Mourinho next Liverpool manager?

[Rashid]

Liverpool target Mourinho

 

By Graham Hunter

 

Liverpool want Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho as their new manager and have already sounded out the Porto boss about joining in the summer.

 

The Portuguese champions are resigned to losing the man who won them last season’s Uefa Cup and has taken them to the Champions League quarter final – and Mourinho has kept them informed about Liverpool’s offer.

 

The 40-year-old is Europe’s hottest talent, speaks flawless English and recently endeared himself to Liverpool fans by knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League – plus enraging Sir Alex Ferguson during a war of words which the Portuguese won hands down.

 

Porto believe that there has already been a direct meeting between the parties but think that Mourinho has not yet agreed to move to Anfield until he sees whether Porto can win the Champions League.

 

Mourinho believes himself to be ready to coach at the very highest level and has also been sounded out by Tottenham Hotspur.

 

At the time he said: “We were in Marseille for the Champions League and someone accredited to Tottenham spoke with me about moving right away to England.

 

“I told him if it was a proposition for next season then we could talk to see what could happen. But to play against Marseille and then start immediately at Spurs, I wouldn’t even listen to that invitation.”

 

But the Liverpool offer has attracted him at the moment and Porto expect him to accept and sign for them this summer it if no other firm offers come in.

 

One Porto director, who confirmed the contact but wished to remain anonymous, said: “Mourinho has done brilliantly for our club since he joined two years ago so we will not prevent him following his heart and moving to England. Our worry is that Mourinho is likely to want to take players like Paolo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Benni McCarthy with him which means the break up of what is a great team.”

 

Mourinho won the Portuguese treble of League, Cup and League Cup last season plus the Uefa Cup final in a 3-2 victory over Celtic in Seville.

 

This season Porto are unbeaten in Portugal, in the Cup final again, about to retain the Championship and set for the Champions League semi final after beating Lyon 2-0 in the first leg of the Quarter Final.

 

Mourinho started out as Sir Bobby Robson’s translator at Sporting Lisbon and Benfica and, despite no background in professional football, he was promoted by Robson to assistant coach. They worked together at Barcelona, winning the Spanish Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the Spanish Supercup finishing second in the league to Real Madrid.

 

Mourinho stayed on at Barcelona when Robson left, confirmed as number two to Louis Van Gaal, but then moved back to Portugal after winning the Spanish title in 1999.

 

Brought in to save Porto in 2002 when the fallen giants had crashed down the Portuguese Championship the former language teacher worked the oracle and took them to the pinnacle of European football in under a year and a half.

 

Liverpool see him as the coming man of European football, someone who renowned as a master team-builder and a coach upon whom a dynasty can be rebuilt. Mourinho has often said that he desires to work for “one of England’s great sides” and is understood to have admitted that re-building Liverpool and returning them to Championship and Champions League winning form would be his dream.

 

28 March 2004

[Big Noel]

"the former language teacher"

 

...hold on- haven't we been there before?!

[Paul]

And this could smooth the obstacle in his way:

 

Houllier in line for Sven's job

 

Liverpool boss has impressive international credentials

 

Ian Ridley

Sunday March 28, 2004

The Observer

 

 

Will Ged be waving goobye to Liverpool and hello to England?

 

Gerard Houllier has emerged as a candidate for the England coach's job should Sven-Göran Eriksson quit the post.

The Liverpool manager is on a shortlist of possible successors drawn up by the FA as part of their contingency plan in the event of the Swede's departure.

 

News that Eriksson had met the Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon, last Thursday has surprised the FA but they are not panicking. Mark Palios, the FA's chief executive, continues to believe that Eriksson - who watched Charlton play Aston Villa yesterday - will remain in the job and sign the new contract on offer that would extend his tenure to 2008.

 

That looks unlikely. Sources in Madrid say that the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is keen to recruit Eriksson, no matter how much Carlos Queiroz achieves at the Bernabeu this season.

 

It is an exact echo of Claudio Ranieri's situation at Chelsea, who clearly also want to woo Eriksson. Ranieri, according to a senior figure at Stamford Bridge, will end up at Tottenham.

 

Eriksson has thus worked himself into an enviable position: in demand by two of Europe's top, and most liberal-spending clubs. He is also sought by Inter Milan, and can expect a grilling when he faces the press this week ahead of England's friendly in Sweden.

 

The FA, though continuing to insist that Eriksson remains committed to his job, have always had a plan B. They have let it be known that the new man, if needed this summer, must have a detailed and lengthy working knowledge of English football.

 

Among the names not being considered are Ottmar Hitzfeld, the outgoing Bayern Munich manager, Roma's Fabio Capello - who wants to work in England - and Giovanni Trapattoni, the Italy national coach. Among the few English candidates being considered are Middlesbrough's Steve McClaren, who has considerable experience of the national team set-up having worked with Eriksson, and Charlton's Alan Curbishley.

 

Houllier is far more experienced than the English contenders and has impressive credentials. As technical director of French football, he was the power behind the throne for a decade, culminating in the World Cup win of 1998. He also had a spell as national team coach during that time.

 

With his position at Liverpool apparently less secure, it is a job that could tempt Houllier, who has a year left on his contract at Anfield but conceded in the wake of Liverpool's Uefa Cup exit at Marseille last week that, while he expected to carry on next season, the decision could be taken out of his hands. He is aware that much depends on Liverpool achieving a Champions League place this season but wants to continue working in football, whatever his future at Anfield.

 

Eriksson can expect a considerable backlash if he has been talking to Chelsea about taking over at Stamford Bridge or - more likely - playing them off against Real. He would find it very difficult to work in peace in this country, and the way he has conducted himself could even count against Houllier.

 

The Liverpool manager has always been an Anglophile and loves both this country and its football. His has admirable international credentials and he believes the current England generation has a serious chance of winning the World Cup of 2006.

 

If Houllier does move this summer, it will be part of a managerial merry-go-round, with jobs likely to be on offer also at Celtic, where Martin O'Neill is expected to move on, Chelsea, Tottenham, Real Madrid, and maybe Inter and Roma. With top managers more important these days, the focus is as much on them as player transfers. It is becoming more evident that the Real job is the one that really interests Eriksson, who can expect renewed calls for him to leave now.

[Truered]

haha surely that is a joke.

 

GH for england oh my god.

 

Anyway hasn't Sven just signed a new deal upto 2008 just this morning!!

[dave u]

Wouldn't wish Houllier on anyone......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Except maybe England or the mancs ;-)

[Guest Scousewegian]

Is he that bad???

Or have you just got it in for him.

How many trophies has he won ???

 

Try this link.

 

http://www.worstfansiveevercomercross.fuckoff.net

[MLB]

I'd prefer to see Koeman or Ranieri managing us. But Mourinho wouldn't be too bad.

[Anubis]

GH for England. Splendid idea. If he thinks he's getting criticism now...........

[DAVETHERED]

If he is the at Least he could pick EMILY & I wouldn't be gutted anymore.

[WaltonRed]

lets hope that mourinho story is true,what paper was that in?

[Beni]

Ridley is Houllier's future biographer. Houllier is understood to have postponed the writing of his biography untill he leaves Liverpool.

 

Get your pen ready Ian lad.

 

I made a point earlier in the season when Owen's future was brought into question. Many forumites suggested that they would chose Houllier over Owen if one had to leave the club.

I'll repeat that point:

Owen has been linked with Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona.

Houllier- erm who the fuck is going to come a knocking at his door? UAE, Nigeria perhaps?

 

In the mail yesterday Houllier reiterated his desire to stay in management should he be sacked by Liverpool. Sounds very much like he is offering his services to prospective employers.

[dave u]

Ridley is Houllier's future biographer. Houllier is understood to have postponed the writing of his biography untill he leaves Liverpool.

 

 

Last I heard (P)Ric George was doing Houllier's book, and its under way already.

[DT]

And the working title is: "257 (and counting) ways to say it wasn't your fault"

[Hermes]

Last I heard (P)Ric George was doing Houllier's book, and its under way already.

 

If Ric George is writing it then it must be the second print, I'll check the latest World Soccer issue. :>)

[Al Campbell]

If Ric George is doing it it must be written in crayon.

[Stu Monty]

I want anyone but Houllier now.

 

It is probably a better idea to get someone like Mourhino, O'Niell or that German bloke Bayern want (think he's the Stuttgart manager?) who is the next great, other than going for someone who has won stuff already and has less hunger

[Hermes]

I've just looked up Mourinho's record as a manger. A total of two years experience. Is it a chance worth taking?

[Stu Monty]

Possibly not, and i dislike intensely his team's diving antics, but he is meant to be hot property. He has also won the treble twice and is in going into the european semi's with Porto.

 

I just wan't a change. I've said before that sacking him with no other man lined up is lunacy...it isn't, continuing like this is lunacy!

[MLB]

People tend to want whoever is flavour of the month, hence the Mourinho speculation.

 

Admittedly Koeman doesn't have a wealth of managerial experience, and he'd have to be a bit mad to leave Ajax for us right now, but his record so far is very impressive.

 

Ranieri might be a more realistic target, but his record doesn't exactly show him to be a winner (not consistently, anyway). Nonetheless, he gets the best out of his players and his teams play good football.

 

Besides those, and O'Neill (who I wouldn't really want), who else is there?

[Hermes]

Possibly not, and i dislike intensely his team's diving antics, but he is meant to be hot property. He has also won the treble twice and is in going into the european semi's with Porto.

 

I just wan't a change. I've said before that sacking him with no other man lined up is lunacy...it isn't, continuing like this is lunacy!

 

Won the treble ............if that's good enough then I'd rather stick than twist. :>)

[Steve]

Perhaps we could go for Ferguson if United sack him, then he really could say he'd managed the most successful club in english football.

[Stu Monty]

It's the portugeese treble, there's no higher prize!!!

[Nunavut Patrick]

It seems the debate is coming down to the Portugese Treble Winner and the Scottish Treble Winner (did MON win a treble- you lose track when only two teams win almost every trophy). Hmmmm....port or Scotch? Mackerel or kippers? Sunny beaches or foggy lochs? The Proclaimers or someone who sounds like Enrique Iglesias? I think I've had a bit too much to drink....

[dave u]

Ridley and Ric George are doing the book together apparently, and its well under way.

 

Ridley is Houlliers closest pal in journalism (apart from George of course) and he wouldn't have written that story without Houliers blessing. So the question is, why would Houllier get his mate to write a story linking him with the England job? Hmmmm, the plot thickens.

[WaltonRed]

mourinho was a sports teacher in portugal when bobby robson took over at porto and joined as a translator,within a season he was coach and then went to barca with robson.then he was assistant manager to van gaal before taking over at porto two years ago so its about 6 years all in.

 

He speaks good english and likes are football,rumoured to fanct the challenge of rebuilding us but Im not convinced of him,he's still my second choice after O'neill.

 

I dont care about his forest past because one i was'nt even born and it doesnt bother me all that does his teams.

 

Celtic have no money yet he has built a good team in a poor league which has beaten some good teams including areselves and barca last week.he has a mix of free's.cheap jock players and good players.okay varga and balde are shite but if he was liverpool manager he would have the pull financially and stature wise to attract better players the reason he doesnt at celtic or before at leicester.He would have the good players playing well and the poor ones playing even better or he might ship em out.plus he would use the academy and raven and welsh would see more 1st team action as he would'nt let grudges get in the way of progress like ged.celtic park is a fortress,lets hope he could do it here. MON for manager!