Dalglish rightly remains the only name on Red lips

IT would appear that, for once, Liverpool fans are not going to do as Kenny Dalglish has asked.

Dalglish is the number one icon in the history of the club. Bill Shankly runs him close for that accolade, as does Bob Paisley, but nobody is loved more than the Scotsman, who continues to revolutionise Liverpool’s season.

Their comfortable rout of Birmingham City on Saturday, led brilliantly by a Maxi Rodriguez hat-trick and supplemented with another goal from Dirk Kuyt and a morale boosting finish for Joe Cole, offered further proof that Dalglish has brought the midas touch back to Anfield with him after replacing Roy Hodgson in January.

He is more than delighted to be back in charge — and it is only a matter of time until his caretaker status is replaced with a permanent deal — he just wishes Liverpool’s blindly devoted fans would share their affections with others.

“It is humbling when they chant my name but it would be better for me if they chanted the players’ names,” Dalglish said, after listening to his name ring out over Anfield for virtually all of this game.

“The players are the ones who are doing the business on the pitch.

“I said if I could come back and help I would do.

“They asked and I have come and if I helped and the supporters have enjoyed it then so have I.

“On my own situation, there is nothing to be announced. For me, it is an honour to be here and an honour to have been asked.”

It was also an honour to be at Anfield on a bright Saturday afternoon as well.

With Andy Carroll injured, Dalglish turned to Rodriguez in a bid to keep Liverpool’s attacking mentality alive but nobody, and perhaps not even the Argentinian himself, expected him to walk off with the match ball.

But that is what life at Liverpool is like at the moment. Anything feels possible, there is a complete joie de vivre about the style of play and the atmosphere around the squad and there seems little doubt that Dalglish has taken the first steps in the 1,000-mile trip it will take to get Liverpool back to the summit of English football.

“If you are not enjoying scoring goals and winning matches, then you have a problem,” Dalglish rightly pointed out.

“I thought it was fantastic the way they celebrated Joe’s goal in the same way they celebrated Maxi’s goals.

“They shared in his enjoyment and that is good for us to have it in the squad.”

It took Rodriguez just seven minutes to write the script for the day as he was the first to pounce when a Jay Spearing effort slipped from Ben Foster’s grasp.

He calmly slotted home before Kuyt gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead after 23 minutes when a fine double save from Foster could still not prevent the ball breaking free to the Dutchman, who swept in his seventh goal in six Premier League games.

The way Kuyt has been scoring for fun recently adds more weight to the notion that Dalglish has freed this Liverpool squad up to play with more verve and adventure and with smiles, rather than frowns, etched on their faces.

Birmingham lost Foster before the break to a back injury and replacement Colin Doyle had an equally bad day at the office.

Liverpool’s grins grew even larger after the break when the sublime Luis Suarez — who was as unselfish as he was hardworking — charged down the wing and delivered a wonderful ball into the box that Rodriguez calmly finished.

Doyle then failed to hold on to a stinging shot that allowed the Argentinian to finish the rebound from a tight angle and snaffle an unlikely hat-trick.

Liverpool were still not finished though as Birmingham’s beaten and bedraggled defence ceded once more to allow substitute Cole to squirm an effort over the line just 90 seconds after coming on.

The final whistle could not come quickly enough for Birmingham. As for Liverpool, they must be wishing this season could last forever.

And Dalglish had better either get used to hearing his name being sung or buy some earplugs. Because on days like this, all the plaudits he received are more than justified.

“Kenny has come in, and put a smile on their faces,” Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish said.

“When you have been through some bad results, then confidence is low, and he has got them laughing again, which is important.

“Kenny has got an aura, there’s no doubt about it.

“The players are respectful of him, they accept whatever he says, and the attention they give him when he shouts from the touchline shows it’s there.

“Kenny’s back with a bang. We are better than we showed today, but good luck to Kenny. I couldn’t see any way he won’t get the job full-time.”