As King Kenny departs from his second spell as the manager of Liverpool Football Club speculation is rife as to who will take his place at the top.
The decision by FSG to remove Dalglish as manager after just a season and half is certainly a controversial one. Kenny is a legend at the club and should therefore, in my opinion, be given more time than any other manager but regardless of that I think that the job that Kenny was doing was long-term rebuilding project at the club. Bringing in young players such as Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll and Sebastian Coates was unlikely to lead to immediate success and even the more seasoned players such as Stewart Downing will benefit from having a season to settle in and blend with the squad. I also felt that two cup finals would secure Dalglish's position for a least another season.
However, now that the decision has been made, the club has to move on and look to the future. Three major candidates have emerged to become the new manager and the club have reportedly opened talks.
Roberto Martinez is the favourite for the role. The stylish football that he has got his Wigan side playing on a shoe-string budget and the run that his side put together towards the end of the season is certainly a remarkable achievement and the fact that he is only 38 is likely to be attractive to the owners. Whilst I would not be angry at the appointment of Roberto Martinez I personally feel that he is not experienced enough to guide Liverpool to success and the fact that Martinez is renowned for getting his team out of holes only adds to my belief that he is not the right man for the job, I would much prefer a manager that never gets his team into holes in the first place. This would also be Martinez's first experience of having a decent size transfer budget and therefore there is nothing to suggest that he would be a man who could acquire the right players to take the club forward.
André Villas-Boas is also in the running. A superb record in Portugal suggests a man who can win at high levels. However his recent spell at Chelsea was nothing short of a disaster, poor results and talk of discontent in the dressing room lead to a quick move to the exit at Stamford Bridge. Signings such as Juan Mata show that he has knowledge of the transfer market and signings such as Thibaut Cortouis and Romelu Lukaku show that he is more than willing to build for the future which may be just what FSG are looking for, also the fact that he is currently unattached makes him an affordable option. For me though his spell at Chelsea shows that he is not ready for Premier League management, in the biggest league in the World and at Liverpool especially expectation and pressure levels are so high and I don't believe Villas-Boas is ready for it yet. On top of that I believe that hiring AVB would be an insult to the club, taking on Chelsea rejects would be a big step backwards in my opinion, if he isn't good enough for them he certainly is not good enough for us.
The final major contender for the job is former manager Rafa Benitez. The mastermind of the Miracle of Istanbul and the man who brought quality players such as Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina to Anfield. A clear knowledge of the game and a love for the club ensures the support of most Liverpool fans. Unattached and living nearby the man who many believe could have brought even greater success to the club if not for unsupportive owners, could be given a second spell at the club. In my opinion Benitez is a quality manager who knows and understands the club, I also believe the fact that he speaks Spanish is major as well, this could be crucial to keeping Suarez at the club. Potential problems that the owners may see with this appointment would be that he has been out of the game for quite a while and that the owners may see him as being too old to put the long term plan of the club into action. I do believe though that Benitez is the best realistic contender for the job, I believe that a club of Liverpool's stature should be looking to bring in proven quality and winners instead of a manager who has not got the experience needed to lead the club.
I would choose Rafa Benitez for the job but whoever the owners bring in (within reason) I will back.
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