The next Liverpool FC manager?

Yesterday the somewhat turbulent history of Liverpool FC took yet another dramatic turn.

Kenny Dalglish was given the boot after just 16 months at the helm. After not winning the FA Cup final and ending the Premier League season on a low, with 8. position, winning the Carling Cup wasn’t enough to save him the job. 

Now the race is on to find his successor, and a number of names have been mentioned.

According to Sky Sports Ian Ayre says no one has been contacted about the vacant management job. But who know what’s going on behind the scenes? 

The Independent claims Liverpool’s American owners the past two weeks have made contact with Andre Villas-Boas in an attempt to establish his interest in taking over at Anfield.

- Villas-Boas follows football, but there have not been any official offers for him yet, his agent, Carlos Goncalves told the website Calciomercatoweb.

- If an interesting project comes about then we will certainly take it into consideration, he continued, and wouldn’t Liverpool be just that?

Former Liverpool FC legend John Barnes thinks Villas-Boas would do a good job if appointed.

- His footballing philosophy and his style of play fit. He proved he could win things at Porto. He was at the right club at the wrong time with Chelsea. There were a lot of problems for him there because of the older players. He is a proven manager and he would be coming into a humbler squad than the one at Chelsea if he came to Liverpool, Barnes told The Daily Post.

Elsewhere Dave Whelan has confirmed to The Times that LFC have asked for permission to speak to Roberto Martinez, the Wigan manager.

According to Goal.com Martinez is scheduled to fly to Boston next week to begin negotiations with Fenway Sports Group. They claim Martinez could be confirmed as the new Liverpool manager by next week should talks progress smoothly.

In addition their claim is that Andre Villas-Boas is considered the back-up for Liverpool if an agreement cannot be reached with Martinez.

Other names being mentioned today are Brendan Rodgers, Frank Rijkard and former manager Rafa Benitez.

Kenny's back, but who's next?

The Liverpool Hodgson nightmare is finaly over! With the FA Cup game against Manchester United coming up, and Hodgson yesterday cancelling the planned press conference. A few hours later he was fired.

 
A punter had even put up a £2.000 bet on Roy Hodgson to be sacked as Liverpool boss, and will today be a happy man...

I want to congratulate the Liverpool FC board with finaly taking the correctdecision. The enormous pressure that was on Hodgson had to end with him leaving. The fact that Kenny Dalglish is back in the manager's chair willhopefully give a boost to the team.

The question is whether the caretaker role is intended to be temporary, or whether Dalglish will remain even after the summer, if he gets good results.  

Say for example that he manages to lift the Reds to a place in the Champions League? Would it then be natural that he again retired - to a place on the board?

Anyway it was a correct desicion to remove Hodgson now. The time had come for the worst first half of the season since 1953/54.

But old heroes are not the way to go for the long-term future. You have to bring in a younger, dedicated manager who can make Liverpool play exciting, attacking football.

An intriguing alternative is emerging National Team Cach for Norway, Ståle Solbakken. The current coach of FC Copenhagen has taken his team to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in the history of Danish football.

Right now the most mentioned names for the hot seat in the next season is Andre Villas Boas, Frank Rijkaard, Ralf Rangnick, Jurgen Klopp, Didier Deschamps and Owen Coyle - together with the young Norwegian.

With both Rijkaard and Deschamps saying that they are not in for the job Solbakken is my favorite!

Kenny Dalglish to be installed as caretaker manager?

It seems Roy Hodgsons days as Liverpool manager very soon may be numbered.

In an Telegraph "Exclusive" writer Rory Smith reveals that the Liverpool owners are so determined to end Roy Hodgson’s reign, that they will install Kenny Dalglish as caretaker manager.

Before Saturday's game against Bolton Hodgson had spoken to the owners. When questioned whether he had their support, Hodgson replied: "I guess so".

Also he was saying: "They wished me good luck and sympathised with the frustration I must be feeling after Wednesday night".

It seems that might have been the owners last famous pat on his shoulder...

Originaly the owners had hoped to make the first managerial appointment of their reign a permanent one. They are believed to have examined the credentials of a number of candidates, including the Porto manager Andre Villas Boas and Marseille’s Didier Deschamps, the paper reports.

But now it seems they are prepared to delay the search for his long-term successor until the summer and install a caretaker until June, raising the prospect of an emotional return to the club for Kenny Dalglish.

Despite Saturday win over Bolton, Hodgson’s persistent failure to elicit consistent results and performances from his team, as well as the breakdown of his relationship with the club’s fans, has convinced Fenway Sports Group to bring forward their initial plan to review his position in the summer.

Dalglish was hoping to be offered the manager’s job this summer, after the dismissal of Rafael Benitez, informing the club’s then hierarchy that he would happily take charge until owners to replace the despised regime of Tom Hicks and George Gillett could be found. But Hodgson was the choice of Hick & Gillett. 

Now it seems we will finaly might be given another manager at Anfield for the next half of the season. And if my predictions are true, it will be a period of test for the old King of Anfield. If he is successful, he might be given more than that half season...?

The next Anfield manager?

It appears to be only a matter of time before Roy Hodgson is fired as manager of Liverpool FC.

Hodgson himself says he will never quit the job, even having to aplogise to the Liverpool fans for his comments in the wake of Wednesday's desperate home defeat by Wolves. 

There even has been made a petition directed at owners Fenway Sports Group - led by John Henry and Tom Werner - calling for Hodgson to be removed immediately.
 
If I am to judge by all the rumors that abound right now, it seems the Bolton game on new years day will be make or break for him, with Kenny Dalglish looming in the wings as caretaker manager for the rest of the season.

According to The Glasgow Evening Times Hodgson has been handed a two-week ultimatum to save his job.

If we are to belive Dominic King of the Da|ily Mail Damien Comolli is responsible for identifying the next Anfield boss.

 Rafa Benitez are not under consideration to take over on a permanent basis. So who will it be? 

According to Goal.com former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard is the preferred option, with 20.86 per cent of the readers wotes. 

An article on Caughtoffside says Rijkaard is the man replacing Hodgson. The club’s are ready to axe the 63 year old former Fulham boss and will do so within the next 48 hours, the article states. 

But the choice is far from unanimous. In second place, 17.51% of the Goal.com readers see Guus Hiddink as the right man for the job. 

Other candidates that has been mentioned are Didier Deschamps, Manuel Pellegrini, Louis van Gaal and Martin O'Neill. 

The same Daily Mail article states that Damien Comoli may bring in as may as four players in January, with a £1.5m deal for Rennes winger Sylvain Marveaux allready in place.

The next manager?

With Roy Hodgsons future as Liverpool manager in doubt and an upcoming transfer window with potentially big money to spend, the rumor mill is running overtime.

Right now a potential new manager for Liverpool FC is favoured rumor to report on for many websites. The last few weeks the club has been linked with some names, inkluding Kenny Dalglish and Frank Rijkaard after his job was terminated as Galatasaray manager.

Today another not surprising name pops up again. Former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill this week has claimed he wants to get back into football “sooner, rather than later”.

Footylatest reports he is heavily tipped to become the new boss at Liverpool.  O’Neill has spent two months out and now feels it is time to return to management.

O’Neill has been heavily linked with Liverpool over numerous seasons and many feel his time as Anfield manager could be just around the corner.

A more surprising name coming out of the hat right now is Atletico Madrid manager Quique Sanchez Flores.

According to Caughtoffside he is being considered as an option by the club who are ready to sack their current manager unless he can reverse the club’s alarming slide down the Premier League table.

The former right back considered by many as the “Next Mourinho” after a very successful start to his managerial career and after two solid seasons as Rafa Benitez’s replacement at Valencia and a decent spell in Portugal with Benfica.

The 45 year old had a great first season at the Vicente Calderon where he led Madrid’s ‘other’ club to a Europa League title.

Some Spanish sources apparently believe that the club’s new owners may prefer to bring in an up and coming boss with real potential as they look to start a new era at a club desperately looking for a change in fortunes.

On the other hand Liverpool, with new owners NESV just settling in, for the moment have no chairman and no CEO to appoint a manager.

What do you think?

Benitez' dager snart talte?

Har Rafa Benitez fått det siste klappet på skuldra som manager for Liverpool?

Den siste tidens begredelige sportslige resultater for Liverpool, som toppet seg med tirsdagens tap mot Lyon i Champions League, kommer det naturlig nok ville spekulasjoner omkring manager Rafa Benitez sin framtid på Merseyside.

Søndag skal Liverpool ut i en av høstens store kamper i Premier League når Manchester United kommer til Anfield. Dersom Liverpool taper denne kampen vil det bli svært vanskelig å få noe godt resultat denne sesongen av Premier League. Samtidig kan det bli vanskelig å komme videre til cupspillet i Champions League etter kun tre poeng så langt.

Det spekuleres nå villt i at klubbens tidligere storspiller og manager Kenny Dalglish, som nå jobber på ungdomsakademiet og som ambassadør for klubben, ved et tap søndag vil overta midlertid som en såkalt caretaker manager. Og i følge Tribalfootball.com melder den italienske avisa Gazzetta dello Sport at tidligere Chelsea-manager Jose Mourinho er favoritt til å overta om Benitez får sparken.

En annen manager som nå blir satt i forbindelse med en eventuell jobb på Anfield om Benitez får sparken er den tidligere Barcelona - nå Galatasaray-manager Frank Rijkaard, i følge The Mirror.

I følge The Times er imidlertid Liverpools eiere "ekstraordinært fornøyd" med Benitez som manager, som skrev under på en ny langtidskontrakt for ikke lenge siden. Men det har vi hørt før om andre managere, rett før de har fått fyken. Er dette det berømte "siste klappet på skulderen" før han forsvinner ut av Shankly Gates?

The Daily Mail mener Benitez sitter trygt i managerstolen, fordi det vil bli svært dyrt for Liverpool å sparke manageren. De har beregnet at hans ferske kontrakt vil gjøre at det koster Hicks & Gillett omkring £20m å gi Rafa fyken.

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Negredo i byttehandel?

Real Madrid i forhandlinger om Alonso og Arbeloa, med Negredo som lokkemat. D'Agostino erstatter Alonso? Martins linkes.

I dag kan vi altså ønske gode gamle King Kenny velkommen tilbake i Liverpool, denne gangen i en rolle på akademiet og som ambassadør for klubben. Kenny Dalglish skal jobbe med unge talenter, i tillegg til å styrke klubbens profil over hele verden.

Det har roet seg litt ned med historier om Xabi Alonso de siste dagene. Men at det kommer bud på både Alonso og Javier Mascherano virker ganske sannsynlig.

Og i følge Sport.co.uk vil Real Madrid nå krype til korset hva gjelder Liverpools prisforlangende for Alonso. Og nettstedet mener å vite at de to klubbene nå er i forhandlinger, der den spanske klubben tilbyr Liverpool Alvaro Negredo pluss penger for Alonso. De henter sin informasjon fra den spanske avisa Marca, som også hevder at Rafa Benitez ser positivt på å få Negredo til Anfield. Og som vi vet fra før ønsker også Negredo å spille for Liverpool, men Tottenham skal også være interessert i ham.

Tidligere skal Liverpool ha avslått et bud på €35m, som også inkluderte Alvaro Arbeloa. Men nå skal budet være øket til €41m, pluss Negredo. Forøvrig sier Reals første store signering i sommer, Kaka han ønsker å spille sammen med Xabi på Bernabeu neste sesong.

Ellers skriver The Daily Mail at Benitez & co ser på Udineses playmaker Gaetano D'Agostino som den perfekte erstatter om Alonso forsvinner.

Avisa skriver det forventes et salg av Alonso og Arbeloa i løpet av de nærmeste dagene og i tillegg til Liverpool er også Juventus interessert.

Goal.com skriver at Mascherano ønsker en overgang til mesterligavinner Barcelona, men at Liverpool kun selger til rette prisen.

I følge El Mundo Deportivo skal Rafa Benitez ha innsett at han må la Javier gå til den spanske klubben.

Av andre spekulasjoner som dukker opp melder FansFC at Liverpool ser på flere alternativer for spisspartner til Torres.

Denne gangen er det Newcastles Obafemi Martins som skal være aktuell.

Etter at Newcastle rykket ned denne våren er det blitt forventet at blant andre Martins vil bli solgt og Liverpool skal kunne hente ham for omkring £6m.

Forøvrig må jeg bare kommentere sommerens kanskje mest overraskende overgang. Det er ser nå ut til å bli endelig at Michael Owen blir Manchester United-spiller fra neste sesong. I følge The Daily Telegraph har han nå gjennomført en medisinsk sjekk.

Jeg synes det er synd og skam at vår gamle storscorer svelger alt han har av stolthet og inntar United-trøya, bare for å få Champions League-fotball og eventuelt en tur til Sør-Afrika neste sommer. Skuffende, spør du meg.

Hva mener du?

Tidenes beste Liverpool-spiller?

I følge en offisiell statistikk fra The Association of Football Statisticians har Liverpool fire spillere på lista over tidenes 100 beste.

Det er avisa the Daily Telegraph som melder om tallknusernes bidrag til den evige debatten om hvilke spillere som er best.

På denne lista er Kenny Dalglish (25. plass) og Kevin Keegan (46. plass) våre to øverst plasserte legender, kanskje ikke overraskende.

Noe mer rart er det kanskje at på Jari Litmannen har fått en 46. plass, mens Michael Owen er på en 68. plass – og at Robbie Fowler ikke er der i det hele tatt.

Det skal selvsagt bemerkes at denne statistikken er laget på grunnlag av alt spillerne har foretatt seg i sine karrierer, fra klubblag til europacup-spill og landslagsspill.

Hele lista ser du altså her!

Hva synes du??