Time to crack the whip
Mostly, he’s had to defend Andy Carroll, whose touches were laughed at by the home fans at the Reebok, but Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson have also needed his support.
Dalglish has been telling us Carroll’s lifestyle is fantastic and that Downing is an even better player than he thought he was when he paid £20m for him, and every time he has to say something like this a little bit more of his dignity drains away.
It is now plain that these players have not responded to Dalglish’s love and forbearance. In that case it is time to see if they can be inspired by fear. Cracking the whip mightn’t make them play any better, but it will at least make the fans feel better to know they’re being punished.
