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LONDON: Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans has called on the critics to give under-fire Reds coach Kenny Dalglish more time to complete his rebuilding job at Anfield.
Dalglish's side have lost six of their last seven league matches and currently lie in eighth place, 16 points off the top four and 34 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.
It is the club's worst run since 1953 and it has been suggested by some that Liverpool legend Dalglish's struggles show he will be unable to recapture his former glories in his second spell in charge.
However, Evans -- who managed Liverpool between 1994 and 1998 and also served as a member of Dalglish's backroom staff in the 1980s -- is confident the Scot is still capable of bringing sustained success back to a club who won their last English league title under his leadership in 1990.
To back his belief in Dalglish, Evans points to Liverpool's League Cup final triumph against Cardiff and their progress to face Everton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley later this month.
“You have to be positive. You have to stick together in times like this, from the players, to the manager, the backroom staff and the supporters,” Evans told Liverpoolfc.tv.
“It is always a difficult time when you go through periods like this as a manager. Especially as, being manager of a club like Liverpool, you know what it means to the fans. They are suffering at the moment, and having a hard time of it. And they have every right to be critical. That is part of being a fan. But at the end of the day, Liverpool still have a chance of winning the FA Cup, to go alongside the League Cup. Kenny is not stupid, he knows that his team have not performed to their capabilities of late. The league position is not what anyone at the club wants it to be, make no mistake, but my message to the supporters would be to stick together, and try to stay behind the team for the rest of the season. Because the team, the players, the manager, they need fans' support at times like this.”
