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The former Liverpool and Real Madrid winger was impressed with the output during the second half of last campign from the Reds under the guidance of Kenny Dalglish.
However, having played under the tutelage of Dalglish during the early days of his Anfield career, McManaman insists there was no surprise in the impact of the Scot
He said: “I joined as an apprentice when I was 16 and Kenny signed me as a pro two years later. It was Kenny who gave me my chance and I learned a lot from him. He has this great way of dealing with people. Whether it’s the person who works in reception or the guy on the car park, everyone has a high opinion of him.
“Players love playing for him and he commands respect. He was a great player himself so he’s been there and done it. He knows what works and what doesn’t work.
“People I speak to at the club now talk about how much the atmosphere has changed. They are more relaxed.
“Kenny has also brought back the old Liverpool values which were so admired. Everything is done behind closed doors and what goes on in the dressing room stays in there.
“All that combined makes for a happy group of players and when you’ve got that you find they try more for the manager.”
Many critics raised an eyebrow at the return of Dalglish due to his last managerial role falling 11 years ago (Celtic), but according to many Dalglish never really left the game, and returned to Liverpool in 2009 as the club’s ambassador.
“Kenny might not have been a manager for a long time but he certainly hadn’t been out of the game,” added McManaman.
“I spoke to him before he got the job in January and his knowledge of football around Europe was fantastic. He was the logical choice for me – other candidates were not good enough or big enough to manage Liverpool Football Club.
“It’s a huge club and it needs a huge manager. Kenny is the right man and despite all the advances in technology and sports science, there’s still room for an old school manager.
“Kenny got the team playing. It was great to see and I really hope it’s the start of a new era. People talk about cycles and Liverpool are on the way back up.
“It’s hard to say what’s realistic next season as there’s a lot of business to be done before the action starts. But with another three or four new faces Liverpool should certainly be challenging for the top four.”
Tags: Anfield, Barclays Premier League highlights, Jordan Henderson, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool, Luis Suarez, Steve McManaman, Steven Gerrard
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