Former-Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has hit back at critics claiming his second stint at Anfield was a disaster and despite finishing eighth in the Premier League, Dalglish has said that winning the Carling Cup was better than reaching the Champions League.
Back in January 2011, Dalglish made the shock return to Anfield as the new manager of Liverpool, but just 16-months later, he was sacked.
However, the former-boss has said that he believes his stint was successful because they won the Carling Cup and also reached the final of the FA Cup, which they lost to Chelsea.
The league form was one of the reasons Dalglish lost his job as Liverpool finished eighth, below rivals Everton, but despite the poor league position, King Kenny as he is known has defended the job he did at Anfield.
Dalglish told the Mirror: ‘What those boys achieved in 2012 was fantastic. To win the Carling Cup and to get to an FA Cup Final was beyond any expectations.
‘People will turn around and say we finished eighth in the league, but how many points would you swap for three Wembley trips (including the FA Cup semi-final win over (Everton)?
‘Because of the cup runs, it was probably a reason why the league results were not what we had hoped for, but the lads were fantastic and that can only stand them in good stead.’
He then added: ‘Nowadays it’s also a success to finish in the top four and get into the Champions League.
‘It might be more rewarding to qualify in Europe after finishing fourth, but who remembers that game when you finished fourth to get there?
‘Winning a cup final against Cardiff at Wembley and walking away with the Carling Cup was a day to remember.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
