Sunderland's Bolo Zenden has joked his departure from Liverpool acted as the catalyst for their demise.
Former Liverpool midfielder bids to halt their recent good form
Sunderland's Bolo Zenden has joked his departure from Liverpool acted as the catalyst for their downward spiral.
The 34-year-old enjoyed two seasons at Anfield where he was a losing finalist in the UEFA Champions League final in 2007.
But last season Liverpool failed to finish in the top four which culminated in manager Rafa Benitez's dismissal.
Roy Hodgson was appointed in the summer but was replaced in January by Kenny Dalglish as caretaker manager.
And the former Dutch international admits he is surprised at the way their campaign has improved under the stewardship of their iconic leader.
Instability
"When I was there it was not too bad. There was no instability. I played in the Champions League final and because I left, everything collapsed after that!" said Zenden, with tongue firmly in cheek.
"When I was there everything was fine and we even got in the top four. But in the last year when Rafa Benitez left and Roy Hodgson came in, it seemed everything went a bit wrong.
"Every week there was talk of a takeover and then no takeover until finally the new owners came in, but obviously that affected the players.
"Then there was all the talk of a new stadium and although the first stone should have been laid two or three years ago, it has still not moved forward.
"It was in turmoil. That is why the results suffered, King Kenny has come in and Liverpool are playing again. The win over Manchester United will have given them a really positive vibe but we want to bring them down to earth."
Zenden has played under some of Europe's finest coaches during his distinguished that has included spells at Barcelona, Chelsea and Marseille, yet his admiration for Dalglish's impact at Anfield and his reputation is clear.
"To be able to come in and change things around in such a short space of time is already an amazing achievement. That is down to Dalglish and it has been impressive to see."
