Welcome to LFC Steve Clarke

[Pablo]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/steve-clarke-joins-liverpool

Steve Clarke joins Liverpool

Liverpool FC announced today that Steve Clarke has joined the club as first-team coach.

Clarke, who played over 500 senior games for St Mirren and Chelsea, also brings with him considerable experience as Assistant Manager at Newcastle United, Chelsea and West Ham United.

Reds' boss Kenny Dalglish said: "Steve is a great addition to our backroom team and I'm delighted we've been able to bring him into the club.

"I am looking forward to working with Steve alongside Sammy and our other technical staff."
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Thought he deserved his own welcome thread.

Welcome to Liverpool Football Club Steve, we will put aside your Chelsea past. But let's get these lads playing some proper football again eh!

Quite pleased with this appointment really. He's got the experience and has often been talked highly of. Ian Rush would have been a nostalgic appointment, but with him combined with Kenny I think we would have been really out of touch and lacking in recent Premier league experience.

[sean_lfc]

GET IN!!! Welcome to the team, **** me, this is going to be legendary. We're gonna win the league!!!

[McDermotX]

Yep.....any past dickhead-reactions-when-on-the-Chelsea-bench-during-our-clashes-with-them are forgiven.

Fresh start for everyone (except Poulsen)

[saj]

Yep.....any past dickhead-reactions-when-on-the-Chelsea-bench-during-our-clashes-with-them are forgiven.

Fresh start for everyone (except Poulsen)

And Konchesky

[souliv]

Yep.....any past dickhead-reactions-when-on-the-Chelsea-bench-during-our-clashes-with-them are forgiven.

Fresh start for everyone (except Poulsen and konkchesky)

Fixed it for you

[saj]

Yep.....any past dickhead-reactions-when-on-the-Chelsea-bench-during-our-clashes-with-them are forgiven.

Fresh start for everyone (except Poulsen and konkchesky)

Fixed it for you

[sean_lfc]

I think that Kenny will not alienate those 2 players, if he does that early in his tenure and we get some ****ed up injury situation (which, let's face it, with Aurelio at least, is highly possible), then he'll have a player with no confidence, no lust and no fight.
I believe he will try and improve them as much as he can over the next few months and off-load them in the summer. They will not be left to rot in the reserves, not a ****ing chance.

[Glenn Hysen]

I think that Kenny will not alienate those 2 players, if he does that early in his tenure and we get some ****ed up injury situation (which, let's face it, with Aurelio at least, is highly possible), then he'll have a player with no confidence, no lust and no fight.
I believe he will try and improve them as much as he can over the next few months and off-load them in the summer. They will not be left to rot in the reserves, not a ****ing chance.

As with Roy it's a matter of when not if.

[red g]

I think that Kenny will not alienate those 2 players, if he does that early in his tenure and we get some ****ed up injury situation (which, let's face it, with Aurelio at least, is highly possible), then he'll have a player with no confidence, no lust and no fight.
I believe he will try and improve them as much as he can over the next few months and off-load them in the summer. They will not be left to rot in the reserves, not a ****ing chance.

i dont think Kenny will alienate anyone. But i fully expect training to be a lot more ball work which in turn will mean that Poulsen and PFK will alienate themselves.

[McDermotX]

And Konchesky

Yep.....any past dickhead-reactions-when-on-the-Chelsea-bench-during-our-clashes-with-them are forgiven.

Fresh start for everyone (except Poulsen and konkchesky)

Fixed it for you

Like it or not guys......I can see Konchesky playing some ball under Kenny (if only for injuries to others), with maybe (if we're lucky) a quick sale in the summer.
Poulsen will just be sent down to the LFC.TV Online Store or something to take orders etc etc

[red g]

By Pat Nevin
I ONCE ASKED Davie Moyes why he eventually decided to take the Everton job when he had refused other lucrative posts while managing Preston North End. The answer was immediate. "I wanted to wait until my game was ready for the big league." Many retiring players rush headlong into management at a level beyond their capabilities, often with disastrous consequences. Those with long-term goals understand this and are willing to take their time and learn their trade.

The lasting success stories usually are the result of extended apprenticeships; think of Martin O'Neill at Wycombe Wanderers and Sir Alex Ferguson at East Stirlingshire and St Mirren before success arrived at Aberdeen.

One man who has definitely served his time and who is now ready for a shot at management is the former Scotland defender and my old team-mate at Chelsea, Stevie Clarke. Now assistant manager at West Ham, Clarke will return to Stamford Bridge today having enjoyed two successful stints in the same role at the West London club. I wondered if there was a danger that he might be regarded as an eternal No.2, following stints working with Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Jose Mourinho and Gianluca Vialli amongst others.

"That is part of the reason why I left Chelsea to join Gianfranco Zola at West Ham. The plan has always been to learn the business, until the time is right to become a manager myself in my own right. It may look a bit odd to leave an assistant's job at one of the top clubs in the world to come to West Ham to be an assistant here but I felt I needed more involvement. At Chelsea I was very hands on with the first team with both Mourinho and Avram Grant, so there was a possibility that I might have got frustrated under Scolari, even though they offered me a good role if I agreed to stay, I knew I needed the challenge."

It was a brave decision, and if today's result goes the way most expect, some will think it was a foolhardy one too, but the move was not made on a whim or for frivolous reasons.

"It is true that I wasn't planning on moving from Chelsea during the close season, but when this opportunity came up with Franco, it felt right. I thought it was time to step out of the Chelsea bubble and join the real football world. They are a great football club but I understand my first post as a manager is not likely to be at that stratospheric level."

Clarke is probably right about that but the evidence suggests he could reasonably be expected to make a decent fist at one of the super clubs. Last season when Mourinho was ousted from Stamford Bridge, the Scot was left considering his position. It quickly became clear that Mourinho's successor, Avram Grant, was not the most popular choice with the players and many insiders felt that it was the former full-back himself who kept the entire club on an even keel, all the way to the Champions League final and one penalty kick away from the biggest prize in club football.

"To some degree it was awkward when Avram came in, but having worked so closely with Mourinho I just tried to keep the training, the build-up and the feeling as close to the way it was when Jose was here and somehow we managed to keep it rolling all the way to Moscow. There was a lot for me to do when Avram was there and maybe knowing that my role would be slightly diminished when Scolari came in it certainly had some effect on me taking the job with the Hammers. I know I will be very hands-on with the players, working with them every day, so it was a very logical step. To become the man who is trusted to run an entire club you really ought to take every step up the ladder and be ready to learn more with every extra bit of responsibility."

This clear objective of becoming a manager in his own right might sound odd from a man who has just taken up a new role as a No.2. If it wasn't for the friendship and trust between Zola and himself you wouldn't blame the Italian maestro for being a little suspicious. There are however no fears, the relationship is of friends, of colleagues but above everything else it is of professionalism and honesty.

"I didn't take the job because Franco is my mate, it was much more to do with professional reasons. He knows what I want to be eventually and in the meantime we have to concentrate on a rather big job we have here at the Boleyn Ground."

It certainly is a big job, and this time it is one where the threat of relegation will be more often in his thoughts than winning the Premier League. With the club's shirt sponsor, XL, going bust and grisly stories resulting from the recent financial meltdown surrounding West Ham's Icelandic owners, you might forgive the new management team for cursing the timing as well as their luck in their new adventure.

"The financial situation has changed radically since we came into the club at the start of the season but I suspect we are not in the worst position, in fact I suspect we are far from it. We would obviously have liked to have had the chance to bring in a few of our own players in January, however that is looking unlikely at the moment in any large scale, but others will be in the same boat and some will be desperate to ship players out to reduce their wage bills. As for our owner, the situation is that he had put money into buying the club, it wasn't loans, so his loss will only be realised if and when he sells. He stands to lose the money, not the club as such, and I bet there are many clubs who would love to have that sort of security at the moment."

With Chelsea and Manchester United alone shouldering £1.5bn in debt between them, you can see his point. Though talking about finances quickly becomes tiresome for someone who is a football man through and through. He had plenty of that at Chelsea and he is keen to talk about his team, the players he has inherited, the changes he and Zola want to make.

"We need them for a full pre-season and a full season after that to push them in certain directions and get our ideas across to them. We might have inherited the vast majority of the players, but they can always learn, the problem is that it takes a little time.

"There is always pressure and expectation in football, and the Premier League in England right now is arguably were it is at its most oppressive. This season you can find yourself in relegation trouble at the beginning of the month and with just two or three wins you can be challenging for Europe at the end, it is that tight and everyone obviously wants wins yesterday. Part of the feeling is that we should be aiming at Europe, but if truth be told, every club below Aston Villa in fifth place is keen to get to the magic 40 points and safety zone as soon as possible. After that Europe can become the goal."

These are changed priorities from the glories he enjoyed with the former paymasters he faces at Stamford Bridge today. But Clarke is understandably positive about his old club and what he learned in his time there.

"Jose Mourinho was exceptional and it was when I was working under him that I really decided I would like to have a crack at management. You learn from everyone you work with and there was plenty to take from him. His organisation and attention to detail was nothing short of amazing, but it was his sharpness of mind that stood out. His ability to read the game was exceptional and he was more willing than just about any other manager to be pro-active rather than reactive during the games. He made changes to affect the game in his favour, whereas there are plenty out there who wait for it to develop before trying to change and by then it is sometimes too late."

For anyone thinking of hiring the next Scottish coach to fall off an impressive production line it is worth remembering the effect that other illustrious names he has worked with will have had on him. "Sir Bobby Robson had some very special attributes as well. When I was with him at Newcastle he had this great ability to make players feel good about themselves. He was a superb man-manager whose enthusiasm was extraordinary. Although on the outside they seem to have nothing in common, Harry Redknapp has many of the same attributes. Both also have those most basic of skills required for the job: they can spot and acquire good players, which I hope I will be able to do as well."

I am sure he will. I quizzed him about the Scottish scene, unsure of how much he would know about what was going on, asking him to name three players, who are currently playing in the SPL who he thought would stand a chance of making it in England. He came up with precisely the same three I would have suggested.

So today he is back at the club where he worked for over 20 years as a player and a coach. The camera lenses will primarily be aimed at Zola who was an icon there, but real fans and football lovers will know that Clarke was at least as important in the club's history.

Throughout the game it is the Italian who will turn round looking for the benefit of the Scot's coaching experience, his tactical nous and his ability to deal with top players and their foibles. I suspect it is only a matter of time before he is in full control somewhere. I wondered whether or not a return to Scotland and choosing an SPL club to unveil his ideas might be a possibility? "When the time comes there are definitely one or two clubs I would be tempted by back home." I wonder who they could be?

CURRICULUM VITAE

NAME: Stephen Clarke

BORN: Saltcoats, August 29, 1963

PLAYING CAREER: Appearances (goals)

1982-87 St Mirren 152 (6)

1987-98 Chelsea 330 (7)

HONOURS: (with Chelsea)

FA Cup; League Cup; European Cup Winners' Cup

SCOTLAND CAPS: 6

COACHING CAREER:

1999 Newcastle (assistant/caretaker manager)

2004-2008 Chelsea (assistant manager)

2008-present West Ham (assistant manager)

OTHER SCOTTISH ASSISTANTS IN PREMIER LEAGUE:

Joe Jordan (Newcastle)

Ricky Sbragia (Sunderland, caretaker manager)

John Robertson (Aston Villa)

Eric Black (Wigan)

Peter Grant (West Brom, first team coach)

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

RUUD GULLIT: Has had more success as a TV pundit than a manager. Went on to coach Feyenoord in Netherlands and last season managed Los Angeles Galaxy in USA's Major League Soccer.

SIR BOBBY ROBSON: Sacked as Newcastle manager in 2004, Robson took on an assistant's role at the Republic of Ireland but ill-health – he is battling cancer – forced him to step down.

JOSE MOURINHO: After leading the Blues to consecutive Premiership titles in 2004 and 2005, Mourinho fell out with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and left the club. Took a break from the game but now manages Internazionale in Serie A.

AVRAM GRANT: Was appointed Chelsea manager in September 2007 after Mourinho's departure. Steered his side to the Champions League final, Carling Cup final and contested the Premier League to the final day but lost out in all three competitions and was sacked, to be replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari.

[red g]

I forgot Steve Clarke was with Bobby Robson at Newcastle to.

worked with same great names

[sean_lfc]

As with Roy it's a matter of when not if.

Fully agreed on that. I'm sure even the Konc and Poulson would agree that they will move on, doesn't mean that - from a professional point of view - they'll be 'hated'.

i dont think Kenny will alienate anyone. But i fully expect training to be a lot more ball work which in turn will mean that Poulsen and PFK will alienate themselves.

I'm sure that, regardless of the situation with us fans and the way Roy brought those in etc., Kenny will try and improve them no matter what and treat them a little bit special, to make them feel wanted, play as well as possible over the next few months, and then move them on.

I think Kenny's too good at management to do it any other way. Don't think Kenny wants an ounce of alienation and/or hate or animosity within the squad.

[Scaramanga]

Poulsen will just be sent down to the LFC.TV Online Store or something to take orders etc etc

[doogle]

Poulsen will just be sent down to the LFC.TV Online Store or something to take orders etc etc

He would probably recieve the order, fumble and drop the item and then send it to the wrong person