Tommy Smith on LFC: Dalglish the right man to bring back Reds fight and team spirit

Jan 15 2011 Liverpool Echo

I’M glad the owners have made a painful but necessary change to the manager.

There is no question Kenny Dalglish was and is a winner. He was a great player and manager last time around and I am sure he will soon improve the team.

He will know that this squad needs new faces and I hope the owners back him and let him bring in the right players. But already one thing the new manager has spoken of is raising confidence and getting the lads playing for each other. That is so important to real success.

That sixties team Bill Shankly built and which I was fortunate to be part of was not just a team of great players – but great friends as well.

Shanks would take us up to Blackpool half a dozen times a season where we’d stick together overnight and enjoy a drink and a meal. Then on Sunday he’d join us in the sauna to talk things over and then we’d meet again on Monday at Melwood and keep talking.

The point being we all became really good mates. And if there was ever a fall out, it was tasty and Shanks loved it. He’d say ‘If you’re like that with each other, then God help the opposition this weekend’.

If Kenny can bring that spirit and togetherness in, as well as some much-needed new faces, then I’m sure he’ll do well this time around.