Dalglish Out at Liverpool - NYTimes.com Liverpool fired Manager Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday, days after the club staggered to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. "After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the Club came to the decision that a change was appropriate," Liverpool said in a statement. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily. Dalglish is one of the most popular figures in Liverpool history, a beloved former player who was in his second stint as manager. He was at the helm for Liverpool's last top-flight title, in 1990, before quitting. This season was not a complete loss - Dalglish led the Reds to victory in the Carling Cup, Liverpool's first trophy in six years and its ticket to the Europa League next season, and to the final of the F.A. Cup, which the club lost to Chelsea. But in his 18 months in charge, and especially this season, Liverpool seemed incapable of doing anything but tie at home, and it didn't play much better on the road. In fact, Liverpool only earned two more points this season at Anfield, once the most feared place to visit in the league, than it did away from home. "I 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," Dalglish told Liverpool's Web site. 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. The club's owners, saying a change was needed, were nonetheless effusive in their praise of Dalglish. 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. 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. Firing Dalglish was the second major leadership change for the Fenway Sports Group in a year. Last fall, they fired another popular manager, Terry Francona, after the Red Sox missed the playoffs. The question now is: who is the British Bobby Valentine?