RATHER spookily, this time last week I wrote a piece demanding that the owners act rapidly at the end of the season and either move Kenny Dalglish on or back him. Sadly, the decision was made to sack him. It isn’t one I agree with fundamentally, as I feel he was probably deserving of another 12 months, but I can understand arguments against this and I can understand why the owners have taken the decision that they did. “Liverpool Sack Dalglish” did not sit right with me however and it never will.
But to be brutal, what’s done is done. I had a feeling that Kenny was leaving and I was, for a change, correct. It’s sad to see him go irrespective of whether you wanted him to stay as manager or not… he’s Kenny Dalglish, he is the heart and soul, the very living embodiment of Liverpool Football Club. But we all now have to move on.
I have another feeling. I have a feeling in the gut of my stomach that the new Liverpool manager is going to be Andre Villas-Boas. So do much of the press and the bookmakers for that matter. Maybe it’s a case of 2+2 = 5, but in the case of AVB and his suitability for the Liverpool job I think that everything adds up perfectly.
Whilst I am not remotely convinced that our owners have any strategy whatsoever, let alone a footballing one, he does fall into the supposed “Moneyball” virtue that they are constantly extolling. He’s young for starters. Possibly too young – this is one of the reasons that many people believe it went off the tracks at Chelsea. A young upstart amidst a dressing room of veterans. But this youthful exuberance means that he would be around for a long time.
With patient ownership (and FSG could easily be labelled impatient, although for me they were far too patient with that dolt Hodgson) AVB could easily get the “project” that he so often spoke about at Chelsea. His young age means that he’s not going to be retiring any time soon and so would be in the job for the long haul. They can lay out their expectations to him and say “we are going to back you no matter what, you are our man and we are going to stick by you for four years.”
Easier said than done, but that should have been his remit at Chelsea and under a more prudent and less interfering ownership, probably would have been. He would probably have been tasked with replacing the likes of Terry and Lampard. Regrettably, finding a replacement for Gerrard and Carragher (not that I am, for one second, suggesting that either are dressing room trouble) is going to be something we need to entrust to this manager in all likelihood.
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This is a huge appointment. Four managers in two years is not The Liverpool Way. You could argue for or against Benitez and Dalglish leaving their jobs, I doubt anyone would argue Hodgson had to go unless they were wearing a blue shirt. It is time for some long term stability.
Don’t get me wrong, his appointment would be a gamble. Anybody’s going to be a gamble now. Replacing Kenny Dalglish is an enormous task. That would be the same for anyone. And AVB does have question marks over his time at Chelsea when he did make tactical errors. Why did “player power” become such an issue? Where was the magic touch that ran amok through Portugal and Europe the season before last?
The beard and the touchline squatting need to go as well, without question.
But if this is a game, and let’s not be unrealistic here, this is an enormous roll of the dice from the owners, then I am all in on AVB. I will be disappointed if we get anybody else and particularly Roberto Martinez. I like the Spaniard but do not think he is ready for our job. I could be totally wrong and AVB might be a complete disaster, but I have a good feeling. He is the perfect fit. There’s no compensation to pay (and no fat headed, pie mouthed arrogant chairman appearing on Sky Sports News to tell the world) and we can build the future around him.
The talented Portuguese is in Boston for talks this week by all accounts and is, according to reports emerging, looking to take the job. AVB and LFC could well be a perfect match for each other. Let’s just hope we have a better hand than we all feel we do after the rejection letters winging their way in from all around Europe this week.
We cannot get this wrong. If we do, we will be snatched up by the jaws of average-ness. I firmly believe that AVB will galvanise us, modernise us and lead us forward. What other choice do we have other than to believe? We can’t sit around mourning the reign of Kenny being over. It’s time for us to move forward, and I want us to move forward lead by a talented young man by the name of Andre Villas-Boas.
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What’s with the beard?
You have an issue with beards?
Your remark is idiotic!
May be F.capello and AVB will be a good team with either cepello being sports director and AVB for manager. Or capello for next three years as manager. Now, we need someone with vast experience and discipline to bring order right. Capello is the man who can bring this but he is about to retire.