Three options to get the Reds back on track:
Option One
Continue with the current blueprint, and have faith in their long term plan of investing in young players who will eventually come good, given the appropriate amount of time to develop.
That would see Dalglish given a budget of around £20-30million in the summer to spend on two or three medium profile, young additions to the squad, to compete with the players already there and help them develop into a side capable of contending for a top four finish.
There is still a strong school of thought within the club that the young players purchased over the past year at great expense are yet to settle in properly, and will come good given more time and sensible management.
The available money would be invested in a striker capable of producing the goals Dalglish believes has been the difference this season between a top four finish and the eighth position Liverpool currently occupy.
Option Two
Invest a significantly greater amount of money - upwards of £60million - in high profile signings who can make a more immediate impact and lift the current squad from their obvious problems.
That idea doesn’t fit comfortably with the philosophy or instincts of Werner and Henry, who prefer to spend sensibly within their means, and invest in youthful promise rather than top end priced talent.
They may though, be presented with a fait accompli forcing them to pursue this option, if striker Luis Suarez follows up on his public admiration of Paris St Germain with a desire to move there in the summer.
If Suarez wanted to leave - and Liverpool’s failure to secure Champions’ League football for a third consecutive season could yet provoke such a desire - then the Reds could raise upwards of £40million to add to the money already available.
Add to that sums accumulated from the sale of the likes of Joe Cole, Alberto Aquilani and Maxi Rodriguez and there could be as much as £80million to spend on revitalising the team in the summer.
Option Three
It is unlikely Dalglish would be sacked, but replacing him would require a high profile, high calibre alternative who would need to be heavily financed in transfer fees and wages
It will clearly be a summer of pivotal importance to the future of Liverpool Football Club, and the owners will not rush into such far-reaching decisions, allowing Dalglish the time to turn things around with an FA Cup triumph.
But a new sense of discipline and urgency will also be instilled in the players, following their shocking display at Newcastle at the weekend.
The owners though, are still clinging to the sentiment voiced by Jamie Carragher before the weekend, when he urged calm over the future of Dalglish. “People need to remember the club was on its knees when Kenny took over again as manager,” he said.
“Everyone knew this season was all about rebuilding the team and bringing a lot of new playing staff to make an improvement. It was never going to happen immediately.”
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