Kenny Dalglish: Bottling it all up

Odd comments escaped Kenny Dalglish's mouth post Liverpool's 1-0 loss at Stoke City. The Scot said he has previously bitten his tongue over contentious refereeing calls, but will now consult with the Reds' owners with regards how to vent his ire which stems from what he feels to be controversy in each of his team's four league matches this season. There's a sense of the paranoia about his words, the Scot stating: "Every one [of the contentious decisions] has gone against us." No matter how ambiguous the intimation, to suggest there might be a conspiracy against Liverpool by officials is a strong and bold allegation to make. Still, it earned him a visit from referees' chief Mike Riley at Melwood this week.
It can be opined that most football fans feel, at one stage in the season, his/her club is victim of not getting the decisions their way. This is not isolated to Liverpool. Perhaps Daglish's comments were barbed, thought out to offer distraction - almost Sir Alex Ferguson-like - from a disappointing loss that was down to a lack of clinical finishing rather than penalty appeals. Maybe he's just feeling the strain, as hope turns into expectation. Their next acid test is Tottenham away on Sunday, the Reds having performed well in their last trip to North London when their passage to victory versus Arsenal was paved via an opener that was offside. Oh.

Steve Bruce: Dead man walking

That the story of club-record £13 million addition Asamoah Gyan joining Al-Ain on loan emerged only a few hours prior to Sunderland's home meeting with Chelsea last Saturday was unfortunate timing for Bruce, for it provided cynics with another stick with which to prod the Wearsiders' boss in his post-match press conference following a 2-1 loss. Sunderland were expected to lose, and the scoreline was not shameful, yet the outcome furred decaying home form that has seen the club lose eight out of their previous nine league matches on home turf.
The number of empty red seats against Chelsea (one of the 'big four') was eye-opening, with an attendance figure of 36,699 - the Stadium of Light's capacity is 49,000 - indicative of the loss of faith in the side. A home meeting with Stoke City on Sunday seems unlikely to yield a greater stream of supporters through the turnstiles. While the faith in Bruce from the fans appears to be fading, the powers that be have indicated this week that they continue to back their manager.
However, the evidence against Bruce is mounting. His win percentage in charge of Sunderland now reads 30% - the worst of his managerial career - and he is currently second-favourite with the bookmakers to be the next top-flight manager to feel the chop. Norwich away and then West Brom at home follows Stoke. These are three games where something of a return is expected to help relieve the pressure on Bruce, who, with Gyan gone, will look to loan signing Nicklas Bendtner to realise his ego, for better or worse.