow every season. I'm not a poetical man, but Kenny showed how football really can be a beautiful game. It was a privilege to watch him play - a true genius at his work.
 
Sadly he never got the recognition he would have deserved outside the UK. I mean if a player would achieve what he has nowadays he would be hyped infinitively. Maybe the times were different, maybe it has to do with the European ban.
 
Maybe it's because he was loyal to Liverpool as well and never felt the need to play for the European 'big guns'. In his mind he was already playing for the biggest of the time. Maybe it's also because he played for Scotland so his exposure on the world stage was less.
 
[quote author=Mersey86 link=topic=36458.msg963720#msg963720 date=1255697875]
You know how sometimes you start watching a film - and after 5 minutes you know its going to be a classic? That was Kenny at Liverpool. He scored in, I think, his first 6 games for us. We thought the sky was falling down when Keegan left - Kenny didn't just put it back in its firmament he painted it all sorts of colours we'd never seen before - and we got to the end of the rainbow every season. I'm not a poetical man, but Kenny showed how football really can be a beautiful game. It was a privilege to watch him play - a true genius at his work.

[/quote]

Excellent post.
 
[quote author=Sunny link=topic=36458.msg963757#msg963757 date=1255700661]
Maybe it's because he was loyal to Liverpool as well and never felt the need to play for the European 'big guns'. In his mind he was already playing for the biggest of the time. Maybe it's also because he played for Scotland so his exposure on the world stage was less.
[/quote]

Maybe so but there are also players who play for lesser national teams but still have great reputations. Giggs or Shevchenko for example. And Liverpool certainly was a big gun on the European stage at that time. Sadly we weren't able to play in Europe after Heysel. So I think English football and his protagonists were largely unnoticed on the continent.
 
I just watched the clip White Mouse put on. What I notice is Kenny's joy at scoring - you'd think after perhaps 300 goals he might have got a little more casual, but no ... there he is, arms aloft, beaming smile as though his birthday and Christmas have come at once. So many players are careless with their talent. Kenny squeezed every drop out of the considerable gifts he had - an inspirational man.
 
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=36458.msg963181#msg963181 date=1255618677]
Great viewing, thanks for posting that.

Being able to pick The King in his pomp was literally as good as having twelve players in the team. Though he played mostly up front (we occasionally put him in midfield but he was never as good there) he did far more than just go for goal, laying on all sorts of goals for Rushy in what's still our best forward combo ever, and often pulling the strings for the rest of the side too. The one thing he didn't have was pace, but it really didn't matter. Kenny's skill, intelligence and strength (he was never a violent player but could mix it when he had to, and it was practically impossible to knock him off the ball) marked him out as a special, special player pretty much from the beginning of his time with us.

Other international players were flashier but I doubt that anybody even remotely associated with LFC would have swapped any of them for The King. I can't honestly think of current players whose style is comparable, but would be interested to see other posters' ideas on that. Would we win the Big One now with him in the side? Hard to say (the teams he played in were better overall) but it would be one giant step towards the title, that's for sure.
[/quote]

This was what always stood out for me with Kenny. He was difficult to describe; there was artistry but it didn't take the form of the flashy, flamboyant style that most associate with artistry. It was intelligence, game awareness, utterly mind blowing close control and this amazing ability to never be moved. It gave him two or three chances to do something with the ball when others would have lost it on the first one.


I'm not quite sure I agree with those who say there is no one who will be his equal in LFC. I think Gerrard could be and will be. Kenny was exceptional in an outstanding team and very good in an average one. Stevie looked peerless when playing in a pretty average Liverpool team and then, surprisingly, looked even better when playing in a very good team. He doesn't have the close control that Kenny had (who does?) but his range of passing, acceleration, power, and pure athleticism are all superior.

What he doesn't have and never will have is the guile that made the King so special. I, for one, hope that is not enough to stop him from being ranked with Kenny because I think he deserves to be when his career closes.
 
Let's hope that's how it turns out, and it well could, but I wouldn't equate the two just yet. There's sometimes been a bit of "the great I Am" about Stevie, whereas Kenny was the consummate team player throughout. Yes, Stevie's played in poorer teams, but the whole "I'm da Man" bit has stuck in my craw at times, as did the way some of his teammates visibly wilted under it.

Incidentally, the point about quality (or lack of it) of teammates can cut both ways. One could - and in fact I would - argue that the extent to which Kenny stood out even among such high quality peers, whereas Stevie's been a huge fish in a more moderate pond, ultimately points up Kenny's quality rather than Stevie's.

Trite though it may be to say so, football's a team game in the end. We've seen, most gloriously of all in Istanbul, how Stevie's amazing ability can lift a team, but at times we've also seen his self-regard have the opposite effect on individual players within the team. Kenny by contrast would never, ever have laid himself open to such a charge. That's just one of the reasons, but a highly important one, why he still takes the prize for me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom