Liverpool FC Forum

LFC2007 wrote:This must be the only Liverpool forum without one, but with Roy's Liverpool future hanging by a thread, now seems like a good time to start assessing all of the potential candidates for the job, whether for the short-term or the long-term. As we already have three, maybe four, Rafa threads and interminable discussion about Roy, this is intended to be a relatively Rafa/Roy free zone.

I'll start by listing with a synopsis a selection of managers who might be worth considering or who have previously been put forward as possible candidates for the job (feel free to chip in), starting with a few of the more experienced candidates:

Kenny Dalglish

Widely regarded as the club's best ever player, he went on to become player-manager for five seasons in the late 80s. In five seasons, the club won three league titles, two FA cups and a League cup....playing arguably the most attractive football of a generation. After a break from the game, he took over at Blackburn whom he guided to second-place in the league in 1994 and then a league title in 1995. Since then he's had brief but less successful spells at Newcastle and Celtic. He currently occupies an ambassadorial/advisory role at the club and is willing to take the reins if necessary.

My view: Some say he's "past it", others that he's destined to fail, but taking into account his experience, his record and the esteem with which he's held at the club, I wouldn't be so sure. The game itself has changed to some extent over the last 20 years - it's faster, more physical, technical and tactical these days - supporters are less patient, and the the money and media interest is bigger than ever. But it's still fundamentally the same game of passing and moving, pressing and tackling, and rolling your sleeves up and digging out results. How much can the ability to scout a player - the ability, say, to distinguish a quality passer from a weaker one - or the ability to motivate and interact with people, be compromised by the passage of time? I wouldn't say that doesn't represent a risk, because 10 years out of full-time management, and a short spell at that, to me suggests risk, but he otherwise has all the credentials. It may also be his last chance (perhaps that's nostalgia creeping in) and I would welcome his appointment if only on an interim basis. 

Guus Hiddink

A cosmopolitan like Roy, he's managed all over the world, from South Korea, to Russia, to Holland, to Spain, to England and Turkey, but to go with it he has high-level experience, and major trophies to his name. At PSV he was assistant manager in the early 1980s before taking the reins himself in 1987. There, he won three league titles, three league cups and a European Cup. He, like so many other foreign managers and players seem to do, had a brief period as a manager in Turkey (Fenerbahce), before taking over Valencia (wikipedia doesn't elaborate). To cut a long story short, he then fecked around Europe for a bit in the 90s without much success, before making his name again in the noughties with the transformation of THAT South Korea side which faired so well in the 2002 World Cup, prior another very successful spell back at his beloved Eindhoven. Three more league titles, a UCL semi-final appearance (should have beaten Milan). Followed this: an unfortunate exit in the 2006 world cup as head coach of Australia (dodgy pen decision), and a semi-final appearance as manager of Russia in Euro 2008. His last job was as interim manager of Chelsea. He was something of a revelation in the three or four months he was there, winning 11 of 13 league games, taking them to the brink of a place in the UCL final, and winning the FA cup.

My view: If we could nab him I'd have him. Though his record suggests a preference for the international adventure and so part-time management, at club level he has had notable success at PSV and Chelsea. His range of experience and the context of his successes tells me that he's a very astute manager capable of getting a team to punch above its weight. The downside is, like some of the others, you wouldn't bank on him hanging around for long enough to really build for the long-term. That's if we could prise him away from Turkey, who he's apparently committed to, not likely.

Marcello Lippi

Regarded as one of the great Italian managers, Lippi worked his way up the managerial ladder by taking on small-medium sized Italian clubs before getting the call from Juventus - the club where he would make his name. There, in his first spell, he won three league titles and a European cup (plus 2x RU) in five seasons. Like a lot of Italian managers seem to do he then took over a rival club in Inter Milan for a short and unsuccessful spell in 2000. He rejoined Juve the following year and picked up where left off, winning two more Serie 'A' titles and for a third time finishing runner up in the UCL. In 2006 he guided his side to World Cup victory, but in South Africa crashed out at the group stage. He has never managed outside of Italy and doesn't speak English, and don't be fooled by the hair, he's only 62.

My view: It's probably the fact that he's never played or managed outside of Italy that puts me off most, especially now he's older. I guess you could argue that football transcends cultural boundaries, and that he could always learn English etc. like Trappatoni or Capello have done - and he could - but I'd want to be certain he has that desire to learn and adapt. Not my first choice, but with a record like that you wouldn't rule him out.

Ottmar Hitzfeld

Another of the game's elder statesman, Hitzfeld - aka "The General" - made his name at Borussia Dortmund before later establishing himself as one of the game's all-time greats at Bayern Munich. The Dortmund side he inherited in 1991 finished tenth the previous season; in the six years of his tenure that followed, they would never finish outside of the top four. In his first season Dortmund finished second, level on points with 1st-placed Stuttgart and the season after that they made but lost (to Juve) the final of the UEFA cup. Their rise to the very pinnacle of German and European football arrived soon thereafter; winning two league titles in succession (94/95-95/96) and the Champions League in 1996-1997, beating Lippi's Juventus (and they really were THE team to beat) in the final. In 1998 he took over from Trappatoni at Bayern Munich. The side he inherited there finished 2nd the season previous, and in his first season they won the league title by a record margin of 15 points. That season he also guided them to another European Cup final, only to lose to you know who, and you know how. In that most successful six-year period, his Bayern side won four league titles, three German cups and another (his 2nd) European Cup. After a three year break from the game in 2004, he returned to Bayern in 2007; his side completing the league and cup double the following year. He is currently the manager of Switzerland whom he guided to World Cup qualification for the 2010 WC, where despite beating Spain, they were eliminated at the group phase.

My view: I wasn't fully aware of the scale of his achievements until I dug a little deeper. It's saying a lot that he side from tenth to back-to-back league titles and a European cup in six years. The potential downside is that he hasn't ventured far from Germany, and so I'd want be sure that he really was prepared to adapt and live the life of a Liverpool manager. At 61 there is also perhaps less chance he would hang around for the kind of rebuild that we need.

Louis Van Gaal

As manager of Ajax in the early-mid 90s, he brought through and oversaw the success of a golden generation of players. The likes of Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Edwin Van Der Sar, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Jari Litmanen, and the De Boer brothers, burst onto the world stage under his tutelage. In his six seasons at Ajax he guided the club to three league titles, three Dutch Cups, one UEFA cup, and Champions League victory (plus 1x RU). He left Ajax to join Barcelona in 1997, where he won successive league titles and the Copa Del Rey. His tenure was cut short because, according to reports at the time, he had difficulties adapting to a different culture, manifesting in difficulties with certain players and/or the Spanish media. That presaged a difficult period in his career. His failure to qualify Holland for the 2002 World Cup (as Irish reds will recall) as manager of his native Netherlands, a brief and frankly disastrous return to Barça, and his early resignation as Ajax technical director (where it was alleged he wanted more control) saw his reputation take a bit of a nosedive. Getting back in the game in 2005 as manager of AZ Alkamaar proved to be an astute career move, however, as - with gradual improvement that culminated in a league title win in 2009 - he began to restore his reputation close to what it once was. (incidentally, you can see certain paralells and potential parallels with Rafa). That was enough to earn him the Bayern job, where in his first season he guided them to a league and cup double, and a Champions League final berth. His Bayern side are currently 14 points adrift ofthe leaders, Dortmund, in the Bundesliga and qualified for the UCL knockout phase.

My view: My memories are definitely coloured by that second spell he had at Barça, and his failure to qualify Holland for the World Cup. It's because of that and the fact that his side are currently well off the pace right in the league as of now that would deter me. Nevertheless, he's won major trophies at four separate clubs and that means he's worth a shout.

Jose Mourinho

Disliked by many Liverpool fans for his Chelsea connections, for taunting fans at the League Cup final, for his part in events leading to Anders Frisk's retirement, and for generally "being a tw@t". Put that to one side and his record, his footballing achievements, are to be admired. Sacked prematurely by Benfica, he soon rose to prominence at rival club Porto, where, in his first full season he won the league, league cup and UEFA cup treble. The following season he won the league again and the Champions League. A move to one of Europe's big leagues beckoned and in the summer of 2004, amid speculation that Liverpool (who he expressed a desire to join) could be his destination, he was signed by Chelsea. With a relatively favourable inheritance and the generous financial backing of Roman Abramovich, he managed Chelsea to back-to-back league titles, breaking the record points total in the process, first finishing 15 and then 11 points clear of the second place side. League and FA cups preceded his departure in 2007, whereafter he took a year out. His next project was Inter Milan, where - as at Chelsea - he transformed an already-good side into one of the very best around, yet again winning successive league titles, and ending his reign with an historic treble win. His last home league defeat came eight-and-a-half years ago and he is currently manager of Real Madrid (where he is on a four-year deal) who are two points behind Barça in La Liga and comfortably qualified for the UCL knockout phase.

My view: Probably the best manager around. Over a period of eight years he has constintently delivered major trophies, and although he's often had significant money to spend, he's spent it well and moulded three highly successful teams in Porto, Chelsea and Inter. At Liverpool he would be starting from further back but would, with NESVs backing, have the opportunity to rebuild the team. The perhaps unfortunate reality is that he would likely receive a frosty reception from a large section of our support and at a time when the club is in crisis on the pitch and with the fans somewhat divided off it, introducing Mourinho into the fray doesn't sound like such a good idea. 

Pep Guardiola

A graduate of "La Masia", the Barcelona Youth Academy, Guardiola spent the majority of his playing career as stalwart in the Barça midfield. Only someone so well acquainted with Barcelona could be successfully fast-tracked to the job of first team manager while still in their 30s. The side he inherited hadn't won a major trophy for two seasons previous and finished 17 points off the league leaders the season immediately prior. He had an instant impact, as in 08/09 Barca won the treble, becoming the first Spanish side to do so, winning another league title the following season with a record points haul and playing arguably the best football of a generation. They are currently two points clear at the top of La Liga and comfortably qualified for the UCL knockout phase, and looking in ominous form having recently thrashed Real Madrid 5-0. His contract runs out at the end of the season and has been touted as the next Inter manager.

My view: While the job he's done at Barca is very admirable, it could hardly be more different to the task he would face at Liverpool. At Barca, he's in very familar surroundings, tasked with keeping a great footballing side ticking over. We, on the other hand, are in need of a rebuild and a transformation in the we play football. For me there is also a nagging doubt about just to what extent he (as well as Rijkaard before him) is responsible for their success. The bulk of the first team progressed through the youth ranks together under a coaching philisophy that defines so much about them, and that gives me the impression that they already had most of the elements in place to have such success, and that this had a particularly strong bearing on their success. I'm not as keen on him as I know a lot of people are but, again, well worth keeping an eye on.

Didier Deschamps

Most will remember him from his days as a player at Juventus and Chelsea, and as captain of France during their World Cup win in 1998. It turns out that he's also a decent manager. His first job came at lowly Monaco who finished 11th prior to his arrival. At the end of his first season at the club, they finished even further back, in 15th place. Surprisingly (or perhaps not, such turnarounds in France and elsewhere are not uncommon), in the following season he took them to a second place finish, thus ensuring qualification to the 03/04 Champions League, and a French Cup win. Having qualified for the UCL, his side made it to the final of the Champions League in 03/04, going down to Jose Mourinho's Porto 3-0. Successive third-place finishes followed in the league, before a poor start (9th after 14 games) to the 05/06 season led to his resignation. He then moved to Juventus, who had just been relegated to Serie 'B' for their part in the Calciopoli matchfixing scandal. In his one and only season, Juventus won the league and thus promotion back to Serie 'A', before parting company with the club citing difficulties in their relationship as the reason. A couple of years on from that, he got back in the game with his former club, Marseille, leading them to the Ligue 1 title in his first season, having chased down Bordeaux who had been 11 points clear of them at Christmas. His Marseille side are currently fifth in the league, three points off the leaders, Lille.

My View: It looks as if he's been reasonably successful wherever he's been, but I don't know enough about him in truth.

Qique Sanchez Flores

He began his managerial career proper at newly promoted Getafe in 2004, who he guided to a respectable 13th place in the league. After only one season he signed for Valencie who he took to third and then fourth place finishes in the league. In his debut UCL season he took Valencia to the quarter finals, being knocked out by Chelsea. He was sacked by Valencia for what was deemed to be a poor start to the 07/08 season (3rd place one point of the top). He moved to Benfica, finished third and won the Portugues Cup, but this too was deemed unacceptable and so he moved back to Spain, and to Atletico Madrid. Fourth place they finished the season prior to his arrival, but they ended up 9th at the end of his first season at the club. That season they also won the UEFA cup, beating Liverpool in the semis and Roy's Fulham in the final. With ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League, his side currently sit 6th in the league, 2 points off fourth spot, 7 points off third.

My view: An unremarkable record punctuated by a UEFA cup win, and with a concerning blip here or there. I believe we can do better.

Joachim Loew

Best known for his role in the German national setup, his journey started with a string of short-term appointments as manager of the following clubs: Stuttgart, Fenerbahce, Karlsruhe, Adnaspor, Innsbruck, and Austria Vienna. Only at Stuttgart did he last longer than a full season - where he won the German Cup and made the Cup winners cup final. The only other domestic title to his name as a manager is an Austrian League title. He joined the Germany setup as assistant manager to Jurgen Klinsmann between 2004 and 2006, where he was, according to wikipedia, "the main tactician and strategist among the management crew"; Germany finished third in the 2006 World cup. Klinsmann made way for Loew in 2006, but the good run of form continued as in 2008 his side made the final of Euro 2008, losing by a solitary goal to nil - to Spain - thanks to Mr Torres. In last summer's World Cup, Germany again finished third, thrashing both England and Argentina on their way to the semis, where again, they were defeated by Spain.

My view: He caught my attention mainly because of the way Germany beat England and Argentina in South Africa. Without too many players who you could confidently call "world class", Germany played as a cohesive unit that managed contain and then, typically with quick and incisive counter-attacks, completely demolish two of the initial tournament favourites. You could see the discipline and the organisation in their play, and the pace and enthusiasm as soon as they were on the attack - the way, for example, Muller would get on his bike as soon as Ozil picked it up in a pocket of space... That side always seemed to be one step ahead. 


Andre Villas Boas

You might not have heard of him (until recently, I hadn't) but he's the current manager of Porto, and a protégé of Jose Mourinho. He completely bucks the trend in that not only has he never played the game professionally, he has hardly any managerial experience, and yet his Porto side are sitting pretty, 8 points clear at the top of the Portuguese league. While still in his teens, he joined Porto under the stewardship of Bobby Robson, whose assistant was of course Mourinho. Eventually Boas became one of Mourinho's assistants when he took the job at Porto, whom he would follow to Chelsea and then to Inter, until last season that is, when he decided to make the break and go it alone at the tender age of 33. His first proper job prior to taking over Porto came at relegation-threatened Academica, who he guided to 7th place in the league and the semi finals of the Portuguese cup. Taking over a Porto side that finished 8 points behind winners Benfica last season, he's managed to turn the tables. His side has also broken the record for unbeaten games across all competitions, set by Mourinho, which stood at 33 games.

My view: Though very young, he's served a lengthy apprenticeship under two outstanding managers of their generation in Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho, where he learned about the game and the role of manager. The results, so far at least, suggest that's rubbed off on him in a big way. Well worth keeping an eye on.

crazyhorse wrote:Also, no mention yet of Martin O' neil. I do think he could do a job here.

stmichael wrote:

crazyhorse wrote:Also, no mention yet of Martin O' neil. I do think he could do a job here.

if that guy ever set foot anywhere near anfiled i'd consider throwing myself under a bus.

That's one of the reasons I didn't mention him 

TarnRed wrote:I'll add another one for you, bit of a darkhorse mind.

Jürgen Klopp - Borussia Dortmund: Been with Borussia since 2008 and has now built a squad to finally challenge for the Bundesliga and get Borussia Dortmund back on the footballing map. Seen quite alot of the Bundesliga this season. His team plays very good attack minded ball on the deck football, they can also soak up pressure and are excellent defensively. In the majority of games his team scores 2 or more goals but don't concede too often, 10 goals in 17 league games.

Dortmund currently sit 10 points clear at the top of their respective league, 13 points above Bayern Munich. The job he has done without spending millions upon millions and with young players is nothing short of brilliant. Each season he has bettered his previous whilst at Borussia, a top upcoming young manager that shouldn't be overlooked.