Reg » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:03 am wrote:Stevie is still too inexperienced for the job, even in 3 years time. Remember how Kenny buckled under the pressure, how Souness and Roy Evans, another product of the bootroom failed to be suitable material. Stevie needs to move on to a PL mid table team or a Championship team that has the funds to bring in some talent and build a credible side. LFC is the 7th biggest club in the world by turnover, why would the owners appoint an inexperienced manager?
I think it’s bit harsh to say Kenny buckled under the pressure Reg, when he accepted the job in the first place he was arguably inheriting the toughest job there has ever been in world football if not in world sport period.
Dont forget when he took over, in the immediate aftermath of Heysel, people spat on the floor at the mere mention of LFC, we were international pariahs, I can literally remember the disgust on newsreaders faces as they covered the story, this was back in the days before 24 hour rolling news channels as well when newsreaders just read the news and it was deemed unprofessional to offer an opinion, try as they might they just couldn’t hide the disdain in their faces.
Thanks to the likes of the Thatcher government, the right wing press and even comedians peddling in crass stereotypes Liverpool was already seen as scumbag city and that was before what happened in Brussels, in the minds of people throughout the country Heysel just confirmed what they already knew.
Kenny accepted the poisoned chalice, he was there for us when no one in their right mind would have touched us with a barge pole, what manager wants to sit there in a press conference and field questions from not sports journalists but journalists who normally cover wars and plane crashes etc about people dying because of the conduct of the club he represents fans?
Because of that amazing team he put together, the joie de vivre they played with and the gracious way we accepted both victory and defeat Kenny got us accepted back in the sporting fold which is probably his greatest achievement in the game as a player or manager which is saying something given his CV.
Then just 4 years later came Hillsborough, we all know the story of Kenny going to every one of the 96 funerals, sometimes 2 or 3 in the same day, standing there in the front garden as a large coffin would emerge from a house followed by one half its size. Who the hell wouldn’t be affected? Don’t forget as a young man Kenny was at the Ibrox disaster too, he was there amongst the crowd as 66 Rangers fans died. Kenny didn’t buckle mate, he had a human reaction to extreme stress caused by extreme situations. General footballing issue’s didn’t affect him one bit as he showed when he returned to win the title with Blackburn a few years later.
Re your general point about Stevie, I agree, he is not ready yet to take over here.