Ranking Kenny Dalglish's 11 signings in his second spell at Liverpool

King Kenny Dalglish returned to Liverpool as manager in 2011 at a very strange time for the club.

Dalglish took over as goalkeeper after Roy Hodgson was sacked midway through the 2011-12 season, but was then given the job permanently in the summer only for the Reds to finish eighth in 2012-13 .

It certainly wasn't just his fault, of course, and they won the League Cup and made the League Cup final, but some of the signings made during Dalglish's tenure went wrong. Here, we've ranked them all 11 from worst to best.

11. Andy Carroll

It's a testament to the hyperinflation of the transfer market since 2011 that £35m doesn't seem so important anymore. Fred, Granit Xhaka and Eliaquim Mangala have all made Premier League transfers for many more since then.

But at the time, midway through the 2010-11 season, £35million to sign Andy Carroll from Newcastle was a genuine 'the world has gone mad' moment. p>

The Reds opted to use most of the funds they received from Chelsea for Fernando Torres on the tall, ponytailed centre-forward, who was building a reputation as a promising young player after helping his club d Newcastle's childhood on being promoted in 2010 and impressing in the early months of their return to the Premier League.

Needless to say, it's a gamble that didn't pay off. He scored just six goals in 44 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, having scored 11 in 19 for Newcastle.

At least he did that.

10. Charlie Adam

Adam was brilliant at Blackpool and could certainly pick a pass, but he was no Liverpool player.

At least it only cost £5m.

9. Stewart Downing

It's the kind of signature that can go both ways.

On the one hand, players like James Milner and Gareth Barry have proven themselves not just as stable English professionals, but as players who could make the leap to a team with title ambitions after years work in the Premier League.

On the other hand, some stable English professionals were playing at the right level from the start. And Downing was probably at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa.

The winger scored three goals and provided seven assists in 40 Premier League appearances for the Reds and was soon transferred to West Ham.

8. Joao Teixeira

Joining Sporting Lisbon's academy as teenagers in 2012, unfortunately for Liverpool, they didn't have their own answer to Cristiano Ronaldo.

While the winger showed a lot of early promise, being named Liverpool Academy Player of the Year in the 2014-15 season, his senior career at Liverpool wasn't all that great, only making only two Premier League appearances. 7. Doni

Dalglish carried the torch of Rafael Benitez's proud tradition of signing goalkeepers who barely played for the club.

Doni, a former Brazil international, joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2011. But he couldn't replace Pepe Reina, and his Liverpool career amounted to four appearances in total.

6. Sebastien Coates

A team-mate to Luis Suarez in the Uruguayan national team, Coates failed to really make a name for himself at Anfield. Hampered by a knee injury, he made just seven Premier League appearances in his debut season, which was the most he had ever made.

He only cost around £7million, but Liverpool still had to knock him down when they sold him to Sunderland after four years.

5. Jose Enrique

The left-back has been a good servant to Newcastle United and played a big part in their promotion to the Premier League in 2010, playing well afterwards as they re-established themselves in the top flight.

But Liverpool never really saw the best of him, and his most memorable outing for the club was his return to St James Park in 2012. Newcastle hosted Enrique and Carroll with a 2-0 victory, and the Spaniard was forced into the net for the last 10 minutes after Reina's dismissal.

To put salt in the wounds, Alan Pardew's Magpies finished three places and 13 points ahead of Liverpool that season.

4. Danny Ward

Danny Ward spent six years on the books for Liverpool but only made three appearances for the club.

But if nothing else, it turned out to be a bargain. The keeper was signed for just £100,000 by Wrexham in 2012, impressed on loan when Huddersfield promoted to the Premier League, and has since been sold for £12m to Leicester City.

He could actually play for the Foxes now, after Kasper Schmeic...