Topic: Just how good was Kenny Dalglish?

[Wingman]

Kenny is the greatest of all time.

I don't care what any other player has done/will do.... won't change my mind.

I might be blinkered on this, but I don't care.

Is right. It’s a close run thing for 2nd place between Barnes, Gerrard and Rush - but Kenny is still number one. And that’s before we talk about his contribution off the pitch

[idontknow]

I’ve always said that the 79 title winning team was the best I’ve ever seen and Dalglish was the king of that side.  The greatest player I’ve ever seen in the flesh.  One thing to add though about all the other players who’ve been mentioned but one who doesn’t seem to get mentioned as much as the likes of Sounness, Hansen, Rush, Barnes and Gerrard is Terry Mac.   What a fucking player he was.   His goal against Spurs is still the best goal I’ve ever seen at Anfield.

That the 7-0 goal?
The most textbook brilliant goal of all time.
He scored a great one AT Spurs in the FA Cup too.

[Kenrick_66]

Peak Kenny was 82-83 season. Hadn't been great the previous 2 seasons - spurts of form but up and down - but 82-83 specifically October to March he was unplayable. Making and scoring goals, the latter had fallen off for a while. Rush coming through gave him a new lease of life. Never been a better forward double act than those two. One problem then was the lack of TV - so for instance his Christmas hat trick v Man City is only for people who were there. But hey, there's always the through ball v Watford for people who weren't. 'Elton, what's the score?' To be fair, he responded with a smile. In fact, Elton paid tribute to Kenny during the recent concert at Anfield. Nice touch.

[oojason]

A few videos on the great man, who singed for us 45 years ago today, here - www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=241283.msg18193507#msg18193507

[Oh Jimmy Jimmy]

Apart from his immense skill and ability to score anywhere around the box, what made him the best player ever (IMO) was his ability to control a game from the centre forward position….he would pass the ball where a player should be or could be to get away from an opponent. It was hilarious watching him play with Barney, who took years to understand where he should be making his runs…always think it was Karma  that Barney won us 2 European Cups , after all the stick he took from Kenny.

Kenny almost had a remote control the way he played. Probably best exemplified in the latter stages of 85-86 when brought himself back in the team…physically he was gone, but he guided us to win the last 12 games through his guile and touch.

Maradona in the 86 World Cup did it a different way and the nearest thing I’ve seen to him in English football is Cantona.

[kezzy]

That the 7-0 goal?
The most textbook brilliant goal of all time.
He scored a great one AT Spurs in the FA Cup too.

Yea the one he scored at Spurs from the corner of the area was fuckin insane.  Think it won goal of the season.  Just flicked it up then volleyed it into the top corner from outside the corner of the area. 

[CentenaryBoy]

Just out of curiosity, why did Kenny only join us so late in the close season that year? It would've been pretty close to the start of the season, why did we wait so long to get him? We’re Celtic playing silly buggers over the fee or something?

[kavah]

^ On Liverpool History; there was some back and forth about the fee and Man United were sniffing around too, handy that they were going through the Tommy Docherty sacking that summer

...Manchester United offered Dalglish more money but he preferred Liverpool. Paisley had contacted Jock Stein a year earlier when he heard that Dalglish wanted to go but Stein had said that he was going nowhere. Stein added that Paisley would be the first he would contact if he couldn’t talk Dalglish out of leaving. Stein kept his promise even though he was disappointed to be losing a player of his calibre. Liverpool initially offered £300,000. In the end Liverpool's offer had reached £400,000 after Stein had refused both £330,000 and £360,000. Stein still refused but added that if Liverpool were to offer 10% more they would reach an agreement. Liverpool Chairman John Smith nodded his head and Liverpool agreed on £440,000 which was then the record transfer fee between two British clubs. There was no doubt in Dalglish's mind. ...

https://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/287

[Linudden]

Is it fair to say that Kenny invented the false nine in the British game before it was officially a thing?

As a player, it's definitely possible that he was among the top three in the world at his peak.