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Dalglish is no ones stooge. what he will do is take every league game he is appointed for seriously - Stoke or Utd. His team will play the best football poosible with the talent at his disposal. For everyone one of us who are emotionally attached and invested in the club - it is reassuring that in these difficult times that we have someone leading the club with the same or perhaps more emotional investment. Imagine what Liverpool would mean to YOU if your whole being and life was associated with what you achieved at that institution. Blackburn is a footnote in the CV on Kenny Dallish for example. I also believe that Kenny has regrets that he left, regrets over what he could have achieved had he taken a sabattical and that if appointed temporarially the old fighter in him will want the job until he has achieved at least no. 19 and european success. I also beleive that whilst Rafa was a political animal - he is not half as smart as he thinks nor half as smart as the King. Dalglish will get funds (not "Cityesq" levels) but enough to overhaul the team in his fashion. He will make unpopular decisions (Phil Neal anyone? perhaps read Gerrard). But we will proud of our club and our team on the pitch again (no comment off the pitch) If Purslow is trusted by Dalglish - he is ok with me. I met Dalglish as a callow youth in the late 80's. It brough tears to my eyes. I met Dalglish two years ago in my mid thirties, married and succesful in my carrear. I got the tears in my eyes again. At that time Dalglish was not happy with the team and the performances on the pitch. I could feel the passion that day and I want it back. I would follow Kenny in the footballing trenches this minute. I want him more that O'Neill. Hodgson, Johhny Foriegner whoever, Van Gall , Lippi whoever - cause i trust him with my club and my dreams. The club in who the emotional investment I have inherited from my father i want to pass to my son. Emotional girly crap maybe - but i want the romance between liverpool and me back. I want "clap" "clap""clap""clap""clap""clap""clap""clap""clap" DALGLISH!!

interesting snippet in the Guardian on line today regarding Avarm Grant... "It is also understood initial contact was made by Liverpool last week when Rafael Benítez appeared to be considering a move to Juventus. However"

He has the figure for it

There is a interview with Martin Broughton on the official. Whilst obviously scripted - he comes across as a professional. Interesting to see how Revenues have increased since the DM/RP regieme ended. Imagine what could be achieved with owners who are pulling in the reight direction. Good times ahead methinks.

Mourinho has always being my first choice. I think he would pick us over Utd or City all things lined up. If i am to have any misgivings about him - it would be that by brining a league title he would see himself as a messiah almost bigger than the club (and shanks et al. were never bigger than the club) Part of me would like an old school football man. i think in fairness (and i'm not english -so i have not been scarred by his time with the national team) - McLaren is a genuine football man. I see issues with most options - I would love guardiola - but nervous as to what he would do with a lesser squad, I would wet myself if Kenny came back - but think that ship has passed. I am not excited by most of the middle of the road choices such as o'neill and partly like the redemption aspect of McLarens story. Interesting times aheead one way or another.

Can you close a thread???!! It was just a thought!! Im in the mood for a change and in all honesty any new manager would get me excited.

I figured that reaction - but why not if Hodgson and O'Neill can be mentioned?

I have championed Mourinho on these pages, but I must admit to a not so sneaky regard as to how McLaren has reinvented himself in Holland. I would prefer him to O'Neill ( a whiney so and so and I've had enough of them),Hodgson (too old...), McLeish etc. He has also proved he can manage on little cash, and has plenty of experience. Im prepared to be flamed but thinking outside the box i think he could be an interesting option and whilst not wishing to come across like Danny Murphy (no that thats a bad thing) I would not mind a british manager for a change. I agree with most of this article in today's Independent.... Has this season being so bad that I am talking Sh** or is there an argument for the man? Sam Wallace: Steve McClaren's Dutch courage should make English football proud Talking Football: McClaren has left the big Dutch guns trailing a club who have never been champions Monday, 12 April 2010S Steve McClaren deserves great credit for taking FC Twente to the brink of a historic first title The last English manager to get a team into the Champions League was the late Sir Bobby Robson with Newcastle United in 2002. But that might well change this month with an English manager who has gone about building one of the most remarkable seasons in European football. Steve McClaren is two wins away from the Dutch title and a place in next season's Champions League after his side FC Twente beat Heerenveen 2-0 on Saturday. He has left the traditional big guns of Dutch football trailing with a club who have never before been champions of the Netherlands in their 45-year history. By way of comparison, it would be like Fulham winning the Premier League. It is a potentially stupendous achievement by an English coach, made all the more impressive because it is exactly the kind of challenge we should wish our brightest managers to undertake. We import so much coaching talent, redressing the balance of trade is a cause for celebration. Would it be too much to ask English football to forget about the disappointments of England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and feel proud that McClaren is flying the flag for English managers overseas? Should Twente get the necessary two wins in their remaining three games, starting with a big one against AZ Alkmaar tomorrow, then McClaren will have achieved something that so few Englishmen in modern times have accomplished. If it were anyone else, he would be regarded as a trailblazer but McClaren is still fighting the tired old prejudices that date back to that Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. In the Netherlands, the description most commonly applied to McClaren is that he is a "gentleman", in the old, genteel English sense of the word. He does not say a great deal in the media but he is regarded as fair and even-tempered and in a quietly subversive way he has gone about toppling the established hierarchy of Dutch football, rather like Sir Alex Ferguson once did in Scotland with Aberdeen. In fact there are even conspiracy theories in the rural eastern province of Twente that the Dutch football association (KNVB) do not want McClaren's team to win the title. The KNVB are said to fear that Twente are not sufficiently equipped to compete in the Champions League and a bad showing might harm the Netherlands' Uefa co-efficient – which dictates the number of qualifying places they get. McClaren is not just up against the Dutch establishment and the big clubs in a country which traditionally produces some of the best coaches in the world; he is doing it on a shoestring budget and he is thriving. Football has plenty of stories of redemption and McClaren's is one of the very best. Even if he does win the league this month there will be difficult decisions for McClaren over his future. He has one year left on his existing deal after this season but he faces having to rebuild his Twente team for the third time this summer with even the promise of Champions League football unlikely to persuade all his best players to stay. The long-serving Swiss striker Blaise Nkufo has already agreed to join the Seattle Sounders next season in the MLS and the 35-year-old Danish midfielder Kenneth Perez will probably retire. Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are looking at Twente's Brazilian centre-back Douglas and top goalscorer Bryan Ruiz, the Costa Rican winger McClaren signed last summer. Ronnie Stam, a 25-year-old Dutch right-back, is also in demand. Bought for £5m from Ghent, Ruiz has proved one of the most successful signings in European football this season – he scored a hat-trick in four minutes against Sparta Rotterdam just over two weeks ago. McClaren has used Twente's scouting network and his own contacts to assemble a team from the remains of the one that finished second last season and lost three key players, including Marko Arnautovic to Internazionale, for a total of £22m. He has also proved himself a decisive, independent manager. When Twente's influential midfielder Theo Janssen was found to have been drunk when he was involved in car crash in November, McClaren led the way. He suspended Janssen for two months. It did not help Twente's title push but it was the right thing to do. McClaren was never the caricature that some sought to portray him as; he was just a coach who, by his own admission, might have got the biggest job in English football a little too early. His achievement in reaching the Uefa Cup final in his last season at Middlesbrough was overshadowed by the walloping they got from Seville and his disintegrating relationship with chairman Steve Gibson and captain Gareth Southgate. With England, he suffered the most abject injury crises of any recent manager in crucial matches. Yes, he made mistakes but against Croatia in that decisive game at Wembley in November 2007 he was without Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Wes Brown, Michael Carrick, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen. The comparison with Fulham holds true in another respect. Their manager Roy Hodgson has deservedly been praised for his club's achievements this season. He too has had highs and lows in his career although none quite as dramatic as McClaren. Both of them are talented English managers; both of them have had great success with small clubs on limited budgets. If we can give Hodgson the credit for restoring credibility to the reputation of the English manager then we must surely do the same for McClaren. He is English and he is making a success of himself in a competitive foreign league, making him something of a rare commodity

I am excited today about football for the first time this season. I want us to win the europa league for the club, the fans and Rafa. I want Rafa to then leave on a winning note with all our best wishes.

I really want Mourinho. Nut If we cannot have him - instead of talking about the O'Neills, McLeishs and Hodgson (too old) I think Steve McLaren could be an interesting option. Ferguson rated him, did ok at Middlesbrough considering what has happened since and is doing very well in Holland. Mourinho is my choice - but I would prefer McLaren to a lot of the middle of the road guys being mentioned and some of the foreign managers too (and I'm a paddy...)

Question for you guys. do you think a club which has a a managing director, who is a personal friend of the greatest player (who was also our last great manager) is not making plans for post Rafa as we speak? Who honestly believes that Dalglish is not seething with our current performance and the fact that Utd have achieved number 18, let alone possibly number 19?. Rafa may think he is a politician - but the day he brought The King back is the day he started working out his notice. I am convinced Rafa will be gone within a fortnight of the seasons end, that the Europa Cup wont save him and that we have his replacement lined up. As for the replacement - if we want him (and for the life of me I cant understand why we would not) Mourinho will come. Going to Utd - he will always live with the fact that Ferguson rebuilt Utd. Jose will never be give the full credit for what he undoubtedly would achieve. At City - he would face the same accusations that he did at Chelsea - cheque book manner. At LFC - he could in ten years be heralded that way Ferguson is today - what odds on Sir Jose as he wins numbers 23 and 8? His professionalism (and ego) dictates that we would be his number one choice. He would be the Shankley for the next two or three generations. Jose - please step up. We are made for you as you are for us. Football clubs as life itself operates in cycles. We are about to enter a new and exciting period.

all i can add is its my birthday...

According to the guardian he is flattered by juventus interest... Its over and he knows it

Particularly for no more cash

I'l miss dirk

I agree with Tom R. I do believe that the policy of not letting the owners know how we feel about Rafa is keeping him in a job. whilst i like the idea we support the team and its manager when its going through a tough spell. I question is there a line when the tough spell is obviously more permanent than that when it is okay to question the manager publicly on the terraces. I fully believe it is right to protest against owners who have failed to live up promises and also a manager who is failing after 5 years

I agree he's been crap. I think he's a wonderful wonderful player. However in my eye being a wonderful player in itself does not make a wonderful captain. I always thought Rush and Barnes were shite Captains. Tow of the clubs greatest players (in my first 11) but not captains. I think like the rest of the team the managers caution and the current maliase the team is facing when it was expecting to kick on from last season promise has had a massive effect on Gerard. Gerrard appears to be a glum individual who is not the most positive of personalities. (I dont know - just my impression) I think he's performances reflect his personality and he cannot lift the team that is playing within itself on his own. Torres lifts Gerrards spirits and in turn facilitate him lifting the team.

This sums up my feelings...

Paul... ..Thats not what Im saying. But I believe that life aint black and white. I'd like to think he was not fully aware of the consequences of his actions as he was ill. If he was I would be disspointed in him - but i cant reconcile that with all the rest of what we know of him

If it was a proper balance sheet we would be insolvent... wait a minute....

there are only two options - no sitting on the fence. Are with him or against him?!!

Sack him anyway..

The poll about Platt and Souness has got me thinking... I loved Souness as a Player, he appointment as manager was the only one that could have eased my pain at Kenny retiring, his tenure as manager was a major disappointment for me and "Loverpool" the least said. However - I still revere the player, the captain, the swashbuckling style with which he lead us and the fact that no one but no one bossed Liverpool when he was on the pitch. He has always been and will always be a legend for me... But i think i may be in a minority... so is a ledgend or a leper in your eyes?

Souness made massive mistakes as our manager. Without doubt. He was however a relatively inexperienced manager (Rangers does not count in my eyes), "panicked" when he saw the ability of the playing staff and made very poor decisions. The "Loverpool" incident has tarnished forever the reputation of our greatest ever Captain. I can only imagine that it causes him the same pain as it does for those of us who remember him as the colossus he was on the field for us. He was a sublime footballer who led the team with a passion that the current squad as a whole would struggle to match. His not a great manager by any stretch of imagination. He is however a better manager than his time at Liverpool showed. He would however try (and maybe fail) to put out a team which would strive to play in a manner which embodies the style of football which made liverpool a force in the 70's and 80's. Not the shite we have to put up with this season (and since Evans was manager) People can bitch and moan about Souness all the like about his managerial record. But no one can honestly say he wont be as aware of his failings during this time and will not regret his failings during this time. Can we say the same about Rafa?

Yes I would if it means we would get some one else.