• Premier League

Hansen fears Liverpool exodus

Alan Hansen has warned that Liverpool will struggle to keep hold of their best players following the dismissal of Kenny Dalglish.

Dalglish was sacked as manager after less than 18 months in charge on Wednesday following a disappointing Premier League campaign that saw the Reds finish eighth.

Despite winning the Carling Cup and reaching the final of the FA Cup, owner John W Henry wielded the axe, with Liverpool now looking for their fourth manager in two years, following the departures of Roy Hodgson and Rafa Benitez.

But former Liverpool defender Hansen, who won eight league titles at Anfield, fears a number of key players may follow Dalglish out of Anfield.

"My concern is that Liverpool will face a problem in keeping hold of their best players now that Kenny has gone," Hansen wrote in his Daily Telegraph column. "In my opinion, the likes of Luis Suarez, Pepe Reina, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger would be more likely to stay at the club under Kenny Dalglish than anybody else.

"Throughout last season, it was clear that the players were 100 per cent behind Kenny and, when a manager goes, it always leads to uncertainty and confusion. But the owners now have to quickly find a new man and go about identifying new players and keeping those already there because the new season is only 10 weeks away."

Hansen believes the new manager faces a tough task to steer the club back into the Champions League, and has warned the danger of changing managers too frequently.

"In making the change, Liverpool's owners have set the bar high for whoever comes in by making it clear that they are determined to get the club back into the Champions League," he said. "Kenny has a trophy this season and finished eighth, so what will happen in 12 months' time if the new man finishes seventh and wins nothing?

"If you are looking for stability, then you cannot find that by changing key personnel on a regular basis."

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