Contenders for Liverpool job
With Roy Hodgson’s short and unimpressive tenure already consigned to the Anfield history books, Liverpool will begin the search for the right manager to take over at the start of next season and restore the club to its fading glories.
We take a look at some of the leading contenders.
Overlooked when he sought to replace Rafael Benitez in the summer but has been handed the reins until the end of the season. Is still adored by the Anfield fans and that is likely to secure him plenty of good will in the short term. Many will see the former Blackburn, Newcastle and Celtic boss as a stop-gap appointment but the Scot is likely to view this as an audition for the full-time role.
One of the brightest young managerial talents in European football. The 33-year-old followed Jose Mourinho from Porto to Chelsea and Inter Milan as his assistant but chose to strike out on his own by taking the vacant position at Liga side Academica in October 2009. The club were bottom of the league when he joined but he steered them to safety and to the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. He went back to Porto in the summer and led the club to a record number of consecutive victories, a 36-match streak beating a mark previously held by Mourinho. May find the chance to manage in one of Europe’s top leagues too good to turn down.
May be an outside bet but the Northern Irishman is still highly thought of following his exit from Aston Villa days before the start of this season. Has been previously linked with the Anfield hotseat and would be welcomed by the supporters, but his insistence of having complete control over playing and transfer matters could be a stumbling block depending on the attitude of John Henry and New England Sports Ventures.
Has done a fantastic job in guiding Bolton from being perennial mid-table strugglers to potential European qualifiers this season. Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside would be loathe to lose the Scot, who has a contract until the end of next season, but would the former St Johnstone and Burnley boss feel able to turn down one of the biggest jobs in the game?
Has excellent credentials after guiding Barcelona to a Champions League success in 2006 as well as two Primera Division titles during his time in charge of the Catalan giants. However, his recent record is nowhere near as impressive and he was abruptly ditched by Galatasaray after the Turkish side lost four of their first eight league games and failed to reach the Europa League group stages. But remains a big name and his high profile may appeal to Liverpool’s owners.
