http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/6875180/Garry-Cook-implies-Liverpool-were-also-after-Manchester-City-boss-Roberto-Mancini.html
Garry Cook implies Liverpool were also after Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini
Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook has suggested Liverpool sounded out Roberto Mancini to take over from Rafael BenÃtez in 2007 at the height of the Jurgen Klinsmann furore.
By Rory Smith
Published: 7:30AM GMT 24 Dec 2009
Cooking up a storm: Garry Cook has suggested that Manchester City weren't the only club interested in Roberto Mancini Photo: PA
BenÃtez came close to leaving Anfield just months after reaching his second Champions League final in three years after it was revealed Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool's American owners, had held tentative talks with Klinsmann, the former Germany manager, about taking charge, should they choose to dispense with the Spaniard.
But Cook, who, despite a torrent of criticism for his handling of Hughes's dismissal, maintains it would be "naive" to think all clubs are not constantly monitoring potential replacements for their managers, believes Klinsmann was just one of a number of candidates approached by Liverpool.
"It is naive to think that clubs are not looking at their options," he said. "Of course they are. Do we think that Liverpool just talked to Klinsmann? I am sure they also spoke to others, and I have no doubt that Mancini was one of them. Of course he would have been.
"We have been linked with Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Klinsmann, but I have never met any of them. Any club looking at their managerial options would draw up a list, and a club like ours would look at the best in the world, so why wouldn't all the names mentioned, if they are indeed the best in the world, be on our list?
"But it is totally unrealistic to think we could sign Wenger, for example. He is far too loyal, and quite rightly so. We are fully aware that Hiddink has made it known that in three years' time he doesn't want to be in coaching, so it's a process of fact-finding."
Cook, though, did contact Hiddink, through his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, to sound him out about replacing Hughes.
"This is what goes on within the game," said Cook. "It is part of what we do. Talks took place with Mancini before the decision to sack the manager, after the Tottenham defeat, but that is what a lot of people do in football."
We are upset by claim-
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article6967062.ece
Garry Cook, the chief executive of Manchester City, has sparked fury at Anfield by claiming that Liverpool approached Roberto Mancini with a view to the Italian replacing Rafael BenÃtez as manager.
Cook’s latest controversial comments have landed him in hot water with the Liverpool hierarchy, who have refused to comment. Privately, however, they have not been impressed by his outburst.
The City chief executive has been at the centre of a storm of negative publicity after the sacking of Mark Hughes last Saturday and the subsequent appointment of Mancini as manager. In particular, Cook was criticised after he claimed that Mancini had not been offered the job until last Thursday, but it has emerged that the decision to replace Hughes had been taken three weeks ago.
Cook used Liverpool’s approach to Jürgen Klinsmann as a potential replacement for BenÃtez two years ago as evidence that clubs often have managerial successors lined up before the incumbent has been dismissed.
(I've left these in should anyone wish to follow the link above and investigate them)
RELATED LINKS
Liverpool have little hope of signing Heskey
Brazilians welcome arrival of Mancini
Portsmouth add to pressure on BenÃtez
MULTIMEDIA
BOXING DAY VIDEO PREVIEWS: Aquilani to start
GABRIELE MARCOTTI: Cook has a lot to learn
“It is naive to think that clubs are not looking at their options,†Cook said. “Of course they are. Do we think that Liverpool just talked to Klinsmann? I am sure they also spoke to others, and I have no doubt that Roberto Mancini was one of them. Of course he would have been.â€
Shortly after talks were held with Klinsmann, in November 2007, Tom Hicks, the Liverpool co-owner, confessed that an approach had been made to the German, but said it was only as a contingency in case BenÃtez left the club to join Real Madrid.
At the time, Liverpool were not linked with any other manager nor was there any evidence that they had launched a recruitment offensive, with agents employed to sound out potential successors to the Spaniard.
BenÃtez will also see Cook’s comments as an unnecessary distraction as he attempts to reinvigorate Liverpool’s flagging fortunes. However, one issue that he believes will right itself is the form of Steven Gerrard, which BenÃtez insists will improve as his captain’s fitness levels increase, enabling him to play and train more regularly.
“He knows that he needs to improve but that in itself is very positive for me because it shows that he realises he is an important player for us,†BenÃtez said.
“He was doing much better, we were analysing his data and this was very clear. In the last game [against Portsmouth] he wasn’t at the same level, but this can sometimes happen and he knows that he is improving physically and this is the main thing for his confidence.
“We have a lot of conversations, not just with Stevie, but with a lot of players. They want to improve and sometimes that can be a problem because they can try to too hard and that makes it more difficult.
“If you analyse our team, people always talk about Gerrard and [Fernando] Torres. They are very important for us and they would be for any team. They have to be good because this means the rest of the team will be better and if they don’t play at the level they can, it can affect the team.
“Steven is a very good player and because the fans have seen him play very well they expect him to play at the same level, but it’s not easy when you’re not training with the eam. If he has no [injury] problems, I am sure he will be better.â€
Garry Cook implies Liverpool were also after Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini
Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook has suggested Liverpool sounded out Roberto Mancini to take over from Rafael BenÃtez in 2007 at the height of the Jurgen Klinsmann furore.
By Rory Smith
Published: 7:30AM GMT 24 Dec 2009
Cooking up a storm: Garry Cook has suggested that Manchester City weren't the only club interested in Roberto Mancini Photo: PA
BenÃtez came close to leaving Anfield just months after reaching his second Champions League final in three years after it was revealed Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool's American owners, had held tentative talks with Klinsmann, the former Germany manager, about taking charge, should they choose to dispense with the Spaniard.
But Cook, who, despite a torrent of criticism for his handling of Hughes's dismissal, maintains it would be "naive" to think all clubs are not constantly monitoring potential replacements for their managers, believes Klinsmann was just one of a number of candidates approached by Liverpool.
"It is naive to think that clubs are not looking at their options," he said. "Of course they are. Do we think that Liverpool just talked to Klinsmann? I am sure they also spoke to others, and I have no doubt that Mancini was one of them. Of course he would have been.
"We have been linked with Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Klinsmann, but I have never met any of them. Any club looking at their managerial options would draw up a list, and a club like ours would look at the best in the world, so why wouldn't all the names mentioned, if they are indeed the best in the world, be on our list?
"But it is totally unrealistic to think we could sign Wenger, for example. He is far too loyal, and quite rightly so. We are fully aware that Hiddink has made it known that in three years' time he doesn't want to be in coaching, so it's a process of fact-finding."
Cook, though, did contact Hiddink, through his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, to sound him out about replacing Hughes.
"This is what goes on within the game," said Cook. "It is part of what we do. Talks took place with Mancini before the decision to sack the manager, after the Tottenham defeat, but that is what a lot of people do in football."
We are upset by claim-
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article6967062.ece
Garry Cook, the chief executive of Manchester City, has sparked fury at Anfield by claiming that Liverpool approached Roberto Mancini with a view to the Italian replacing Rafael BenÃtez as manager.
Cook’s latest controversial comments have landed him in hot water with the Liverpool hierarchy, who have refused to comment. Privately, however, they have not been impressed by his outburst.
The City chief executive has been at the centre of a storm of negative publicity after the sacking of Mark Hughes last Saturday and the subsequent appointment of Mancini as manager. In particular, Cook was criticised after he claimed that Mancini had not been offered the job until last Thursday, but it has emerged that the decision to replace Hughes had been taken three weeks ago.
Cook used Liverpool’s approach to Jürgen Klinsmann as a potential replacement for BenÃtez two years ago as evidence that clubs often have managerial successors lined up before the incumbent has been dismissed.
(I've left these in should anyone wish to follow the link above and investigate them)
RELATED LINKS
Liverpool have little hope of signing Heskey
Brazilians welcome arrival of Mancini
Portsmouth add to pressure on BenÃtez
MULTIMEDIA
BOXING DAY VIDEO PREVIEWS: Aquilani to start
GABRIELE MARCOTTI: Cook has a lot to learn
“It is naive to think that clubs are not looking at their options,†Cook said. “Of course they are. Do we think that Liverpool just talked to Klinsmann? I am sure they also spoke to others, and I have no doubt that Roberto Mancini was one of them. Of course he would have been.â€
Shortly after talks were held with Klinsmann, in November 2007, Tom Hicks, the Liverpool co-owner, confessed that an approach had been made to the German, but said it was only as a contingency in case BenÃtez left the club to join Real Madrid.
At the time, Liverpool were not linked with any other manager nor was there any evidence that they had launched a recruitment offensive, with agents employed to sound out potential successors to the Spaniard.
BenÃtez will also see Cook’s comments as an unnecessary distraction as he attempts to reinvigorate Liverpool’s flagging fortunes. However, one issue that he believes will right itself is the form of Steven Gerrard, which BenÃtez insists will improve as his captain’s fitness levels increase, enabling him to play and train more regularly.
“He knows that he needs to improve but that in itself is very positive for me because it shows that he realises he is an important player for us,†BenÃtez said.
“He was doing much better, we were analysing his data and this was very clear. In the last game [against Portsmouth] he wasn’t at the same level, but this can sometimes happen and he knows that he is improving physically and this is the main thing for his confidence.
“We have a lot of conversations, not just with Stevie, but with a lot of players. They want to improve and sometimes that can be a problem because they can try to too hard and that makes it more difficult.
“If you analyse our team, people always talk about Gerrard and [Fernando] Torres. They are very important for us and they would be for any team. They have to be good because this means the rest of the team will be better and if they don’t play at the level they can, it can affect the team.
“Steven is a very good player and because the fans have seen him play very well they expect him to play at the same level, but it’s not easy when you’re not training with the eam. If he has no [injury] problems, I am sure he will be better.â€
