Sunday, January 16, 2011

Kenny Eyes Clarke Connection

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is hopeful Steve Clarke can provide the answer to getting the best out of Joe Cole and Glen Johnson.

The pair have so far failed to live up to expectations at Anfield, with Johnson costing the club £17million in the summer of 2009, while Cole has not hit the ground running since arriving this season.

The conundrum was something former manager Roy Hodgson was unable to solve during his six months in charge.

But Dalglish hopes the arrival of former Chelsea assistant Clarke will help find the key to unlocking the talent of the former Stamford Bridge duo.

"It is a positive because Steve and Glen have terrific respect for each other, as has Joe for Steve," said the Reds boss, whose side takes on local foes Everton on Sunday.

"They worked closely at Chelsea and they have a great belief in him.

"Steve has a lot more information on Glen and Joe than I have so it is going to be helpful for everyone."

Dalglish has not had the immediate impact he would have hoped for having cut short a family holiday to take over from Hodgson last Saturday and heads into Sunday's derby fixture with a team which have lost four of their last five domestic league and cup fixtures.

Confidence has taken a battering and even his own return to the manager's position, although bringing brighter performances on the pitch, has not halted the slide.

He does not have much time to turn things around, having been given the job initially until the end of the season, and accepts everyone is still coming to terms with the new set up.

"It is a bit difficult when you are in the middle of the Persian Gulf to try to prepare a team for a game," said Dalglish in reference to last weekend's SOS call from principle owner John W Henry.

"Steve Clarke has been excellent this week and the players have responded brilliantly.

"Steve and Sammy Lee (assistant manager) have set the program up and we've had conversations every morning about what we want to achieve in that session and they have gone out and the players have adapted to it and done it.

"They have shown in training sessions and the matches they are determined to get this ship turned around and for it to be more positive than it has been.

"It is a change for them (the players) as well. A change of manager, change of training - they have got to adapt and I've got to adapt because it's been a while since I was a manager.

"I have changes to make and I have to re-educate myself so the quicker we can all learn from each other the better we will all be.

"There is one common denominator of both parties is that we have respect for each other."

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