AussieRed

Saw Honda for Japan against Australia today. He stood out more than Kagawa. I've been impressed with him every time I've seen him play. I think he is as good as Modric. We should put in a bid.

What happened to his set pieces? They were brilliant for Blackpool yet for us, he couldn't get a corner over the first defender. A true mystery.

This highlights your ignorance. Why would you choose between them? They play two completely different positions. Xavi could not do what Busquets does and vice versa. The same can be said of Gerrard and Lucas. Gerrard is superior both physically and technically. Lucas is better tactically. This is key. To be a DM you have to be cerebral and analytical. To play up front you have to be inventive and instinctive. If you can do both you're Beckenbauer.

I think you've completely missed the point. The point, is that you do not have to have a massive list of achievements at the top level to become a great manager. Obviously, individuals in the boot room were identified as having qualities which would make them ideal managers for the club. In the same way, some may have identified qualities in Martinez which may make him the perfect candidate to fill our vacancy. If we do manage to hire a DoF with the expertise of Txiki Begiristain, he would have an ideal mentor and support person. I am in no position to guarantee Martinez's success, if he is appointed. I do not understand though, how some can guarantee his failure. Some may not think he is the best candidate (me included). However, the view that, "we are Liverpool we need a world famous manager" is in my opinion, nonsense. I have always thought that we did things our own way with thought and consideration. I'm happy to leave the hollywood signings to Chelsea and Man City. Personally, the one type of manager I do not want at the club, is the glory hunting mercenary. I want the new manager to grow with the club and have the same connection Rafa had.

You could argue that our greatest managers were all unproven.

I'm not comparing Martinez to Kenny. I'm suggesting that the club understood that employing a manager who could fit within the structure of the club was key. Clough was a highly credentialed manager with fairly recent success. However, he would never have been contemplated for the job. The club is now looking to put a structure in place which they believe (rightly or wrongly) will serve us best. Why would they employ a manager like Rafa, who is a great manager, but needs to control all aspects of the team.

Is correct. Many manager's are appointed without considering the setup of the club. Rafa was never going to work at Inter, the same way Mourinho would never last at Chelsea. They are control freaks that can only operate with complete control. When Kenny first became Manager in the 80's, he had zero experience. Yet, he was the best fit for the club. Why? Because he understood the club inside out and had the respect of the players. By today's logic, we would have said that he has proven nothing and would only accept Brian Clough or Arrigo Sacchi.

I certainly hope fans would not be like you. What ever happened to YNWA? So if your manager of choice isn't selected, and we don't have immediate success, you stop supporting the team? As soon as they are appointed Manager of Liverpool FC they become somebody. Even if they lose my respect as Hodgson did, I will continue to support the players and the club.

Or he could end up like the guy in your avatar. Unknown at first, largely written off, then appreciated. If he is appointed, would you not wait a hand full of games first prior to making judgement.

Agreed. Makes far more sense than the hysterical screeching and wild conspiracy theories that some are carrying on about. You'd think a large portion of our support wear tin foil on their head and look for code words in the Sunday paper. FSG got rid of Kenny due to poor performance. That was the main reason. They may have been premature (we'll never know), but they think a different structure and direction will provide us greater success. Why would they wan't mediocrity. If that's what they wanted theis last season would have been perfect for them.

I agree in part. But, part of the manager's job is to improve the squad. I don't know if that was Kenny's or Commolli's fault. A lot of money was spent. poorly. I think our squad was poor but do you think that our squad is the same level as Fulham's?

I think we had a better squad than Everton and Newcastle. We finished on equal points with Fulham (Fulham!). Our squad is far inferior to Man City (every one is). Talent wise I would have us at the same level as Tottenham and slightly below Manu and Chelsea. We finished 14 points below Newcastle. Our squad is not 14 points worse than Newcastle. We also have far more talent on paper than Everton and Fulham.

I know Rafa would have us in the top 4. I do have doubts that we can win the league with him. This may be a good opportunity for him to take over. He may have less control over the club at large but he may have moe control over the dressing room, as certain players do not have the same level of influence. I would like Rafa on two conditions. That he have a "player friendly" assistant manager. Keegan would be fun. That he adopts a more positive approach in the league. Including the purchase of flair players.

FSG have a goal of building us into a self sustaining business. This can only be achieved through success on the field, particularly, success on the biggest stage. Under the financial fair play rules this is going to be the only way that teams can operate anyway. I, for one, prefer this method, as it means that we will not be beholden to any owner for long term ambitions. I have no interest in being a rich man's play thing. Champions League not only provides massive funds, it also gives us a better chance of signing top players, it also increases our exposure to foreign markets. This sets us up for more success in future seasons and so on. Any one who believes that the League Cup is more important than 4th place is either naive or simply looking to blame anything else for Kenny's failure. Personally, I think Kenny should have received a second season. However, I will not pretend to be happy with his performance. I do not think we had a squad good enough to finish in the top 4. Some of that is Kenny's fault. Either way, we did have a better squad than many teams that finished above us. It's tough to see your heroes made human. It's like that moment when you realise that your Dad isn't the strongest man on earth and your Mum is not the most beautiful woman. But, it allows us to move on. I intend to give FSG the benfit of the doubt over the next few months before I jump to any sort of conclusion. I also intend to support the club, the players and the new manager. Isn't that the Liverpool Way?

I don't understand some of the posters here. While I would have kept Kenny on for another season, it was not a completely unreasonable outcome for him to lose his job. Our performance this year was completely unacceptable, particularly given the sums of money spent. There is certainly scope to be critical of the owners. We could accuse them of being impatient or lacking the footballing knowledge to make the correct decision. What you cannot argue, (yet some on here are) is that they do not want the club to be successful. While other factors may have been considered regarding Kenny's sacking, the primary reason was due to poor performance on the field. This cannot be denied. My fear is that our fanbase will now be unreasonably critical of any manager bar Kenny for some or Rafa for others. AVB is a completely logical choice. He is young and talented and plays a good brand of football. He is also a winner. I have no interest in Mourinho because he is a mercenary who is more interested in personal accolades than the club. We are Liverpool FC not Mourinho FC. I want a manager to be a part of the fabric of the club and vice versa.