LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom, Dec 25, (AFP): Kenny Dalglish has leapt to the defence of Blackburn manager Steve Kean as Liverpool’s Luis Suarez prepares for his first Anfield game since receiving an eight-match ban from the Football Association.
Suarez, who is set to appeal the suspension for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, is still eligible to play as his ban has yet to come into force.
The Uruguay striker featured in the goalless stalemate with Wigan on Wednesday — the day after the suspension was announced — and is again set to play against Blackburn, the Premier League’s bottom club, on Monday.
But there will be just as much attention on beleaguered Kean as there will be on Suarez after a dreadful run of form which has left Blackburn fans calling ever louder for the manager to be sacked.
Earlier in the season Kean said he was willing to meet disgruntled fans to outline his plans for the future.
But the Scot now believes his safety could be at risk if such a meeting took place.
Liverpool manager Dalglish, who masterminded Blackburn’s Premier League title success in 1995, admits the situation at his former club is ‘sad’ but believes Kean needs support — not abuse.
“They are under a lot of pressure and the frustration is understandable in many ways,” said Dalglish. “But I don’t think it is helpful and I think it is sad really that it has come to that, but that is the way it is.
“I think it is unfortunate that as a manager you know that results are going to count and if you don’t get them then you are running the risk of getting your P45 (sacked).
“Results aren’t purely down to what the manager does, he needs support from the players, owners and certainly the crowd.”

Having dropped points at lowly Wigan in midweek, Dalglish is demanding his side return to winning ways as Liverpool seek to keep their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League alive.
Captain Steven Gerrard could return from his two-month injury absence from an infected ankle.
Midfielder Gerrard, 31, has appeared in just five matches this campaign as a result of injuries, but he is back in training and stands a chance of featuring against Blackburn.
“He’s been training, but whether that means he’s ready or not, we’ll have to wait and see,” added Dalglish, who has midfielder Jay Spearing available after suspension.
Meanwhile, Kean’s future could be decided over the course of the next few days with Blackburn facing a daunting match against Manchester United on December 31 after Liverpool.
“It’s not a nice place we find ourselves in at the moment,” said Kean, who was appointed a year ago after Blackburn’s Indian owners Venky’s sacked Sam Allardyce.
“I’ll take the responsibility for that, I’ll never shirk away from that or duck that. The players are giving me everything they can.
“It’s been tough. It’s never easy when you’re getting a bit of stick but it’s part of the job.
“There’s plenty of people who have got stick over the years from fans and months later the fans are singing your name. That’s football.”

Blackburn could be without first-choice keeper Paul Robinson who has a small tear in his calf muscle while Sweden international Martin Olsson (hamstring) has not recovered as quickly as anticipated.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has warned his team-mates against complacency as they prepare to face a shellshocked Fulham side in a Boxing Day derby on Monday.
The Blues could not have picked a better time to face the Cottagers, who are reeling after suffering their heaviest ever home defeat last week, a 5-0 thrashing by Manchester United.
Yet Cech has urged his team-mates to disregard Fulham’s recent problems as Andre Villas-Boas’s men look to pick up three points in order to stay in touch with the league leaders.
“We can’t look too much at the table, we need to keep going step by step, try to win our games and try to catch up as many points as we can,” Cech said.
“We depend on everybody else, so it’s up to them how they are going to do but we just need to keep winning our games. Fulham will be a difficult game because they lost 5-0 at home in their last game.
“It’s a big London derby and they will want to bounce back, so Chelsea is a great motivation to say sorry to their supporters after Man United but we are in a situation where we need to keep winning.”
Villas-Boas heads into the game trying to juggle a growing central defensive crisis that has seen him open talks with Bolton about a move for Gary Cahill.

The injury to Branislav Ivanovic during the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotpsur last week means John Terry is the Blues’ only fully fit centre back ahead of the meeting with Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
That will only strengthen Villas-Boas’s resolve to complete a deal for England defender Cahill - out of contract at the end of the season - as quickly as possible next month.
Until the window opens, however, Villas-Boas will be forced to improvise unless David Luiz recovers from a knee injury in time to face Fulham in a game Chelsea must win to maintain their title hopes.
The point gained at White Hart Lane left Villas-Boas’s side 11 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
And while Chelsea will expect to beat a Fulham side in the doldrums following the United drubbing, a makeshift backline will do little to enhance their chances of victory.
Villas-Boas insists there is no way back for the transfer-listed Alex and is likely to use Paulo Ferreira or Oriol Romeu alongside Terry.
Frank Lampard could return to the starting line-up in place of Ramires after the Brazil midfielder collected his fifth booking of the season.
Fulham sit just four points above the bottom three and, having also exited the Europa League, are in desperate need of a lift.

The performance against United drew widespread criticism but manager Martin Jol insists his side can turn things around quickly.
“I don’t think we are lacking confidence, it’s about teamwork. If you work as a team, we are good and our goal difference has shown that — that’s probably been a big plus for us this season.
“But that is something we destroyed on Wednesday with the five goals. If you play as a team, you don’t concede goals and you always get your chances.”
Jol has no new injury worries and he may well opt to restore Bobby Zamora to the starting line-up after starting the England forward on the bench against United.
Left back John Arne Riise said: “We have Chelsea on Sunday then Norwich and Arsenal, so we just have to look at what we did wrong, pick ourselves up fast and improve.”
“We will lift our heads up, focus on the things we’ve done right in the last few weeks, work hard and stick together.”
Meanwhile, Everton coach David Moyes says Martin O’Neill has proved his managerial skills in just three weeks in the Sunderland hotseat.
Former Celtic and Aston Villa boss O’Neill ended 16 months out of the game by succeeding Steve Bruce earlier this month.
Two wins in three games have moved the Black Cats out of the drop zone and Moyes does not think that is a coincidence.
Moyes, whose men face Sunderland on Wearside on Monday, said: “What would you expect Martin to do? You would expect him to come in and make an improvement. He has already done that.
“It is the mark of a really good manager, someone who can come in and make a difference right away.”
Moyes, in charge at Goodison Park for a decade, believes O’Neill’s recent break from the game has likely been a bonus.
“I think once you have been out of it and you come back, you are full of it.
“No matter what job you are in, if somebody says you can have a break and you don’t need to work, when you come back it is great, I am sure.
“It has suited Martin. I am not saying it would suit me or anyone else.”
Everton are currently only three points clear of their rivals but have a good record against Sunderland, having not lost in their 13 previous meetings, winning 10 of them.
With the transfer window looming Moyes says his options are limited.
“Agents are ringing up now and some of the names they are putting in are ridiculous — far too much money for players who are well past it or not at the level we expect.
“If we can get someone who can score goals, that is what we need,” added Moyes, in recognition that his side have scored just 17 goals in 16 league games.
Sunderland defender Wes Brown meanwhile says the same players who got Sunderland into early-season problems can bring about a resurgence.
Brown scored a late winner at QPR in midweek to lift the Black Cats clear of the drop zone and insists: “We have always had it. The players haven’t changed, we have always had it in the team. We managed to get that break on Wednesday night, and hopefully we can carry on from there and have a good Christmas period.”