Today, he got it all wrong. With expectations at the highest after a $70 Million+ transfer splash in the off-season, Kenny's lineup for the season opener at Anfield failed to match the electric atmosphere of Liverpool's die hard supporters.
Firstly, Kop favorite Dirk Kuyt started on the bench. Quite unusual, considering Kuyt in his 6th year at the club had only started on the bench a handful of times. Not only would he have matched Suarez's intensity, but would have also brought the house down with his energetic display. Also, as the designated penalty-kick taker after Captain Steven Gerard, Kuyt would have converted Suarez's poorly taken kick in the 7th minute of play.
Secondly, Flanagan had no business playing Right Back ahead of Martin Kelly. With England International Glenn Johnson nursing an injury, Kelly would have been the right choice to seal that position. As such, all the errors that resulted in good chances, and the goal for Sunderland came from Flanagan's inexperience at Right Back. To be fair, he's only 18 years old.
Lastly, Jordan Henderson was a very poor choice to start ahead of the likes of Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Raul Merieles, Alberto Aquilani and mostly, Jay Spearing. I watched him keenly during the per-season friendlies and he did exactly the same thing he did in those games today - nothing!
Perhaps, King Kenny felt there was some sentimental value in playing Henderson against his old club. He must have hoped that Henderson would be motivated to beat his old club. He was really a waste of 61 minutes of action.
Liverpool looked like the team we thought they would be in the first half, throwing everything at Sunderland. Arguably, they deserved to be three goals up with a man advantage by half time. Instead, Suarez squandered his own self-created penalty and Stewart Downings well timed run and strike cannoned off the bar. Suarez did make up for the miss to put Liverpool up in the 12th minute, to go into the half time break up a goal.
The second half was a complete tale of two halves, as Liverpool lost it's ways in the midfield and Sunderland capitalized to level with a brilliant strike from Seb Larsson. The introduction of Kuyt in the 61th minute and Merieles much later, failed to spark the Reds back to life. Even more disappointing, Kenny Dalglish did not use his finally sub to try to secure maximum points.
Not the start Liverpool fans expected. Not the start that would give hope to the faithful for a possible top-4 finish this campaign. Based on their second half display, Liverpool will be on the receiving end when the travel to Arsenal next week.
Kenny Dalgish has a week to get it right this time.
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