• Premier League

Liverpool owner hails genius of Ferguson

ESPN staff
October 14, 2011
John W Henry is delighted with the progress of Liverpool © PA Photos
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Liverpool owner John W Henry has described Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as a "genius", but claims he is happy that his gamble on Kenny Dalglish has paid off.

United face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in one of the biggest games of the season and it will pitch old rivals Daglish and Ferguson against each other. United are six points clear of the Reds after a fine start to the season, but Henry feels Liverpool are on the right path under Dalglish.

Henry's Fenway Sports Group took control of Liverpool 12 months ago and the "blueprint" was, following the departure of Roy Hodgson, to bring in a younger manager. But the American has admitted that while Dalglish was seen as a stop-gap appointment, it quickly became apparent that he was the right man for the job.

"Initially the blueprint was for a younger manager," Henry told the Daily Telegraph. "You want to have long-term stability in as much as the staff as possible.

"I had been talking with Kenny about philosophy and initially he was brought aboard just for the remainder of last season. But it became obvious that he was the right man to lead the club.

"I wasn't convinced when we arrived that Kenny should be back managing and I wanted things to work with the manager we inherited. But the fans knew much more than I did. It took me a while to get up to speed.

"Then Ian Ayre was a catalyst. Damien [Comolli] was a gamble. Kenny was a gamble. But they were both calculated gambles."

The clash at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime will be a gauge as to where Liverpool stand in the Premier League pecking order, but Henry feels they are still lagging behind United.

"We are still a long way behind them," Henry said. "They were well set up going into this year and then were able to insert great, young players. Mr Ferguson is a genius.

"By the time we made the purchase we were aware of a lot of bad contracts and the fact that it could take years to get the club back where it needed to be.

"Overall there has been progress. But there is still a lot of work to be done."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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