Next Manager Speculation and wishful thinking thread

[Duncan Shaw]

I just hope big Cuts is kept on as GK coach, because he is top drawer!

[Monty]

Monty agree they are not common, but Cruyff, Ancellotti, Guardiola, Zidane, Deschamps, Simeone, Dalglish etc were all very successful players and went on to be successful managers. I accept it's not the norm, but it doesn't mean Gerrard can't go on to be an elite level manager.

Ancelotti, Simeone, Guardiola and Deschamps were ultimate team players, they achieved what they did through collaboration and executing a plan. And Cruyff was the star of Total Football, but it was still Total Football, one of the most team-focused systems ever devised.

As for Zidane and Dalglish, yeah it shows it can happen, especially back at their clubs for various reasons. None of these things apply to Gerrard or to us.

[The Edge]

Monty agree they are not common, but Cruyff, Ancellotti, Guardiola, Zidane, Deschamps, Simeone, Dalglish etc were all very successful players and went on to be successful managers. I accept it's not the norm, but it doesn't mean Gerrard can't go on to be an elite level manager.

Ancelotti, Simeone, Guardiola and Deschamps were ultimate team players, they achieved what they did through collaboration and executing a plan. And Cruyff was the star of Total Football, but it was still Total Football, one of the most team-focused systems ever devised.

As for Zidane and Dalglish, yeah it shows it can happen, especially back at their clubs for various reasons. None of these things apply to Gerrard or to us.

We can analyse Gerrards potential appointment until we're blue in the face but it's a gamble and one that the club did not need to take. I'm still clinging to the faint hope that it's pure press speculation and the club actually have a masterstroke up their sleeves. I did hear an alternative view on the radio last night that the club is spooked by the 15k waiting list for season tickets and aren't ready to upgrade the stadium so they're doing this to calm our expectations down. For a brief moment I actually thought that there might be something in that. That's just how much my mind has been messed up by this whole shit show.

[chrisw1]

It can be argued whether you think Gerrard is any good or not, he may well be, but eitherway I don't think it can be argued that the appointment (should it happen) shows any serious ambition.  It just doesn't in my opinion. I saw a clip of Simon Jordan on twitter saying we should be aiming higher than Gerrard, who may become elite but he's not there yet whereas Villa are and he's absolutely right... the tanned gob.

What I will say is I don't think he'll be anything like Houllier on the Liverpool fawning front. He doesn't give that vibe to me. It'll be the media that's the problem and not him.

I think he'll be offered the job and then it'll be up to him.

I agree, I think I said earlier that Houllier seemed to have his head in the clouds when we appointed him. I will give credit where it's due and say that I believe Gerrard would be too switched-on and professional to go in for that.

But I also agree that appointing Gerrard would show no ambition. Particularly not after fucking Tottenham just got Conte.

The London thing, okay, that's just a symptom of successive governments focusing investment in London to the detriment of the rest of the country. But to read people trying to justify Tottenham's new stadium as a selling point to a manager is baffling. Why? The manager isn't going to live in the stadium.

I am utterly fucked off by clubs based in unfashionable regions being expected to embrace a diminished place in the game because of geopolitical investment patterns. Even after 20 years of media propaganda, Tottenham are fucking nothing. 13 years ago, Man City were fucking nothing.

Why should we have to accept that we cannot either win respect through demography (as Tottenham did through being based in London), nor can we buy success (as Man City did through blood money)?

It's a rigged fucking game based on regional prejudices and concentration of the media in the South East and North West.

It's not the media's fault that Man City have spent a couple of billion on players since taking them over.

I agree but I do get the anger though, there is a general vibe of us not being as fashionable, always just 'traditional' and not much more. Even little things like Martinez in an article about his Argentina exploits being referred to as 'Ex-Arsenal' rather than 'Villa keeper'. Not that I haven't accepted us being overlooked, we have done for a while and I guess our recent stint in the Champ doesn't help. A more ambitious manager option would help correct it a bit.

The whole idea of there being a traditional 'top four' or 'big six' is a media invention. Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal - they have been regularly successful for the past 60-odd years. But look at the League, FA Cup and League Cup winners going back to the early 60s.

It's an artificial landscape. The media and the PL have paved over a rich and varied garden and supplanted it with a grotesque monoculture based in (ideally North) London and the North West.

Half of the national sports media support Tottenham, so of course they can appoint Mourinho or Conte. But us? Oh fuck no, we couldn't possibly tempt anybody from the Dutch league, and have to think twice about whether we could attract a manager from Brighton who has done no better than our previous manager.

You're begining to sound like a 'woe is me' Blues fan.

The reason Spurs can attract Mourihno and Conte is that they've been in the top 6 for the last 10 years and played in the Champions League 5 of those.  The fact that they now play in one of the best stadiums in the world and are located in one of the most cosmopolitan Cities in the world would be a bonus for some.

The reason we can't is that we haven't been close to the top 6 for 10 years and have spent 3 of those in the second division.

Newcastle, the richest club in world football have had to make do with Eddie Howe.  Even Man City had to start with Stuart Pearce and Mark Hughes.

The other reason we're not getting a Conte is that one isn't available.  Ten Hag would be an enormously attractive appointment but he's on a superb run with Ajax, did great in the CL last year and will be having another run at it this year with one of the best Ajax teams in memory.  I stongly suspect he's then lined up for the Man Utd job in the summer.

Outside of him the pool looks pretty thin.  I'd love Rodgers, but he's happy at Leicester and they're some way ahead of us team wise at the moment, have wealthy owners and are jst about to up their stadium to c 40k.  They're not as tin-pot as some think.

I've been pretty vocal about Gerrard being a poor / risky appointment, but to suggest we should be as attractive as the likes of Spurs right now to an ambitious manger already managing in the CL is laughable.

[wince]

Just get someone in soon.....

[dicedlam]

I think gerrard will be massively motivated which feels me with abit of confidence.  I like that he is a tough charchter and he will command respect and will get it because of his huge name in the game.

I think despite what people might think of him attract a high calibre of player to the club. I do think there are some positives to this move but without question a huge gamble

About where I am. I am open minded on it, I don't think it lacks ambition in the boards mind. In their background checks etc, I am fairly sure they will have wanted a high profile manager with the potential to kick on. Gerrard has the drive and potential to do well, and is not stupid. He talks about his coaching staff at length in the articles I have read, it is clear we need to ensure we get the right team around him, but I look forward to him doing well.

We needed to ensure that Dean had the right team around him, arguably, and based on the last 4 months that went and was replaced with poor replacements

Two of his first team quit on him and he bought in some pretty useless people in judging on the crap we see from our set piece coach.

Smith was involved with the transfers so he has to take responsibility along with lange. I do think deans biggest mistake was not getting that dynamic  bissouma type cm we all screamed for me. He said we had enough options but we all could all see we didnt.

Personally I am not convinced that these two new appointments were his.  I think they were forced on him - given that they didn’t get sacked like shakey did

Let's just say that both Smith and Lange mutually agreed on the appointments...

[Demitri_C]

I think gerrard will be massively motivated which feels me with abit of confidence.  I like that he is a tough charchter and he will command respect and will get it because of his huge name in the game.

I think despite what people might think of him attract a high calibre of player to the club. I do think there are some positives to this move but without question a huge gamble

About where I am. I am open minded on it, I don't think it lacks ambition in the boards mind. In their background checks etc, I am fairly sure they will have wanted a high profile manager with the potential to kick on. Gerrard has the drive and potential to do well, and is not stupid. He talks about his coaching staff at length in the articles I have read, it is clear we need to ensure we get the right team around him, but I look forward to him doing well.

We needed to ensure that Dean had the right team around him, arguably, and based on the last 4 months that went and was replaced with poor replacements

Two of his first team quit on him and he bought in some pretty useless people in judging on the crap we see from our set piece coach.

Smith was involved with the transfers so he has to take responsibility along with lange. I do think deans biggest mistake was not getting that dynamic  bissouma type cm we all screamed for me. He said we had enough options but we all could all see we didnt.

Personally I am not convinced that these two new appointments were his.  I think they were forced on him - given that they didn’t get sacked like shakey did

Could be mate. I do think mcphee was a smith appointment as im sure i read smith say he has known about him for a while. That danks bloke i have no idea

[cdbearsfan]

He wouldn't be my choice, but who knows what the right appointment is. Remember when we all got excited about Ole maybe coming  because there was a film with people saying nice things about him from Norway. If he comes I hope it will be with his full backroom staff, because at least he seems to have a good team around him.

Not all of us did. That was stupid fanboy wank and so is this.

[Ads]

Beale seems an interesting coach.

[Demitri_C]

Beale seems an interesting coach.

Ive done a bit of reading about him. He looks like a really impressive coach. Some rangers fans were even callimg for him to be manager at one point.

This definitely be a welcome addition. Be delighted to see mccalister back. He was great last time round with houllier.

[Mister E]

You're beginning to sound like a 'woe is me' Blues fan.
The reason Spurs can attract Mourihno and Conte is that they've been in the top 6 for the last 10 years and played in the Champions League 5 of those.  The fact that they now play in one of the best stadiums in the world and are located in one of the most cosmopolitan Cities in the world would be a bonus for some.
The reason we can't is that we haven't been close to the top 6 for 10 years and have spent 3 of those in the second division.

Newcastle, the richest club in world football have had to make do with Eddie Howe.  Even Man City had to start with Stuart Pearce and Mark Hughes.
The other reason we're not getting a Conte is that one isn't available.  Ten Hag would be an enormously attractive appointment but he's on a superb run with Ajax, did great in the CL last year and will be having another run at it this year with one of the best Ajax teams in memory.  I strongly suspect he's then lined up for the Man Utd job in the summer.
Outside of him the pool looks pretty thin.  I'd love Rodgers, but he's happy at Leicester and they're some way ahead of us team wise at the moment, have wealthy owners and are just about to up their stadium to c 40k.  They're not as tin-pot as some think.

I've been pretty vocal about Gerrard being a poor / risky appointment, but to suggest we should be as attractive as the likes of Spurs right now to an ambitious manger already managing in the CL is laughable.

Agree with most of what you're saying here, Chris.

[Mister E]

Beale seems an interesting coach.

... Be delighted to see mccalister back. He was great last time round with houllier.

Eventually: we were on a rollercoaster until the last half-a-dozen games.
But, yes, both Beale and McAllister get a good write-up.

[chrisw1]

In terms of moving forward it looks like it's going to be Gerrard.

Not my favourite choice, but this is nothing to do with who he played for, media love ins, possibly losing him in a few years or who he currently manages.

On the upside he comes with a highly regarded coaching team and, pub league or not, had the wherewithall to manage a team that stopped Celtic winning a 10th title in a row.

More importantly for me, I understand his style of play is very similar to how Liverpool set up.  This is by some distance my favourite type of football in the modern era and I think it will suit most of our players very well.  Watkins, Ings and Bailey could be an excellent front three.  Obviously we'll need to upgrade at least one fullback and will need a better DM (which we'll need anyway however we chose to play) but otherwise I think we're well set up for it.

I'm confident Gerrard will conduct himself with dignity in the same way Terry did and I don't for one minute expect to see the Liverpool fawning so many are fearful of.

I've heard people talk about Gerrard as a player (including Peter Crouch on his podcast) and one common theme was he demanded incredibly high standards.  I expect our fitness and running stats to massively improve.  I know people scoff at the 'born winner' tag, but there's nothing wrong with having a manager with the fierce drive and ambition Gerrard has.  If it's backed up by an excellent coach (as it seems to be at the moment) then it could certainly be a recipe for success.

I remain a sceptical about his level of experience and of course this could go both ways.  But now it's almost certainly him I'm all in.  He has my 100% support and I'm very excited to see what we can do.

[WarszaVillan]

He wouldn't be my choice, but who knows what the right appointment is. Remember when we all got excited about Ole maybe coming  because there was a film with people saying nice things about him from Norway. If he comes I hope it will be with his full backroom staff, because at least he seems to have a good team around him.

Not all of us did. That was stupid fanboy wank and so is this.

Did you not change your username using Norwegian letters? The other one was Henry of course. I'm not totally against this as he has a decent team around him and some experience, I've given up trying to guess who makes a decent manager it all seems a bit of a lottery. But it is very underwhelming.

[ChicagoLion]

He wouldn't be my choice, but who knows what the right appointment is. Remember when we all got excited about Ole maybe coming  because there was a film with people saying nice things about him from Norway. If he comes I hope it will be with his full backroom staff, because at least he seems to have a good team around him.

Not all of us did. That was stupid fanboy wank and so is this.

I didn’t either , coul d not understand the hysteria.