FOUR Candidates tipped to replace Roy

While it is normally inadvisable to believe everything you read or hear on the internet or in the media, it has been a difficult job not to in the wake of Liverpool’s Derby defeat. With rumours abound that Roy Hodgson may be hanging on by the skin of his teeth now may be a good time to look at some of the leading candidates to replace him if and when he is replaced.

Frank Rijkaard – The favourite. And for a long time a huge favourite at Barcelona, after a short spell at Sparta Rotterdam. When he arrived at the Catalan club, they were in disarray, with Ronaldinho being the only player of note. Over the next summer, Rijkaard introduced Deco, Giuly, Marquez and Eto’o to the first team, replacing a lot of the existing dead wood bought by previous coaches. He followed on from this by giving the team a very local spine, giving Puyol, Xavi, Valdes and Iniesta their golden opportunities. With practically an entirely new first team built around the Brazilian superstar, Barca went on to win two successive league titles under the Dutchman, in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Coupled with a Champions League success over Arsenal in 2006 (in which he out-Arsenaled Arsene Wenger), Rijkaard cemented his status as a top-class coach.

Bringing a very no-nonsense approach, not to mention a wealth of experience at winning trophies (i.e. not just reaching finals) as a player and manager, Rijkaard would command respect. And he would get it, as he would not suffer fools or player power. So any dissenters would be moved along swiftly. However, he would bring with him a flair-filled, attacking style that his players would appreciate, and would be able to accommodate a lot of the talent Liverpool currently possess (yes, it is there, it is just under-utilised).

At the moment, Frank Rijkaard is unemployed after – interestingly – resigning from his post at Galatasaray on Tuesday morning, after a good first season, and has been installed as favourite.

Second favourite with bookmakers is former manager Kenny Dalglish. While a firm favourite with all Liverpool fans, there are doubts over whether appointing Dalglish for the long-term is a wise idea. As great a coach as he was for Liverpool, and following a Premier League winning season at Blackburn in the mid-90’s, the Scot has been away too long. With an unsuccessful spell at Newcastle in the interim, a short term, goodwill appointment may be more likely. However, if Dalglish is appointed for the rest of the season it could well point to a speedier return than first expected for the man many Liverpool fans didn’t want to lose in the summer, Rafael Benitez.

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