Their solution in both cases has been to fire the manager: Red Sox manager Terry Francona was let go in October and today, they dumped Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, who was in his second stint in charge of the club he was a star player for back in the day.
Liverpool ended a six-year trophy drought with a League Cup in February (giving them a Europa League berth) but they lost in the FA Cup to Chelsea a few weeks ago and were a mediocre 14-14-10, 17 points behind fourth-place Tottenham. Just as bad for Liverpool fans, their beloved team was behind Everton in the standings for the first time since 2005 and only the second time since 1987.
"Results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change," Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said.
That decision was taken after Dalglish flew to Boston this week for an end-of-season review with the Boston Red Sox ownership group, which owns Liverpool.
"Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honorable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved," Dalglish said.
"I said when first approached about coming back as manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same," he added.
Dalglish first left Liverpool in 1991 due to stress, less than a year after delivering the team's 18th -- and most recent -- top-flight title triumph in 1990.
He was brought back to Anfield after a 20-year absence to replace Roy Hodgson in January 2011, when the club was in danger of being relegated from the top flight after being bought by the Fenway Sports Group.
After lifting Liverpool from its perilous position to fifth place, Dalglish was given a three-year contract at the end of the season.
"Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him," Werner said. "He didn't ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year and a half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude."
Owner John Henry also paid tribute to Dalglish.
"Kenny will always be more than a championship-winning manager, more than a championship-winning star player," Henry said. "He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the Club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield.
"Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months."
The Red Sox and Liverpool have both faltered in part due to inattentive owners who split their time between these two very important franchises that deserve way more attention and energy. The fact that they flew Dalglish all the way across the world to Boston last week, only to fire him today shows a little glimpse of how inconsiderate Werner and Henry have become. If you're a fan of either of these teams, the only hope is that they sell off their shares in them. Sadly, that far-fetched dream is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
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