http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jose-mourinho-liverpool-lfc-must-1714448
Mou'll never walk alone? Why Liverpool MUST consider The Special One
17 Feb 2013 08:57
Andy Dunn explains why Anfield bosses would be neglecting their duty if they weren't considering Jose
He's coming back: Mourinho is likely to return to England this summer, but where will he go?
Stop sniggering at the back. That’s right – Jose Mourinho.
That the idea seems so utterly fanciful is a reflection of Liverpool’s revised standing in the game’s pecking order.
The real Xavi is out of the question, get the Welsh one. The real Mourinho is out of the question, get the Irish one.
But one of the most successful coaches of the modern era – with a proven track record in the Premier League and in Europe – is, essentially, available for employment.
Mourinho’s days in Madrid are numbered. It is just a question of whether Sir Alex Ferguson brings them to a close in just over a fortnight’s time. And Mourinho wants to return to England. That much is clear.
If Fenway Sports Group purports to be serious in its long-term ambitions for Liverpool, it would be plain negligent not to consider a move – no matter how ridiculous it seems – for Mourinho.
Harsh on Brendan Rodgers, who has been promised long-term support for his vision (whatever that may be)? Yes.
Brendan: Vision, yes, but results?
But Premier League management is brutally harsh. Ask Nigel Adkins. Barely a month ago, radio, TV and newspapers were awash with embittered outrage at his sacking.
Now? Nigel who? It’s a cruel game.
You don’t always have to wait for a full-blown crisis to make a change.
Liverpool is not a club in full-blown crisis, but Rodgers faces his former club this afternoon with his own credibility beginning to look strained.
“A near-perfect performance... we are wondering how we lost it.” The refrain, this time post-Zenit, has become a familiar one.
You don’t have to hold a coaching licence to know how Liverpool lost it. Poor in front of the opposition goal when it mattered, poor in front of their own goal when it mattered. Simple.
You have to admire Rodgers’ positivity, but the facts do not make great reading. Following his departure, Swansea are seven points better off than they were at this stage last season. They’ve scored 10 more goals and conceded five less.
Liverpool are three points worse off than they were after 26 matches of the 2011-12 campaign. They have conceded nine goals more and won one game fewer. The only credit in Rodgers’ bank is the total of 44 goals scored – 14 more than this time a year ago. But Liverpool are two places below their position at the equivalent point last season, while Swansea are seven places higher.
Mourinho: "A long shot worth pursuing"
All this, without mentioning the fact that Liverpool were about to win the League Cup and were en route to an FA Cup Final appearance.
And Daniel Sturridge apart, Rodgers’ signings – his net spend has been over £40million, by the way – have made little impact. Rodgers is getting a decent tune out of some players he inherited – Jordan Henderson, for example – but others have regressed quite dramatically.
The central core of Liverpool’s defence – featuring players such as Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Pepe Reina – has become rotten. Defensive solidity, on which Liverpool’s golden era was founded, is a Mourinho speciality.
Of course, Mourinho for Liverpool seems outlandish. No Champions League, no billionaire backer, certainly no salary to match the annual £8.4million he draws at the Bernabeu.
But it might appeal to the one thing we all know he has – a gargantuan ego. He has made no secret of his admiration for Liverpool and, after a couple of altercations, its fans.
Imagine the appeal to that gargantuan ego of restoring former glories to a club that, today, needs to beat Swansea to climb to the dizzying height of seventh in the table – 26 points behind Manchester United.
It might be the longest of longshots, sure. But if Liverpool’s fortunes continue on their current trajectory, it is a long shot worth pursuing.
Mou'll never walk alone? Why Liverpool MUST consider The Special One
17 Feb 2013 08:57
Andy Dunn explains why Anfield bosses would be neglecting their duty if they weren't considering Jose
Helios de la Rubia
If Liverpool FC retains any credible claim to be part of club football’s elite, it will be monitoring the position of Jose Mourinho.Stop sniggering at the back. That’s right – Jose Mourinho.
That the idea seems so utterly fanciful is a reflection of Liverpool’s revised standing in the game’s pecking order.
The real Xavi is out of the question, get the Welsh one. The real Mourinho is out of the question, get the Irish one.
But one of the most successful coaches of the modern era – with a proven track record in the Premier League and in Europe – is, essentially, available for employment.
Mourinho’s days in Madrid are numbered. It is just a question of whether Sir Alex Ferguson brings them to a close in just over a fortnight’s time. And Mourinho wants to return to England. That much is clear.
If Fenway Sports Group purports to be serious in its long-term ambitions for Liverpool, it would be plain negligent not to consider a move – no matter how ridiculous it seems – for Mourinho.
Harsh on Brendan Rodgers, who has been promised long-term support for his vision (whatever that may be)? Yes.
Andrew Powell
But Premier League management is brutally harsh. Ask Nigel Adkins. Barely a month ago, radio, TV and newspapers were awash with embittered outrage at his sacking.
Now? Nigel who? It’s a cruel game.
You don’t always have to wait for a full-blown crisis to make a change.
Liverpool is not a club in full-blown crisis, but Rodgers faces his former club this afternoon with his own credibility beginning to look strained.
“A near-perfect performance... we are wondering how we lost it.” The refrain, this time post-Zenit, has become a familiar one.
You don’t have to hold a coaching licence to know how Liverpool lost it. Poor in front of the opposition goal when it mattered, poor in front of their own goal when it mattered. Simple.
You have to admire Rodgers’ positivity, but the facts do not make great reading. Following his departure, Swansea are seven points better off than they were at this stage last season. They’ve scored 10 more goals and conceded five less.
Liverpool are three points worse off than they were after 26 matches of the 2011-12 campaign. They have conceded nine goals more and won one game fewer. The only credit in Rodgers’ bank is the total of 44 goals scored – 14 more than this time a year ago. But Liverpool are two places below their position at the equivalent point last season, while Swansea are seven places higher.
Alex Livesey / Getty
All this, without mentioning the fact that Liverpool were about to win the League Cup and were en route to an FA Cup Final appearance.
And Daniel Sturridge apart, Rodgers’ signings – his net spend has been over £40million, by the way – have made little impact. Rodgers is getting a decent tune out of some players he inherited – Jordan Henderson, for example – but others have regressed quite dramatically.
The central core of Liverpool’s defence – featuring players such as Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Pepe Reina – has become rotten. Defensive solidity, on which Liverpool’s golden era was founded, is a Mourinho speciality.
Of course, Mourinho for Liverpool seems outlandish. No Champions League, no billionaire backer, certainly no salary to match the annual £8.4million he draws at the Bernabeu.
But it might appeal to the one thing we all know he has – a gargantuan ego. He has made no secret of his admiration for Liverpool and, after a couple of altercations, its fans.
Imagine the appeal to that gargantuan ego of restoring former glories to a club that, today, needs to beat Swansea to climb to the dizzying height of seventh in the table – 26 points behind Manchester United.
It might be the longest of longshots, sure. But if Liverpool’s fortunes continue on their current trajectory, it is a long shot worth pursuing.
