Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

I notice that on many threads at the moment whenever the managers tenure gets mentioned, many posters are of the view that it would be pointless changing given the circumstances. Many in fact most are still 100% in behind the manager it seems to me, and I frequently see the "don't wish too hard/the grass isn't always greener" argument, along with the idea that no self respecting decent manager would come to our club anyhow with the two owners that we have in charge.

So what do people think? Given the situation, is winning trophies and the like of significantly secondary importance to having a manager in who can play a straight bat with the owners and "protect our club"? Is it the case that the managers job currently is simply impossible, and Rafa is actually doing the best that anybody could possibly do? Does it make absolutely no difference who we got, they would still be stymied by the situation at the top?

[Ciggy]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

[bigmick]

Hodgson is a decent manager Lynds in fairness, not saying I'd necessarily want him at Liverpool but he is no mug by any stretch. Steve mcClaren though is a fool. The thing is though that if we ever get to the point whereby people conclude Rafa isn't working out, it would seem daft to me never to change the manager on the grounds that the new bloke might not work out either.

As it is we are out of Europe, out of the Carling Cup, have zero chance of winning the league and are facing an uphill struggle to get into the top four, have a paper thin squad wioth plenty of dead wood etc etc. I must confess the notion that a new manager may not be exactly Bob Paisley doesn't particularly frighten me, lets face it he wouldn't exactly need to be. 

I posted on another thread a comparison between us and the Mancs. Last season we were very close to them. This term, they lost Ronaldo who was a monster player for them, and Tevez who is top quality. They replaced them with Antonio Valencia from Wigan, and an aging/injured Michael Owen. They've had van Der Sar out for most of the season, Ferdinand out, Neville fecked, Vidic way off form, Scholes fecked, Nani and Anderson disappointing, Berbatov misfiring etc etc etc and they're still right up there with Chelsea. We in the meantime have had injuries, but are just ahead of Birmingham.

Returning to the topic point, I think our ownership situation is far from ideal. Further, I think it may well get worse before it gets better. I don't think it is impossible though to do better than we are now, not at all.

[account deleted by request]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

All our yesterdays or all our tomorrows ?


Liverpool target Mourinho

By Graham Hunter

Liverpool want Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho as their new manager and have already sounded out the Porto boss about joining in the summer.

The Portuguese champions are resigned to losing the man who won them last season’s Uefa Cup and has taken them to the Champions League quarter final – and Mourinho has kept them informed about Liverpool’s offer.

The 40-year-old is Europe’s hottest talent, speaks flawless English and recently endeared himself to Liverpool fans by knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League – plus enraging Sir Alex Ferguson during a war of words which the Portuguese won hands down.

Porto believe that there has already been a direct meeting between the parties but think that Mourinho has not yet agreed to move to Anfield until he sees whether Porto can win the Champions League.

Mourinho believes himself to be ready to coach at the very highest level and has also been sounded out by Tottenham Hotspur.

At the time he said: “We were in Marseille for the Champions League and someone accredited to Tottenham spoke with me about moving right away to England.

“I told him if it was a proposition for next season then we could talk to see what could happen. But to play against Marseille and then start immediately at Spurs, I wouldn’t even listen to that invitation.”

But the Liverpool offer has attracted him at the moment and Porto expect him to accept and sign for them this summer it if no other firm offers come in.

One Porto director, who confirmed the contact but wished to remain anonymous, said: “Mourinho has done brilliantly for our club since he joined two years ago so we will not prevent him following his heart and moving to England. Our worry is that Mourinho is likely to want to take players like Paolo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Benni McCarthy with him which means the break up of what is a great team.”

Mourinho won the Portuguese treble of League, Cup and League Cup last season plus the Uefa Cup final in a 3-2 victory over Celtic in Seville.

This season Porto are unbeaten in Portugal, in the Cup final again, about to retain the Championship and set for the Champions League semi final after beating Lyon 2-0 in the first leg of the Quarter Final.

Mourinho started out as Sir Bobby Robson’s translator at Sporting Lisbon and Benfica and, despite no background in professional football, he was promoted by Robson to assistant coach. They worked together at Barcelona, winning the Spanish Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the Spanish Supercup finishing second in the league to Real Madrid.

Mourinho stayed on at Barcelona when Robson left, confirmed as number two to Louis Van Gaal, but then moved back to Portugal after winning the Spanish title in 1999.

Brought in to save Porto in 2002 when the fallen giants had crashed down the Portuguese Championship the former language teacher worked the oracle and took them to the pinnacle of European football in under a year and a half.

Liverpool see him as the coming man of European football, someone who renowned as a master team-builder and a coach upon whom a dynasty can be rebuilt. Mourinho has often said that he desires to work for “one of England’s great sides” and is understood to have admitted that re-building Liverpool and returning them to Championship and Champions League winning form would be his dream.

28 March 2004     

[lakes10]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

 

[heimdall]

It is never pointless to try something if you genuinely believe it will help matters.

For the record, in case I haven't been clear about this, I genuinely believe a change of manager will change our fortunes.   

[NANNY RED]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

Spot on Cigg .

An for me anyway theres a third fella who would leave me wretching Mourinhio. i dont wont him anywhere near this club.

But as weve been harking on about for months the yanks have to go for there to be any stability at all in the club, Dosnt matter what top world beater Jurgan they bring in its still gonna be the same, Main priority is the yanks

[lakes10]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

Spot on Cigg .

An for me anyway theres a third fella who would leave me wretching Mourinhio. i dont wont him anywhere near this club.

But as weve been harking on about for months the yanks have to go for there to be any stability at all in the club, Dosnt matter what top world beater Jurgan they bring in its still gonna be the same, Main priority is the yanks

I know how you feel about Mourinhio, i hate the guy, but on the othersidei think he would do very well at our club............just not sure i could take him being our manager, saying that he gets on well with King Kenny.

[account deleted by request]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

Spot on Cigg .

An for me anyway theres a third fella who would leave me wretching Mourinhio. i dont wont him anywhere near this club.

But as weve been harking on about for months the yanks have to go for there to be any stability at all in the club, Dosnt matter what top world beater Jurgan they bring in its still gonna be the same, Main priority is the yanks

You know I don't like the owners any more than you Nanny, and if you want to argue about the new stadium or the debt, I am with you all the way. The thing is sometimes clubs can't afford to pump much money in for transfers, we had it with Dalglish after the ban, and before that with Shankly. It's nothing new!   

I really don't think you can blame our owners for taking us from title challengers to also rans. Yes they have lied( Purslow) about us having the same funds as usual, but I really don't believe that is why we are where we are at the moment.

The other thing that worries me is Rafa signing a gagging order with his new contract. How is he supposed to be "fighting for us" when he can't say a fecking word. IMHO I think he is in bed with Hicks and has been for a while now. He used Hicks to shift Parry , and gain control of the whole kit and kaboodle, with the price being his silence.

Yes get rid of our owners asap , but don't blame them for where we are in the table.

[Ciggy]

Dosnt matter what top world beater Jurgan they bring in its still gonna be the same, Main priority is the yanks

Hes on Sky for our game on wednesday night he can feck off.

[KennyisGod....still]

do we really think that th yanx wanna be payin Rafa up for a 5 yr contract, negotiate a somewhat similar deal with anotha manager an then provide funds come january an th end of th season for new players? i dont have BLIND faith in Rafa, i do have some faith in th guy tho. i think he's been somewhat stopped in his trax by hewey an dewey, tho i'll grant any anti that he aint spent amazinly well. like any1 else i cant put my finger on th 1 thing thats solely turned this team from contenders to pretenders (if i cud i swear i'd do th job much much cheaper) but it aint purely down t Rafa of that i'm sure.

i feel we can come outta this with anotha 'fair but not outstandin' season, but finishin 4th wud be eclipsed by us findin new owners.

[bigmick]

On the question of money, I watched that Everton Spurs game this morning on the re run. Nico Kranjaar was touted by many on here (including me) and was fecking quality for Tottenham today. 2 million quid, an absolute steal.

[tubby]

This morning? I thought the game kicked off at 4?

Yeah I would have loved Kranjcar here. Solid player and very talanted.

[bigmick]

This morning? I thought the game kicked off at 4?

I live in NZ Bav.

[NANNY RED]

Its who the yanks will replace him with that worries me the most, the names of Woy Hodgeson & Steve Mac Laren have me feeling a bit sick.

Spot on Cigg .

An for me anyway theres a third fella who would leave me wretching Mourinhio. i dont wont him anywhere near this club.

But as weve been harking on about for months the yanks have to go for there to be any stability at all in the club, Dosnt matter what top world beater Jurgan they bring in its still gonna be the same, Main priority is the yanks

You know I don't like the owners any more than you Nanny, and if you want to argue about the new stadium or the debt, I am with you all the way. The thing is sometimes clubs can't afford to pump much money in for transfers, we had it with Dalglish after the ban, and before that with Shankly. It's nothing new!   

I really don't think you can blame our owners for taking us from title challengers to also rans. Yes they have lied( Purslow) about us having the same funds as usual, but I really don't believe that is why we are where we are at the moment.

The other thing that worries me is Rafa signing a gagging order with his new contract. How is he supposed to be "fighting for us" when he can't say a fecking word. IMHO I think he is in bed with Hicks and has been for a while now. He used Hicks to shift Parry , and gain control of the whole kit and kaboodle, with the price being his silence.

Yes get rid of our owners asap , but don't blame them for where we are in the table.

An thats what im trying to say Saint , We need stability mate not uncertainess , imo it dosnt matter if you bring in the drunk, while them two are here bitching with each other not knowing if were gonna have this much or that much to spend , wheeling and dealing , doing what your told , its gonna be the same mate,,