Young Manager

[Barnesey]

if Rafa as a Hart attack.

 

Does this involve plasticine characters?

 

Sorry, showing my age

[Code]

I see Deschamps Marseille have got a pretty comfortable lead in France at the moment after they have already beaten Bordeaux in their Legue Cup final.

 

He`s been a success wherever he has been, he should be on a top three list for sure.

[BexBissel]

The problem is we won't get a manager with experience of winning the Premier League title, or even getting into the top four.

Ancelotti and Mancini have been here five minutes. Doubt either would come here anyway.

 

Ferguson and Wenger certainly aren't going to come here.

 

So we're then looking at managers who have won fuck all and at best finished 5th in the league, 4th in Gollam's case.

 

Hodgson is the only manager in England, who is a realistic target, that I'd have any faith in doing anything close to a decent job for us.

Avram Grant.

[Curly]

Avram Grant.

 

There's more chance of Rafa going to Pompey

[coachpotato]

I think it's more helpful to look at the criteria first, then the name. In my view must have:

 

* proven track record in Champions League

* won a league somewhere else

* strong record of building teams, rather than buying success

 

You've forgotten the most important criteria of all:

 

* must be a boyhood Red

[Guest davelfc]

You've forgotten the most important criteria of all:

 

* must say that they were a boyhood Red

 

Fixed that

[Baldi]

Roberto Martinez.

 

Good shout I reckon

[ChicagoRed]

It won't be Sammy Lee.........please tell me it won't be Sammy Lee!

[Iantn]

I see Deschamps Marseille have got a pretty comfortable lead in France at the moment after they have already beaten Bordeaux in their Legue Cup final.

 

He`s been a success wherever he has been, he should be on a top three list for sure.

 

And has left his previous 2 clubs after disagreeing with those above him. Doubt he'd be eager to work this our board if that's his mentality.

[Red Nick]

You're given this situation:

 

You're the Chairman of LFC. Your next manager of LFC has to be young as you've not much money and you fancy a radical change.

Go get one for the start of new season. No older than 45.

Who'll do a decent job?

Who'll be a great job?

 

 

I'll start.

 

Gus Poyet.

 

He's got Brighton playing good football and is pulling them out of relegation.

He's been in England for at least a decade now and knows the South American market.

He's also a funny fucker and I have always liked him, even when playing for Chelsea.

 

He was also the reason Leeds were doing so well under Denis wise and we know what happened when he went to Spurs

 

Martinez at Wigan would be my choice

[camus]

Sammy lee with macca and evans to assist

[Johncolf]

Deschamps is a great call , Barca took a gamble on a young manager and reaped the rewards for havin the balls , I would like to throw Dennis Bergcamps name in the ring he has done all his coaching badges and would be able to atract players with his name and pulling power after the great career he had in the game , does anyone know what he is doing at the moment

[jackofdk]

Deschamps' record looks good, but does anyone which kind of football his teams play? If it's anything like he was in his playing years, I'd steer well clear. Most boring top player to play the game ever.

 

I really, really, really want us to get someone in with a belief in attacking football next time. And I don't necessarily think we have to be all technical like Barca; just approaching games with a positive intent and going for the win from the kick off would do me.

[Thants]

Watch the Gus Bus drive in front of the SKY cameras tomorrow 12pm to see if Brighton can keep hold of top spot against 3rd place Bournemouth.

It's the game of the weekend.

Somebody said he was a good young manager . . . can't recall who . .

[Thants]

The lino's a cunt.

[Dicko]

Bilic, but to be honest i'd go for a Roy Hodgson type manager

 

Snigger, snigger, guffaw:whistle:;)

[Punk]

How about a 48 year old ex Liverpool player, with Dalglish guiding him as DOF.

 

The prospective new owners certainly know all about this fella. And, according to the article below, maybe missing out on Robert Kraft wasn't such a bad thing.

 

Sorry, not enough posts to include the URL for the article.

 

Krafts Hint at New England Revolution as Red Sox Owners Look Toward Liverpool

 

Manchester United has announced a £83.6 million ($137.3 million) loss in its fiscal year ended June 30, suggesting that the English Premier League doesn't exactly represent good return on an investment.

 

If the most famous club in the world's most famous league is a money loser, thanks to the debt required to purchase it and the player salaries required to keep it competitive, that can't be a good sign for the circuit as a whole.

 

In fact, according to a May report in The Times, the vast majority of EPL clubs were operating in the red last season. Yet despite the out-of-control costs, the lack of anything close to a level playing field and near impossibility of winning an actual trophy, Americans keep lining up to invest.

 

The latest is New England Sports Ventures, the Boston Red Sox ownership group led by John Henry that has offered to pay around $477 million for floundering Liverpool FC. The Premier League approved the sale on Friday, but the current owners (also American) likely will try to delay or block the transaction next week in court. Even if it's approved, Henry and Co. have an uphill battle to right Liverpool's financial ship and steer the club back toward the top of a table that rewards only financial largesse.

 

But a lot of people think Henry is up to the challenge. He transformed the Red Sox' fortunes, reversed "the curse" and helped the franchise become a financial heavyweight despite the fact that it plays in the third-smallest stadium in the majors. Boston fans must love him.

 

Which likely stands in stark contrast to how the area's soccer fans feel about the ownership of their local club. It can be argued pretty easily that the success the New England Revolution have had over the past decade has come in spite of owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft rather than because of them. Steve Nicol's uncanny eye for talent has kept the Revs competitive, while the Krafts focus on the Patriots and treat the Revolution as their unwanted Gillette Stadium stepchild.

 

I remember vividly the complaints of Revs fans at last year's MLS Cup Supporters Summit. They saw the Sounders signs and banners adorning Qwest Field, almost in equal number to the NFL's Seahawks, and wondered why the Krafts made so little effort to promote their soccer team (Sounders coach Sigi Schmid even references that contrast in this interview).

 

With ownership's reluctance to create much atmosphere at Gillette (seating will be available on both sides of the stadium for the first time next season!), it should come as little surprise that the club is one of only two MLS originals that has never signed a designated player (the other is Colorado, which hasn't managed to finish above third in the Western Conference and hasn't appeared in a final of any kind since the 1999 U.S. Open Cup.)

 

Nicol has been left to mine for talent and find gems like Clint Dempsey, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, Andy Dorman and Pat Noonan in the draft. The highest-paid players currently on the New England roster, by far, are Shalrie Joseph and the inactive Taylor Twellman, both drafted in 2002.

 

In short, the Krafts don't like to spend money on marketing, player acquistion, or soccer, period.

 

In contrast, here are MLS commissioner Don Garber's words on Henry and Co. (he was speaking at a London conference):

 

"The ownership has not only graced (the Red Sox' tradition) but enhanced it. They have enhanced and renovated the stadium. They have brought modern technology to improve the fans experience. They have put championship teams on the field and managed their enterprise with an eye to profitability. So they are tremendous pro-sports team owners.''

 

What are the chances that Garber had the Krafts' decade-plus of ambivalence on his mind when he said that? How many Revolution fans have looked wistfully up Route 1 over the past few days and wondered what NESV's $477 million would do for their soccer club?

 

The transformation surely would be profound -- revolutionary -- and may even constitute a better investment. With its controlled costs and slow but steady growth, MLS probably presents a better long-term economic proposition than the Premier League.

 

It's become clear over the past couple of years that an MLS 2.0 has emerged. Ambitious owners who want to win, understand the traditions of the game and market to adults and fans who know soccer have set a new standard. The Seattle Sounders, of course, lead the way, but we've seen elements of that philosophy in Toronto, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and now Kansas City.

 

Clubs like the Revolution and D.C. United are being left behind. New England will miss the playoffs this year for the first time since 2001. It ranks 12th in the 16-team league in attendance.

 

But, serendipitously, just as Henry's bid for Liverpool has shed light on the sad state of the Revolution, the Krafts appear to have seen some of that light for themselves. On Saturday, club COO Brian Bilello told the Boston Herald that the owners have approved the signing of up to two designated players in 2011.

 

"At the ownership level, we've talked about it. It's no sudden story that the team hasn't performed the way we wanted this year. In talking with ownership, their priority wasn't just getting better. They want to get better quickly," Bilello said.

 

"In all likelihood, those players will be moderate designated players. We're going to look for moderate designated players that can help the team get better regardless of their marketing impact. That's a bit of a shift from what we've said in the past."

 

Focused perpetually on the bottom line, the Krafts perviously would consider a DP only if he would "bring more money in than you put out." That was the wrong way to look at it, of course. You must spend money to make money, and a winning team collectively has a better chance of turning a profit. John Henry certainly understands that.

 

"Any time the ownership starts saying they're willing to open up the pocketbook and go out and get players, that is a step in the right direction," goalie Matt Reis told MLSSoccer.com.

 

It gets better.

 

Also last weekend, Jonathan Kraft said on NECN television that he now understood the wisdom of a soccer specific stadium.

 

"When you've got 15,000 people in a 70,000 seat building, you don't have the energy that you get in a 20,000 seat building, and I think the scale of those buildings, which have really led to this growth, work in a city, too. They don't impact the surrounding areas the way a football stadium would, so we're hopeful that we'll be able to do that."

 

An urban stadium for MLS's most ignored club?

 

"We're working with various people," Kraft said. "When there's something to talk about, we'll talk about it."

 

Perhaps it's a coincidence that the Krafts have gone public with their realization that they own an MLS team at about the same time that NESV has committed so much to Liverpool. It would be sad if Boston's soccer fans chose to support a club thousands of miles away rather than the neglected one in their own backyard.

 

But perhaps not. It was time for the Krafts to save face and pay attention to the Patriots' little brother. Whatever the motivation, it's good for the Revolution and good for MLS.

 

Now all Garber has to do is figure out how to get these wealthy Americans and brand new soccer fans to invest in their local club rather than a foreign one. If Phil Anschutz had decided to buy Tottenham 15 years ago, MLS wouldn't exist. If the likes of Henry, Glazer and Lerner spend at home rather than abroad, just think what it could become.

[JagSquared]

That tunchel fella at Mainz is doing a great job. Prob a bit early for a big club for him. I'm interested in seeing how he does read some good articles in the guardian

[RedSoxFan]

How about a 48 year old ex Liverpool player, with Dalglish guiding him as DOF.

 

The prospective new owners certainly know all about this fella. And, according to the article below, maybe missing out on Robert Kraft wasn't such a bad thing.

 

Sorry, not enough posts to include the URL for the article.

 

Krafts Hint at New England Revolution as Red Sox Owners Look Toward Liverpool

 

Manchester United has announced a £83.6 million ($137.3 million) loss in its fiscal year ended June 30, suggesting that the English Premier League doesn't exactly represent good return on an investment.

 

If the most famous club in the world's most famous league is a money loser, thanks to the debt required to purchase it and the player salaries required to keep it competitive, that can't be a good sign for the circuit as a whole.

 

In fact, according to a May report in The Times, the vast majority of EPL clubs were operating in the red last season. Yet despite the out-of-control costs, the lack of anything close to a level playing field and near impossibility of winning an actual trophy, Americans keep lining up to invest.

 

The latest is New England Sports Ventures, the Boston Red Sox ownership group led by John Henry that has offered to pay around $477 million for floundering Liverpool FC. The Premier League approved the sale on Friday, but the current owners (also American) likely will try to delay or block the transaction next week in court. Even if it's approved, Henry and Co. have an uphill battle to right Liverpool's financial ship and steer the club back toward the top of a table that rewards only financial largesse.

 

But a lot of people think Henry is up to the challenge. He transformed the Red Sox' fortunes, reversed "the curse" and helped the franchise become a financial heavyweight despite the fact that it plays in the third-smallest stadium in the majors. Boston fans must love him.

 

Which likely stands in stark contrast to how the area's soccer fans feel about the ownership of their local club. It can be argued pretty easily that the success the New England Revolution have had over the past decade has come in spite of owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft rather than because of them. Steve Nicol's uncanny eye for talent has kept the Revs competitive, while the Krafts focus on the Patriots and treat the Revolution as their unwanted Gillette Stadium stepchild.

 

I remember vividly the complaints of Revs fans at last year's MLS Cup Supporters Summit. They saw the Sounders signs and banners adorning Qwest Field, almost in equal number to the NFL's Seahawks, and wondered why the Krafts made so little effort to promote their soccer team (Sounders coach Sigi Schmid even references that contrast in this interview).

 

With ownership's reluctance to create much atmosphere at Gillette (seating will be available on both sides of the stadium for the first time next season!), it should come as little surprise that the club is one of only two MLS originals that has never signed a designated player (the other is Colorado, which hasn't managed to finish above third in the Western Conference and hasn't appeared in a final of any kind since the 1999 U.S. Open Cup.)

 

Nicol has been left to mine for talent and find gems like Clint Dempsey, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, Andy Dorman and Pat Noonan in the draft. The highest-paid players currently on the New England roster, by far, are Shalrie Joseph and the inactive Taylor Twellman, both drafted in 2002.

 

In short, the Krafts don't like to spend money on marketing, player acquistion, or soccer, period.

 

In contrast, here are MLS commissioner Don Garber's words on Henry and Co. (he was speaking at a London conference):

 

"The ownership has not only graced (the Red Sox' tradition) but enhanced it. They have enhanced and renovated the stadium. They have brought modern technology to improve the fans experience. They have put championship teams on the field and managed their enterprise with an eye to profitability. So they are tremendous pro-sports team owners.''

 

What are the chances that Garber had the Krafts' decade-plus of ambivalence on his mind when he said that? How many Revolution fans have looked wistfully up Route 1 over the past few days and wondered what NESV's $477 million would do for their soccer club?

 

The transformation surely would be profound -- revolutionary -- and may even constitute a better investment. With its controlled costs and slow but steady growth, MLS probably presents a better long-term economic proposition than the Premier League.

 

It's become clear over the past couple of years that an MLS 2.0 has emerged. Ambitious owners who want to win, understand the traditions of the game and market to adults and fans who know soccer have set a new standard. The Seattle Sounders, of course, lead the way, but we've seen elements of that philosophy in Toronto, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and now Kansas City.

 

Clubs like the Revolution and D.C. United are being left behind. New England will miss the playoffs this year for the first time since 2001. It ranks 12th in the 16-team league in attendance.

 

But, serendipitously, just as Henry's bid for Liverpool has shed light on the sad state of the Revolution, the Krafts appear to have seen some of that light for themselves. On Saturday, club COO Brian Bilello told the Boston Herald that the owners have approved the signing of up to two designated players in 2011.

 

"At the ownership level, we've talked about it. It's no sudden story that the team hasn't performed the way we wanted this year. In talking with ownership, their priority wasn't just getting better. They want to get better quickly," Bilello said.

 

"In all likelihood, those players will be moderate designated players. We're going to look for moderate designated players that can help the team get better regardless of their marketing impact. That's a bit of a shift from what we've said in the past."

 

Focused perpetually on the bottom line, the Krafts perviously would consider a DP only if he would "bring more money in than you put out." That was the wrong way to look at it, of course. You must spend money to make money, and a winning team collectively has a better chance of turning a profit. John Henry certainly understands that.

 

"Any time the ownership starts saying they're willing to open up the pocketbook and go out and get players, that is a step in the right direction," goalie Matt Reis told MLSSoccer.com.

 

It gets better.

 

Also last weekend, Jonathan Kraft said on NECN television that he now understood the wisdom of a soccer specific stadium.

 

"When you've got 15,000 people in a 70,000 seat building, you don't have the energy that you get in a 20,000 seat building, and I think the scale of those buildings, which have really led to this growth, work in a city, too. They don't impact the surrounding areas the way a football stadium would, so we're hopeful that we'll be able to do that."

 

An urban stadium for MLS's most ignored club?

 

"We're working with various people," Kraft said. "When there's something to talk about, we'll talk about it."

 

Perhaps it's a coincidence that the Krafts have gone public with their realization that they own an MLS team at about the same time that NESV has committed so much to Liverpool. It would be sad if Boston's soccer fans chose to support a club thousands of miles away rather than the neglected one in their own backyard.

 

But perhaps not. It was time for the Krafts to save face and pay attention to the Patriots' little brother. Whatever the motivation, it's good for the Revolution and good for MLS.

 

Now all Garber has to do is figure out how to get these wealthy Americans and brand new soccer fans to invest in their local club rather than a foreign one. If Phil Anschutz had decided to buy Tottenham 15 years ago, MLS wouldn't exist. If the likes of Henry, Glazer and Lerner spend at home rather than abroad, just think what it could become.

 

I was just getting ready to suggest Nicol. You took the words out of my mouth.

 

He's a Liverpool legend and at least a little familiar with John Henry.

 

He's done a good job with the NE Revolution...most of the time. This year the team sucked- but they had some young & awful players.

[RedKnight]

No. Just... no.

[llego]

Loew, Hiddink or the Atleti manager

[Unrighteous]

Loew, Hiddink or the Atleti manager

 

Errr... Hiddink is in his 60s. (and Atletico manager is Quique Flores)

[Shreddy]

Unai Emery anyone or the coach of Porto. i heard that he's a very talented coach..

[Funkasy]

Bilic please

[WrongIslander]

I checked what Deschamps has won and it's only 1 French League cup. He won nothing woth Marseille or Juve.

 

No way is that enough to get the job at Liverpool.

 

You might want to check again. Also it was quite remarkable what he did with Monaco and if he had a full compliment after raping Real Madrid for the final then who knows what might have happened had the "special one" not been given the Chelsea job....

 

Where's Sam Beckett when you need him!