New manager thread

[Slinky Skills]

Mourinho seemed to do alright with 4-3-3. It's how you play it.

Ahhh, Slinks man you made me feel bad now chin up buddy

It's ok mate, don't feel bad

[marcus50bucks]

Liverpool sack Dalglish and approach Villas-Boas
Fenway Sports Group back to square one after decapitating Anfield hierarchy

Ian Herbert Thursday 17 May 2012

Liverpool's American owners have made contact with Andre Villas-Boas in the past two weeks, in an attempt to establish his interest in taking over at Anfield, where Kenny Dalglish was yesterday dismissed.

The Independent understands that Villas-Boas is interested and considers Liverpool to be the kind of high-profile, marquee job which would be the appropriate next step for him, following his unhappy nine months at Chelsea, where he was dismissed in March.

The exploratory call from Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, does not rule out the possibility of the Americans having higher priority targets. Wigan Athletic's Roberto Martinez, the Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp and Marseilles Didier Deschamps, a target before FSG acquired Liverpool, may be contenders.

Liverpool's call to Villas-Boas was lodged after an approach to him from Roma, who have dismissed manager Luis Enrique following the club's failure to reach any European competition, despite the investment of American entrepreneur Thomas DiBenedetto. Sources in Portugal suggest that Liverpool may well be the more attractive proposition for Villas-Boas – and the club he considers to be the bigger name. There was uncertainty last night about whether Villas-Boas would be free to coach another English club next season, under the terms of his severance from Stamford Bridge. Valencia also inquired as to the Portuguese's availability, though they have appointed Manuel Pelligrino. Steve Clarke, Dalglish's assistant, has also left Liverpool out of a loyalty to the outgoing manager, though it is understood he did have the option to stay

The Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, said last night that Martinez had not been approached, although the 38-year-old does appear to meet the criteria of FSG in many ways, having introduced a footballing ethos which runs through
all levels at the club. Rafael Benitez has had no contact from FSG. Despite rumours that Martinez might work in tandem with Benitez, the former Liverpool manager is not understood to consider that a realistic working arrangement. The biggest question mark above the name of Martinez is whether Liverpool supporters would consider him a big enough name for their club. The Americans have so far been careful to take supporters' views into account before making their moves on what has been a difficult two years at Anfield.

Villas-Boas' agent Carlos Goncalves said when the manager was sacked by Roman Abramovich last March that his client had "no intention of even thinking about football until the summer," though recent attempts to secure Villas-Boas' services as a media commentator for the forthcoming European Championships are understood to have been hit by the Liverpool and Roma approaches. These have put his immediate plans into a state of some doubt, according to Portuguese sources.

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre will today provide a fuller explanation of the reasoning behind the dismissal of Dalglish, which was confirmed at 5pm last night, after the meeting with FSG which the Glaswegian had sought on Boston on Monday resulted in principal owner John W Henry telling him of their frustration with his poor use of club resources in the transfer market. The £110m spent on seven players did not bring the improvement FSG anticipated. A Carling Cup win came after an unconvincing display against Cardiff City in the final and after scraping an FA Cup semi final win over Everton, Henry was at Wembley to witness a poor defeat to Chelsea in the final.

The FA Cup semi-final took place several days after the Americans had dismissed director of football Damien Comolli. Liverpool's search for a replacement for Comolli – an executive who wields enough power to hold the manager to account – looks like the most significant recruitment job at Anfield, where FSG last week also dismissed director of communications Ian Cotton, another executive whose lack of authority in Dalglish's company caused the PR disaster surrounding the Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra affair. With all three positions now vacant, FSG appear to be back where they started, in their attempt to rebuild Liverpool out of the mess they inherited from Tom Hicks and George Gillett in 2010.

Chairman Tom Werner last night appeared to characterise Dalglish's role as that of a caretaker, when he paid tribute to him. "Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when [we] really needed him," he 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 stabilise Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude. However, results in the League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change."

But Dalglish, who was appointed permanently on a three-year contract, will not see things that way. His friend and former team-mate Terry McDermott said last night that the 61-year-old would be "hurting deeply".

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool-sack-dalglish-and-approach-villasboas-7758044.html

[Zapater]

Thinking out loud...AVB positives.

Plenty of good players at Porto he could attract.

And...

FALCAO!

If there's any chance in us getting Falcao due to AVB then it should be done. Another golazo today in a friendly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6kKdJh07hY&feature=youtu.be

Tbh, if he joined Atletico (with ****ty Manzano as manager), there's no reason to think that with a good manager we can't still attract good players purely because we're not in the CL.

[Fosterbloke]

My problem with AVB is the way he handled the issues at Chelsea. He played a 433 which was just too attacking to work in the Premier League and he seemed incapable of fixing it. His defence was getting torn apart because he was playing 3 in midfield against teams that were playing 5 and this controlling the game.

It may work in Portugal because the league is utter ****e

I don't think it's too attack minded. It depends on the players and the work ethic of the team.

He was completely incapable of seeing where he was going wrong and deserved to be sacked. For that reason I wouldn't want him at Liverpool, he's overhyped and has a lot to learn

I don't think he needed to adjust at all. It was a matter of sticking with it until he had the team he wanted.

If he had adjusted he would have been just like everyone else and would meant another generic formation reacting to poor results.

I bet if he had ben given a couple of years, we'd be clamouring all over a 4-3-3 system. In fact Suarez plays blindingly in said formation.

[topscorer]

my punt is martinez as coach, and rafa as DoF. the two spanish waiters working together

I thought this was a good idea a few hours ago but I'm not so sure the more I think about it.

Rafa is too big and dominating, he would never let Martinez or any coach breath under him.

[-V-]

I don't think it's too attack minded. It depends on the players and the work ethic of the team.

I don't think he needed to adjust at all. It was a matter of sticking with it until he had the team he wanted.

If he had adjusted he would have been just like everyone else and would meant another generic formation reacting to poor results.

I bet if he had ben given a couple of years, we'd be clamouring all over a 4-3-3 system. In fact Suarez plays blindingly in said formation.

Well the results showed that it didn't work for him. It may work if he used the right players and the right types of players in midfield. But the fact is that he didn't and as the weeks went on he just became more and more clueless. He didn't have a clue how to fix the problem, the midfield was full of pussys they couldn't keep possession and it kept costing them goals.

Very unimpressed by him

[vonk]

AVB. Beaten twice by Kenny at the bridge this season. Yeah, this will be a progressive move. Porto win the league every season in Portugal, what's the big deal here.

Klopp or Capello. The rest are a huge risk.

[topscorer]

Kenny Dalglish
Playing honours
Celtic (1969–1977)
Scottish First Division (4): 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77
Scottish Cup (4): 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1976–77
Scottish League Cup (1): 1974–75
Liverpool (1977–1990)
Football League First Division (6): 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
FA Cup (1): 1985–86
Football League Cup (4): 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
Charity Shield (7): 1977 (Shared), 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (Shared), 1988, 1989
European Cup (3): 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84
European Super Cup (1): 1977

Managerial honours
Liverpool (1985–1991, 2011–2012)
Football League First Division (3): 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90
FA Cup (2): 1985–86, 1988–89
Football League Cup (1): 2011–12
Charity Shield (4): 1986 (Shared) 1988, 1989, 1990 (Shared)
Blackburn Rovers (1991–1995)
FA Premier League (1): 1994–95
Football League Second Division Play Off Winners (1): 1991–92
Celtic (2000)
Scottish League Cup (1): 1999–2000
Awards and achievements
PFA Player of the Year: 1982/83
FWA Footballer of the Year: 1979/80, 1982/83
Scottish Premier Division top goalscorer: 1975/76
Manager of the Year award: 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1994/95
Premier League Manager of the Month: January 1994, November 1994
Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame: 2002
Member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame
Member of the FIFA 100
Freedom of the City of Glasgow: 1986
1st in the Liverpool Football Club poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop: 2006
Scotland: 30 goals in 102 international caps (both national records)
Balon d'Or 1983: 2nd place

Or..........








Roberto Martinez
As a player
Wigan Athletic
Football League Third Division (1): 1997
Football League Trophy (1): 1999
Swansea City
Football League Trophy (1): 2006
As a manager
Swansea City
Football League One (1): 2008
Wigan Athletic
Premier League Manager of the Month (1): April 2012

I understand this argument but on the other hand what managerial pedigree have any of our Managers had before being appointed by us all the way back to Shanks?

Everyone came through the boot room after Shanks and had no prior managerial experience. I think Souness had won something at Rangers? Dalglish had no experience as a Manager the first time. Had Houllier won anything as a Manager before coming to us? I know he talks as if he won the world cup for France but as far as I recall he wasn't the Manager!

I think Rafa was probably our first really high profile appointment that had already proven himself at another club. Then of course we hired Hodgson

[little dave hedgehog]

It's in our head though, he's not out of our league at all we're bigger and better than most teams.

We've had success in the past and there's no guarantee we can be successful in the future but with him at the helm we have a great chance of doing that.

He's had a month off already, most mortal beings don't even get 21 days off annual leave so I'm sure he's feeling recovered already, I'd even wager that he's bought himself a few more grey suits which will come in handy on the gloomy winter nights at Stoke he'd fit in quite nicely.

We have to "Have the guts" to speak to him, like I've said he will only say yes or no. If he says no then we persist and try and convince him that he can help take us forward.

Just imagine those champions league nights on ITV HD again with him on the touchline and us destroying teams left right and centre.

[Nicey]

You can see the fans are really divided on this one ..............not

[willa1975]

AVB if he can bring Hulk with him.

[Nicey]

He got 80% plus in the Hong Kong Reds Poll .... last time I checked there was over 600 votes for him .. similar list of managers .....seems like we fans are dived everywhere ..

I would be overjoyed and rubbing my hands if he came back, really truly ... I might shed a man tear or two.

[Fosterbloke]

AVB. Beaten twice by Kenny at the bridge this season. Yeah, this will be a progressive move. Porto win the league every season in Portugal, what's the big deal here.

Klopp or Capello. The rest are a huge risk.

Martinez beat the top 4 in the latter stages of the league so let's sign him up!

[malg]

I just cannot see past Rafa for the job. Martinez....well other than surviving a relegation battle nothing to shout about. AVB failed miserably at Chelsea do we take that risk here with him. Rogers much the same as Martinez, had a better season than him,but still not loads of success. Lets get Rafa.

[RichC]

The obvious choice is Rafa, he knows the club and did very well here for a period of time under terrible conditions but I just cannot see him being brought back.

His apparent single mindedness when it comes to how he wants things at a club usually sees him falling out with owners and senior management at clubs and I just dont think FSG will take the chance that won't happen again.