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Liverpool keeping close eye on McLeish contract talks


JohnnyH
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If we were to put together a list of what we want in a future manager on my list fairly near the top would be

 

'Understands the British game'

 

Also on my list, also near the top would be

 

'Can get the best out of his players'

 

I think AM is someone who ticks both those boxes. I must be honest and say that he was not someone who I had considered before but I am not with those rejecting it out of hand.

 

It seems like others drrawing up their list would have things like

'Has won a domestic league title' (which basically rules out any one managing in the PL apart from SAF and Wenger)

and

'Has had CL experience'

and also

'Could attract top foreign players to Anfield'

 

I am not saying these 3 criteria are bad, just that for me they are not that important whereas the first two are. I am at all not saying AMc should be our next manager as I am sure others also tick the boxes but we should not reject him out of hand.

 

I suspect it is all to do with what you are looking for in a manager - I have said some of the key qualities that I want, but I have no confidence that those who make the decisions will want the same things. I almost fear that they will be looking for a 'name' manager with the 3 criteria I said were not that important.

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McLeish does have a reasonable CV, has experience at a large (ish) club and in the PL. So in that sense he might not be a bad appointment. However, I can't see many people getting excited over him, I can't see him getting much time, I can't see him being able to attract top players (with no CL we're going to struggle on that front, especially if we have no money) and I wonder whether he will be able to manage and convince the likes of Masc and Torres to stay.

 

However, if we need a manager to cope with no money and put a solid team together then he might be OK. However, putting a solid team and defense is what Benitez did so well and which saw Reina win his golden glove awards. So for me it's a no.

 

I'm all for giving a young manager a go, but it's a massive job and really we should be looking at a manager of a Villa, Spurs, Everton or top 8 side and I wouldn't want any of them. (moyes is the best).

 

Could a young manager cope with the pressure and deliver what we all want? Probably not.

 

I quite liked the thread about the German managers and think Mourinho might not be a bad choice as he can handle the pressure, has delivered titles (yes with a lot of money) and will appeal to big name players.

 

It's a decision that needs to be taken at the end of the season and maybe the Real rumour might allow us all to part ways in a fairly amicable manner. Only then will we know whether we have made a mistake - I'd expect to see Benitez win the CL with Madrid though.

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Rangers played well under McLeish and won plenty, and under major financial problems, Only once he left did people realise how good a job he did.

 

He took the Gers into the last 16 of the champions League.

 

And he signed Dado Prso.

 

I like McLeish always have done, as for Liverpool you never know unless you try.

 

My take on it.

 

He did an excellent job at Rangers and playerd better football than they do now under Smith.

 

No-one can deny that he is doing an excellent job at Birmingham.

 

Whether that means he would do a good job here is another matter. However, I think we all know that the next manager will need to be adapt at making comparatively little go a long way. McLeish has shown that he can do that.

 

Making the best out of what we have will be THE key requirement if twit and twat still call the shots.

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worth a punt, then. and if that doesn't work by this time next season, we can ship him out and bring Walter Smith in. He's a disciple of Ferguson too: also won a few trophies in Scotland. And then if that doesn't work and we have a season of mediocrity, we can bring in Billy Davies: experience of working on a tight budget, and has been promoted. We could always look at Roy Hodgson: he's taken a Fulham team spending nothing to the Europa League; maybe in a few seasons time he'll be taking a Liverpool team spending nothing to those lofty heights too?

 

 

I abhor our performances this season as much as the next man, but this reactionary bravado is bollocks.

 

That's bullshit. Two good seasons, and two trophies, don't make Benitez the messiah. Liverpool have been playing dogshit football for a majority of his reign.

 

We struggle to score, we struggle to get shots on target, we struggle to keep possession, we struggle to defend as a unit, etc.

 

You could probably get away with calling it reactionary a few months ago, but right now the club are in a full blown meltdown on the field, and Benitez has FULL CONTROL over footballing matters, so it's his head.

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Guest Ulysses Everett McGill
Hahaha that Madrid story was so predictable its not even funny.

 

Jesus Christ not only are our football predictable and shite but so is Rafa`s politic`s in the press.

 

Not sold on McLeish, he would do a better job than what Rafa has this season but thats not our aim unless you come from the Catch school of thought.

 

He should be delighted, I wonder where Birimingham finds themselves in his little financial table.

 

You know for a fact that Rafa was told Balague to write that, do you?

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Guest the boy
That's bullshit. Two good seasons, and two trophies, don't make Benitez the messiah. Liverpool have been playing dogshit football for a majority of his reign.

 

I have never likened Benitez to a messiah; even after Istanbul and Athens it was clear that in order to compete at the levels the man himself set in his first three seasons here we would need an injection of investment. Hence the furore over new owners.

 

Clearly he hasn't had that. Clearly, despite that, he has continued to push on - until, that is, this season. We've played some atrocious football this season; for our last good, footballing performances (in which I don't think you can count the grind of Tottenham, Everton and United) you've got to cast your mind back to Villa at home or Hull. But to match the heights that the man himself set - the heights that seemingly every internet fan takes as given we should be competing at - you have to be looking at a top, proven track record, or otherwise a starlet young manager really impressing by competing in other domestic leagues. There is no such young manager in this league. The likes of McCleish, Hodgson, O'Neil and whatever other mediocrities you would tout are neither young nor proven at the heighest level. None of these managers have come remotely close to achieving a tenth of that which Benitez has achieved here, and before here at Valencia.

 

 

 

Discussing Benitez' future is not reactionary, in the proper context. To throw McCleish's name into the hat, a manager whose head Birmingham fans were calling for for the first part of last season, is nothing short of it.

 

Personally I lean towards giving him a summer, and at least 6 months next season, to get his house in order. I think he's earnt that much. To describe our play as 'dogshit for the majority of his reign' is as wide of the mark as to describe it as elegant for the majority of his reign. There's been highs and lows. His record at all clubs accross several competitions suggests that he is the best candidate to get the team back on track. Until his position becomes absolutely untenable, or until a likewise candidate emerges, then I think this is premature.

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Guest simon
Si, Redknapp would have us in administration before you can say Brown Envelope.

 

With our team there really isnt any need to spend much.

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Guest the boy
Sacking McLeish is not the answer

Jan 27 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

 

MUTTERINGS that Birmingham boss Alex McLeish must go after the blip at Blackpool are complete garbage.

 

The last few weeks at St Andrew’s have been tough after just one win in seven and from what I’m told the defeat at Bloomfield Road was far from pretty.

 

But sacking the Scotsman midway through a decent enough season towards the top of the Championship could spell disaster for Blues.

 

I know many supporters are getting frustrated by McLeish’s tactics and a minority of Bluenoses have even started calling for his head.

 

And I admit Birmingham, whose last win was at Ipswich on Boxing Day, do seem to be stuck in a rut after tailing off following an encouraging start to the season.

 

But they are still third, just two points behind Reading and in sight of Wolves. And McLeish needs a bit of time so all of his January signings can settle in.

 

Football fans nowadays can be far too demanding and expect too much too soon. Admittedly some of Blues’ performances, by all accounts, have been below the required standard.

 

But if they have managed to put themselves firmly in the promotion race without playing well, just think what they could achieve if things start to click again.

 

It only takes a flukey winner to go in off someone’s backside to turn things round again and with a bit of confidence Blues could go on a positive run.

 

If the Birmingham board panic and get rid of McLeish it could take quite a while to find the right manager and even longer for him to stamp his mark on the dressing room.

 

He will have to work with the players he inherits from McLeish and if they can’t produce for the boss who signed them, who’s to say they’ll do any better for anybody else?

 

Blues might be flattering to deceive at the moment, but they are still in a decent position. If they sack McLeish they could risk tumbling down the table and even missing out on the play-offs.

 

o captain my captain.

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Guest simon
Redknapp only needs a suspension and he's out in the transfer market.

 

He's very clever you know what we think happened with Keane is wrong he paid about 2.5 to get him back.

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Anyone apart from Rafa. Don't even care any more who is it.

 

*apart from cunt Sam of course*

 

Like it was anyone but Moores and Parry in charge.

 

Agreed.

We're like a moth to a flame. Unlike a moth though, we aren't ignorant, but what we lack in ignorance we more than make up for in stupidity.

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Guest Ulysses Everett McGill

Rafa shows disrespect to Liverpool by purportedly linking himself to other club

 

Bad?

 

Alex Mcleish linking himself to Liverpool got get a better contract out of Birmingham by planting a story in The Mirror, which includes details of his buy-out clause

 

Good?

 

The irony is delicious

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Johnny it is comments from Rafa like "I have turned down big offers from big clubs" that really winds me up. I think that is very disrespectful to the club and our supporters.

 

He is the manager of one of the biggest clubs in world football and he will not get the kind of backing that he has had from our supporters elsewhere.

 

I do not agree with some of the personal insults that are being hurled at Rafa Benitez, and fully respect his achievements during his tenure at the club.

 

I am totally with you on that mate.

Any other club would of sacked him by now. But im not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

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Rafa shows disrespect to Liverpool by purportedly linking himself to other club

 

Bad?

 

Alex Mcleish linking himself to Liverpool got get a better contract out of Birmingham by planting a story in The Mirror, which includes details of his buy-out clause

 

Good?

 

The irony is delicious

 

You know for a fact that Alex McLeish planted that story to get the Mirror to write that, do you?

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