There is nobody alive today who has done more to make Liverpool Football Club what it is, who plays a bigger role in its history and identity, and who we would have more wanted to see succeed as its manager. There is nobody who deserves more for what he's given to the club both on and off the pitch, and those who would call themselves fans only to toss out easy insults and quick dismissals make themselves look nothing but foolish while diminishing the club they claim to support.
And yet mistakes have been made. Many of which we've talked about in recent days and many more which have been discussed ad nauseum over the course of the season. Many of which have led to serious doubts as to whether Kenny Dalglish could lead Liverpool to success in the league and Europe given the current state of the game.
We would have wanted nothing more than for Dalglish to quash those fears and doubts if given further chance, though we cannot pretend those fears and doubts did not exist. The only thing we are certain of is that he deserves a great deal of respect—and a great deal more respect than he has received from many as Liverpool's league season deteriorated. Questions and concerns are always worth voicing, but personal attacks that show a disgusting ignorance of the club's history have at times been tied to legitimate complaint, and those guilty of doing such will always have cause for feelings of guilt.
Of course, one expects most of them will in no way feel guilty for their actions. The rest of us, however, those who have doubted and questioned while trying to preserve something of the respect Dalglish deserves, undoubtedly will. Though nothing is official yet, by all reports his second spell in charge of Liverpool Football Club is now over.
Whether it will turn out to be the right decision will not be clear for some time. Whether it is the right decision or not, this is a sad day and sad turn of events for the club.
Updates will follow after the jump, as there's likely to be plenty.
**Update** Noel and I will be sharing the wealth over the next while---there's still not anything from the club or FSG, but with every media outlet confirming that he's gone, in addition to each member of the Dalglish family tweeting their condolences, we can safely say that Kenny Dalglish is no longer Liverpool manager.
**Update** And now the offal has tweeted there will be an official statement soon:
**Update** FSG confirm that Kenny Dalglish leaves his post as Liverpool manager:
John Henry: "Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player. He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the Club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield.
"Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this Club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months."
Tom Werner: "Kenny came into the Club as Manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. He didn't ask to be Manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the Club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.
"However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.
"We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great Club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs."
**Update** Kenny Dalglish's quotes from the offal, which crashed due to traffic is now back up:
"It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to come back to Liverpool Football Club as Manager. I greatly appreciate the work that Steve, Kevin, the players and all of the staff put in during my time and feel proud that we delivered the Club's first trophy in six years winning the Carling Cup and came close to a second trophy in the FA Cup Final. Of course I am disappointed with results in the league, but I would not have swapped the Carling Cup win for anything as I know how much it meant to our fans and the Club to be back winning trophies.
"Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honourable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when they arrived here.
"I would like to thank all of the staff at the Club for their effort and loyalty. I said when first approached about coming back as Manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same.
"Finally, I want to put on record my heartfelt gratitude to Liverpool's fans, who have always given me and the Club their unwavering support. Without them neither the Club nor I would have achieved anything."
**Update** Plenty of speculation that Ian Ayre has also been dismissed, but nothing confirmed. If so, that leaves the club without a Manager, Director of Football, and Managing Director ahead of a summer that was expected to see major changes.
So actually I guess that's already started.
**Update** As I noted above, Noel and I will be going back and forth with updates as needed. For whatever reason I was switched over to admin, but worth noting that all the content before the fold is his, on the off chance anyone thought I had anything profound to say for once.
I don't.
**Update** Changes not done yet, with Tony Barrett's tweet below indicating that Steve Clarke is now gone as well:
**Update** Noel's gonna take it from here for a little while on a strange, emotional day for Liverpool.
**Update** It appears as though that may do it for major developments for the time being at least, though that may be down to the proverbial tea lady being top of the organisational flow chart at Anfield at the moment. We'll be along with more when—or perhaps if—we manage to more fully digest what has happened today.