Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Brendan Rodgers is our manager


Recommended Posts

i wish FSG would fuck off,  They are not good owners for fans of this club who aspire to win things. Their recruitment policy is a busted flush, the manager a lame duck and know-nothing cunts in Boston are now deciding who coaches our players. Apart from that they're doing a great job. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pako would be a strange one and the only conclusion I can come up with is the owners have been influenced by fans, it's happened before with Kenny.

 

If that's not the reason then I don't know why he's been chosen, he was a fitness coach under Rafa and has done nothing of note since apart from winning the treble with the strongest team in a shit league.

 

I don't see any logic in this as even if they were trying to force BR out and have a replacement ready Pako should not be the man, BR has a better cv as a manager.

 

Atleast BR is getting one of his own men with Inglethorpe stepping up but if Pako has been chosen for him I think there could be conflict in the future.

  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

LIVERPOOL FC

 

Pako Ayestaran linked with Liverpool FC return but no approach yet07 JUNE 2015 01:57 PMBY ANDY KELLYClub have not yet held talks with Rafa Benitez's former assistant

 

1 Share    

 

Pako Ayestaran during Liverpool v Portsmouth in November 2006 Credit: Action Images / Tony O'Brien

 

Pako Ayestaran has been linked with a shock return to Liverpool – as Brendan Rodgers’ new first team coach.

 

The Spanish coach, who was Rafa Benitez’s No 2 at Anfield from 2004 to 2007, has just completed an historic year in Israel where he managed Maccabi Tel Aviv to become the first team ever to win the treble.

 

The 52-year-old has already told Maccabi he will not return next year and he has always kept close links with Merseyside since his departure, following the breakdown in his relationship with Benitez.

 

However the ECHO understands Liverpool have not yet made any approach to Ayestaran or held any discussions with him.

 

Friday’s departure of Rodgers’ assistant coach Colin Pascoe and first team coach Mike Marsh leaves major roles to be filled at Melwood and Ayestaran would certainly pass the experience test which is said to be high on the list of qualities Liverpool are seeking.

 

Rafael and Pako training at Melwood in October 2005 - five months after the Miracle of Istanbul Credit: Action Images / John Sibley

 

However there is said be some question marks over whether he would wish to go back to an assistant role after entering full-time management himself.

 

A thorough recruitment process is already underway at Anfield but no appointments are said to be imminent in terms of the next few days.

 

His move to Israel last August came after a spell in charge of Mexican second division side Estudiantes Tecos.

 

In an exclusive interview with the ECHO two months ago Ayestaran said a future as a Premier League manager was his dream and said his period at Liverpool was probably the best time of his life

 

He said: “Managing in England? This is one of the dreams.

 

“I think whoever has managed or coached in England will tell you it’s one of the best places to work. It’s the respect you get for your work and how professional everything is.”

 

He also highlighted his love for Merseyside and his family’s ongoing links with the area, where they have kept their house in Hoylake.

 

“My second son is a Scouser,” he said proudly of 10-year-old Unai.

 

“My family and I love the Wirral. It feels like home around there and we’re very attached to it. We’ll be back there again this summer.

 

“I have so many unbelievable memories from my time at Liverpool. That was probably the best part of my life.

 

“That feeling of being part of the Liverpool family and being loved by the supporters.

 

“The respect everyone shows you in England but especially at Liverpool for the work you do, that’s impossible to feel anywhere else.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pako would be a strange one and the only conclusion I can come up with is the owners have been influenced by fans, it's happened before with Kenny.

 

If that's not the reason then I don't know why he's been chosen, he was a fitness coach under Rafa and has done nothing of note since apart from winning the treble with the strongest team in a shit league.

 

I don't see any logic in this as even if they were trying to force BR out and have a replacement ready Pako should not be the man, BR has a better cv as a manager.

 

Atleast BR is getting one of his own men with Inglethorpe stepping up but if Pako has been chosen for him I think there could be conflict in the future.

Apart from be part of a team that won two Spanish titles, a UEFA cup, champions league and FA Cup. Then wins a treble in Isreal, something they haven't done before.

 

I suppose he needs a Championship Playoff to gain credibility though.

 

If he can stop Rodgers making dumb decisions then great. If it makes him bog off earlier then even better.

  • Upvote 1
  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rogers seems like just a front man now, with things being put in place to remove him from the day to day decision making, thoroughly bizarre shit from FSG once again.

 

According to some he does not buy the players, now he will be forced to delegate the coaching and he can't pick his backroom team. As it would seem they do not trust his judgement on anything.

 

He has officially become the salesman or the PR man selling us par.

 

That is if the reports are true.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest davelfc

According to some he does not buy the players, now he will be forced to delegate the coaching and he can't pick his backroom team. As it would seem they do not trust his judgement on anything.

 

He has officially become the salesman or the PR man selling us par.

 

That is if the reports are true.

 

Apparently he buys the ones that turn out to be half decent. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently he buys the ones that turn out to be half decent.

Eh? I'm pretty sure common consensus is that every shit player we're linked with is Rodgers choice and any good one we're linked with/sign are players he doesn't want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest davelfc

Eh? I'm pretty sure common consensus is that every shit player we're linked with is Rodgers choice and any good one we're linked with/sign are players he doesn't want.

 

Yeah that was sort of my point. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dead man walking. But instead of the electric chair it will be a multi million pound pay off and another job in 6 months.

 

Only bad things can come of this. Should have just got rid. He won't resign, normally I would not blame him but he has some brass neck. This club doesn't need a new broom so much as a Starship Enterprise size Dyson.

 

If you cannot get a world class manager you need plenty of dosh and a decent one. We have neither.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dead man walking. But instead of the electric chair it will be a multi million pound pay off and another job in 6 months.

Only bad things can come of this. Should have just got rid. He won't resign, normally I would not blame him but he has some brass neck. This club doesn't need a new broom so much as a Starship Enterprise size Dyson.

If you cannot get a world class manager you need plenty of dosh and a decent one. We have neither.

Basically FSG are saying to Rodgers 'it's on you now'. As you say dead man walking. He'll be gone by November. This will never work. By then hopefully klopp is here and this joker can be forgotten about.

  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pako: Liverpool FC is a truly special club - I still watch as many matches as possible  

Linked with a return to Anfield as assistant to Brendan Rodgers, this is what Pako Ayestaran told the ECHO about his time at Liverpool  

 
 
 
JS60079925.jpg
Pako Ayesteran with Rafa Benitez at The Hawthorns in April 2006 Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan

Pako Ayestaran has been linked with a return to Anfield today although no approach has yet been made to the Spaniard by Liverpool.

A popular figure as Rafa Benitez’s number two, little had been heard from the 52-year-old Spaniard about his departure from Liverpool in 2007 until earlier this year when he spoke exclusively to the ECHO’s James Pearce.

Covering his love for Liverpool, his relationship with Rafa and his hopes to return to manage in England one day, it gives a significant insight into the thoughts of a man who continues to spend every summer in the Wirral, keeping a house there just as his former partner Benitez has done.

“I watch as many Liverpool matches as I can and I still love the club,” he said.

“Brendan Rodgers has done an excellent job. The way Brendan approaches games is very enjoyable to watch. He likes his teams to attack and be positive.”

Here is a synopsis of that interview which took place in late March as he chased a history-making treble in Israel as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv, a target which was successfully achieved.

 

 

JS60079919.jpgPako Ayestaran with Rafael Benitez against West Brom at Anfield on September 11, 2004 Credit: Action Images / Alex Morton

 

Pako on his parting from Rafa  

Pako Ayestaran insists he didn’t betray Rafa Benitez but says he had to leave Liverpool FC because they were “going in different directions”.

The Spanish duo were close friends and had worked together for 11 years prior to Ayestaran quitting as the Reds’ No 2 in August 2007 following a series of disputes.

Benitez accused his assistant of “a betrayal” by talking to other clubs behind his back but Ayestaran denies that. The pair haven’t spoken since his exit.

“That’s not true. I never looked at any jobs behind his back,” Ayestaran told the ECHO.

“It’s true that I had offers from Spain but Rafa knew about them.

“No, I’ve not seen Rafa since. I’ve not been lucky.”

After three years at Liverpool which saw the club win both the Champions League and the FA Cup, Ayestaran says he left with a heavy heart.

“I would have loved to continue at the club for more years but the fact is I had stopped enjoying my work on a daily basis,” he said.

“I just felt Rafa and I were going in different directions in the way of wanting to do things. In terms of the training and the competitions, we were getting away from our principles.

“If you are not enjoying it then you are not a happy bunny, as you say in English. When that happens it’s time to move on."

 

JS60079922.jpgRafael and Pako training at Melwood in October 2005 - five months after the Miracle of Istanbul Credit: Action Images / John Sibley

 

On his love for Liverpool FC  

“If it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been such a difficult decision. But because it was Liverpool it was very difficult.

“There are other good clubs but Liverpool is a truly special club. It’s not easy to find a similar environment but I have no regrets about leaving. If I was going to be fulfilled I needed to go somewhere else.

“When I look back on my time at Liverpool, I keep in my mind the positives. The great moments, great experiences and great people. The positives are more important than anything that happened towards the end of my time there.”

Ayestaran started out as a player at Real Sociedad’s Academy but hung up his boots at the age of 21 to focus on a career in coaching. He did his badges and got a degree in sports science.

He was a fitness coach at Osasuna when he met Benitez for the first time in 1996.

They struck up an instant rapport and went on to earn promotion with Extremadura and then Tenerife. The pair moved to Valencia in 2001 and won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup before Liverpool came calling in 2004.

After leaving the Reds, Ayestaran worked for Real Sociedad, Benfica, Valencia and Al Ahly in Dubai before moving into management.

In 2013 he headed to Mexico to take over at Estudiantes Tecos and then last August he landed the job at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.

 

JS60079927.jpgFootball - Liverpool Training - Liverpool Training Ground, Melwood , 06/07 - 21/11/06 Pako Ayestaran - Liverpool coach Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine

 

On becoming a manager  

“There was never any big plan to become a manager,” he added.

“It has been quite a natural process. When I was part of the backroom staff the only thing I was looking for was to feel important. To try to get my knowledge through and put that into the team. That fulfilled me.

“But there came a time when I started to see the game in a different way. You feel that you have things you want to give to the game.

“Little by little I felt that I wanted the chance to take my own way. After working for many different clubs, I felt it would be easier.

“When I arrived (in Israel) it wasn’t easy because the season had already started and I wasn’t involved in the building of the squad.

“It was a new country for me and I didn’t know much about the level of competition. I needed some time to get my ideas across but the adaptation period was pretty quick.

“We are doing well and this could be an historic season for the club. The treble has never been done by any club here before.

"That would be a great achievement but there’s still a long way to go.”

 

zz190713cruyff1.jpgJordi Cruyff playing for Alaves

 

On working in lsrael  

Tel Aviv general manager Jordi Cruyff, the former Barcelona and Manchester United midfielder, came calling after Oscar Garcia, the ex-Brighton boss, quit last summer.

Garcia claimed he walked away because of the security situation in Israel but Ayestaran has never had any concerns on that front.

“There are no issues for my work and my family and I feel perfectly safe,” he said.

“Tel Aviv is a lovely place to live. The weather is good and the people have been very welcoming. It’s quite far from the conflict.

“I had a meeting with Jordi the year before in Barcelona so we already knew each other. When he called and asked me to take charge, I had three offers from clubs in Mexico I was considering.

“But I decided to accept this challenge and I’m glad I did. I was lucky in that Jordi was here for two years before I arrived and he changed the structure of the club and made it a lot more professional. He changed the habits.

“This club had gone 10 years without winning the championship but they won it in 2013 and again last year. Now we want to make it three in a row.”

 

hoylake-west-kirby.jpgHoylake and West Kirby. Photo: Colin Lane

 

On life on Merseyside  

Nearly eight years have passed since Ayestaran left Liverpool after his relationship with Benitez deteriorated but his attachment to both the club and the city remain.

“My second son is a Scouser,” he says proudly.

Ten-year-old Unai, 12-year-old Borja and their mother Zaida are now based with him in Tel Aviv, but the family have kept their house in Hoylake.

“My family and I love the Wirral,” he added.

“It feels like home around there and we’re very attached to it. We’ll be back there again this summer.

“I have so many unbelievable memories from my time at Liverpool. That was probably the best part of my life.

“That feeling of being part of the Liverpool family and being loved by the supporters.

“The respect everyone shows you in England but especially at Liverpool for the work you do, that’s impossible to feel anywhere else.”

 

image-10-for-rafa-benitez-s-liverpool-fcPako Ayestaran (third left) with Rafa Benitez and Anfield team including David Moores and Rick Parry (right)

 

 

On winning trophies with the Reds and why the didn't win the League  

After making the move to Anfield with Benitez from Valencia in 2004, Ayestaran enjoyed three remarkable seasons with the Reds.

The Champions League triumph of 2005 was followed by FA Cup glory 12 months later. Liverpool also reached the 2007 Champions League final in Athens.

“The first season was unbelievable,” he said. “The team was struggling in the Premier League but we had so many magnificent performances in the Champions League.

“In Istanbul we saw the greatest comeback in history. There’s never been another final like that. I still keep in touch with Stevie (Gerrard), Carra (Jamie Carragher), Xabi (Alonso) and Luis (Garcia).

 

2431531.jpgReal Madrid's Raul in action against Liverpool's Xabi Alonso (L) and Jamie Carragher ®

 

“Sometimes I doubt whether it was my best achievement because in a cup competition it can depend on the draw and you only have to play around a dozen games.

“It’s more difficult to win a league title because you need to be more consistent over a long period. But Istanbul was certainly the best day of my life.”

Liverpool became feared across Europe but domestically it was a different story. In 2004/05 they were fifth in the Premier League – 37 points adrift of champions Chelsea.

The Reds improved and went on to secure back to back top-three finishes but they weren’t able to sustain a title challenge.

“We just didn’t have a strong enough squad,” Ayestaran said.

“It’s very tough to win the Premier League with the pace of the games.

“We had some players who could play in any big team in Europe but we didn’t have enough of those players. You need 15 to 17 of that calibre.”

 

On rotation  

As well as being a sounding board for Benitez’s tactical plans, Ayestaran was also instrumental in planning Liverpool’s training regime.

A specialist in sports science, he was responsible for the physical conditioning of the squad and had a hill constructed at Melwood which the players would pound up and down as he sought to improve their stamina.

When it came to team selection, their rotation policy came in for plenty of stick but Ayestaran says the critics were being short-sighted.

“Rotation wasn’t something new to us as it started at Valencia,” he said.

“When you are playing in Europe and fighting for the league, you need to rotate. It’s impossible to expect players to perform at their best for 60-odd games per season.

“A lot of them play international matches on top of their club commitments. They need to rest sometimes and recharge their batteries.

“There was criticism when we made changes but it was always the right thing to do. That’s where having a deep squad comes in.”

In the long-term he would relish a return to the Premier League.

“Managing in England? This is one of the dreams,” he added.

“I think whoever has managed or coached in England will tell you it’s one of the best places to work. It’s the respect you get for your work and how professional everything is.

“But I’m enjoying myself here. I’m learning and growing as a manager every day.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...