Gary Mac in frame to join Liverpool coaching staff

[Hansern]

@pjoyceexpress: Gary McAllister in frame to join Lvpl coaching staff after meeting Brendan Rodgers


The former Reds midfielder, who enjoyed success in a short spell with the club as a player, could become a part of the Northern Irishman's revamped first-team setup

GOAL By Paul Clennam
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has held talks with Gary McAllister over taking a role on the club's coaching staff, Goal understands.

Rodgers is understood to have met the former Reds midfielder at the club's Melwood training ground on Wednesday.

McAllister could replace Mike Marsh as Liverpool's first-team coach but the club are also considering other candidates for the role.

The Scot was signed by Gerard Houllier on a free transfer in July 2000 at the age of 35 and was influential in a short spell at Anfield, helping the club win the FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Cup and Uefa Super Cup in 2001.

McAllister had brief spells in charge of Coventry City and Leeds United before taking up coaching positions with Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, where he was reunited with Houllier and took up a caretaker manager's role for the remainder of the 2010-11 season when the Frenchman suffered health complications.

The move would see Liverpool continue a revamp of their coaching staff this summer.

Former Nottingham Forest and Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll has been appointed Rodgers' assistant manager, with Colin Pascoe leaving the club.

Pepijn Linders, who was a part of Liverpool's academy setup last season, has been named first team development coach as the club adopts what they describe as a "new technical approach" to coaching.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Good move

 

[cloggypop]

What's he been up to?

Does he have his badges?

Is he any good as a coach?

 

[Markeh]

What's he been up to?

Does he have his badges?

Is he any good as a coach?

didn't he assist Houllier at Villa or something? must have the qualifications

he just seems like a player that would be a good coach

 

[737Max]

He's got no hair but we don't care

 

[mr_moo]

Unsure about this as not so sure about his experience.

 

[leftpeg]

I like....but mainly for sentimental reasons.

 

[redhorizon2]

8 July 2015Last updated at22:57
1.1K
Liverpool: Gary McAllister to become first-team coach
Former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder Gary McAllister is set to become first-team coach in Brendan Rodgers' new-look backroom team.
McAllister, 50, is understood to have held talks with Rodgers at the club's Melwood training headquarters on Wednesday.
He will join new assistant manager Sean O'Driscoll and Dutch coach Pep Ljinders.
McAllister won the League Cup, FA Cup and Uefa Cup with Liverpool in 2001.
He has managed Coventry City and Leeds United, as well as serving as assistant to Gerard Houllier, the manager who brought him to Anfield, at Aston Villa.
Rodgers' former assistants Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh were sacked in June following an end-of-season review with the club's American owners.

 

[Ryan]

He's been a laughably bad manager. People get excited by ex-players as prospective coaches far too easily.

Same for Hyypia. Fucking woeful as a manager, yet folks are all over bringing him in to coach better players? Why?

 

[Red Astaire]

He's been a laughably bad manager. People get excited by ex-players as prospective coaches far too easily.

Same for Hyypia. Fucking woeful as a manager, yet folks are all over bringing him in to coach better players? Why?

Probably because we love them in a stupid unpractical way. Why do you support Liverpool? For the glory?

 

[Red Astaire]

I like....but mainly for sentimental reasons.

I see no reason at all why he can't be a success. He's great, popular, experienced, respected, He's not calling the shots. He's backroom staff. He's back at a club he loves and will do a great job. I wonder if @Ryan would have been opposed to us signing him as a 35yr old has-been on a free back in 2001......

 

[Ryan]

Probably because we love them in a stupid unpractical way. Why do you support Liverpool? For the glory?

There's romanticism, and there's fucking ignorance. He's proven himself to be no good as a coach, who cares how great he was as a footballer?

You don't see Bryan Robson back at United. Cos he was a fucking abomination as a coach.

It's football fan naivety. This romantic notion that cos they're respected and experienced and loved the club that it'll be all buzz. Can he fucking coach is the only question that needs to be asked.

In this case, the evidence points to a resounding no.

 

[Ryan]

I see no reason at all why he can't be a success. He's great, popular, experienced, respected, He's not calling the shots. He's backroom staff. He's back at a club he loves and will do a great job. I wonder if @Ryan would have been opposed to us signing him as a 35yr old has-been on a free back in 2001......

You do realise you're comparing his worth as a footballer playing on a pitch, to someone in charge of managing a team?

This is like suggesting that cos you've sat in business class that you're then fit to fly the fucking plane.

 

[Red Astaire]

There's romanticism, and there's fucking ignorance. He's proven himself to be no good as a coach, who cares how great he was as a footballer?

You don't see Bryan Robson back at United. Cos he was a fucking abomination as a coach.

It's football fan naivety. This romantic notion that cos they're respected and experienced and loved the club that it'll be all buzz. Can he fucking coach is the only question that needs to be asked.

In this case, the evidence points to a resounding no.

I guess we differ in that regard then fella. The only reason I watch (or care about) football is - using your word - romanticism. Otherwise what is the fucking point?! Unless you really think we might win something soon. In which case good on ya. I don't think so but it's fun hoping right?

BTW - You can probably tell I'm not a memember of the fucking DA or whatever it's called.

 

[Gary25]

Ryan is right here.

If well respected footballers with all their leadership qualities, and aura about them made top Football Managers/Coaches, the likes of Keane and Shearer to name but two would be making a name for themselves in that field.

 

[Red Astaire]

You do realise you're comparing his worth as a footballer playing on a pitch, to someone in charge of managing a team?

This is like suggesting that cos you've sat in business class that you're then fit to fly the fucking plane.

No it's not - That's a stupid comparison.
EDIT :- How about bringing in a former player who has a love and passion for the club. Proven ability at international and domestic level. Will not undermine the manager and will try and improve the team at whatever level he's placed at. Seems a good plan to me.

 

[Ryan]

I guess we differ in that regard then fella. The only reason I watch (or care about) football is - using your word - romanticism. Otherwise what is the fucking point?! Unless you really think we might win something soon. In which case good on ya. I don't think so but it's fun hoping right?

BTW - You can probably tell I'm not a memember of the fucking DA or whatever it's called.

You're admitting you don't care if we win there RA.

What's the point in that?

 

[Red Astaire]

You're admitting you don't care if we win there RA.

What's the point in that?

Eh? Of course I want LFC to win. I wouldn't be a member on here otherwise right?

 

[Ryan]

The only reason I watch (or care about) football is - using your word - romanticism. Otherwise what is the fucking point?! Unless you really think we might win something soon. In which case good on ya. I don't think so but it's fun hoping right?

^^^Have you read what you typed here??

Let me paraphrase... 'I'm in it for the romance and that's it. I don't think we're gonna win anything, so romance is all that counts'.

 

[Red Astaire]

I guess I'm just a pragmatist. I'm not being arsey but my love of the game has been sorely tested recently. Not that you care. I'm just being a whiney twat. Liverpool signing Danny Ings is a long way from the Liverpool I loved signing John Barnes back in 1987.

 

[Red Astaire]

^^^Have you read what you typed here??

Let me paraphrase... 'I'm in it for the romance and that's it. I don't think we're gonna win anything, so romance is all that counts'.

Let's cut the word 'romance' out of it for the time being. We are not in a Mills&Boon novel after all.

Let me ask you a few questions.

1) Will we win the league this year?
2) Why not?
3) Will you still watch the games?
4) Why?

 

[King Binny]

Sean O'Driscoll's Doncaster beat Gary McAllister's Leeds Utd (who made the play offs despite 15 points deduction for breaking insolvency rules) in 08/09 League 1 play-off final.

[article=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/feb/02/newsstory.sport3]In building a successful team, where should a manager start?
The defence, and the ability to keep clean sheets. The next most important department in my view is the midfield - the teams who control that area are the ones who usually win.

Thrown any teacups yet?
No, I don't think I am going to go down that road. It is not my nature.

How would you describe your style?
A common sense one, I hope. My main objective is to be professional. Whether we have enough quality at the moment is another matter, but I would be very upset if the teams we play against did not at least find us well-organised.

Is there a classic McAllister training ground manoeuvre yet?
It is easier to talk about my general approach really. I am a great believer in players improving their ability to pass the ball, keep possession. They do not spend a lot of time on the training ground because of the high number of competitive matches, and I think it is essential that, whatever they do in training, they take a pride in it.[/article]

March 2008
[article=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/mar/29/newsstory.sport10]"I believe that, as coaches and managers, we have a duty to try and promote good football and help players play the game properly," insists McAllister, who maintains it is entirely feasible for Leeds to escape from League One this season without resorting to kick-and-rush or indulging in cynical gamesmanship.

Big on discipline, McAllister, who became manager at the end of January when Wise accepted a direction-changing, salary-tripling executive role with Newcastle United, has created a training-ground culture whereby first-team players virtually jump to hold doors open for visitors before volunteering greetings and directions. It all appears light years removed from the day, not so long ago, when a homebound Lee Bowyer gunned his BMW so ferociously that the guard manning the practice ground's security barrier had literally to dive for cover.

"I absolutely believe that you can play passing football in League One," stresses the 43-year-old, whose judicious use of the loan system has enabled him to trim an unfeasibly large squad to about 20 while spicing up his attack by borrowing Dougie Freedman from Crystal Palace.

His essential belief in the beautiful game is combined with an appreciation of sports science and psychology garnered during seasons spent working with Wilkinson, Gordon Strachan and Gérard Houllier. "I'm into things like psychology, but I don't want to change too much too soon. I've just altered smaller things like the tempo of training and introduced a few discipline things."

Some are pinched from Houllier. "At Liverpool I sometimes wondered why, oh why, Gérard was so pernickety, but over time I realised that taking care of so many small things in training and preparation carries through into games.

"If you've been focused and disciplined all week you're more likely to stay disciplined when you're hanging on in the final few minutes of a vital match. It's all about setting standards - and here we've got to the stage of the season where the right mentality is going to play a big part."

"I loved working with Sky, especially covering the Champions League, but the game's in my blood and I always wanted to come back into management. Television's great fun but the adrenaline is not the same; the feeling it produces is nothing like the feeling of winning a game of football. You can't recreate that anywhere."[/article]

Dec 2008
[article=http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2008/dec/23/leeds-gary-mccallister-rob-bagchi]McAllister's intentions, which appeared to be to turn Leeds into the Arsenal of League One, was wrecked by a lack of pace down the flanks, an inability to defend set-pieces and making one of his centre-forwards play out wide for the majority of a match.

He had his philosophy but what he didn't have was the players to put it into effect. With a run of five successive defeats and rumours that the dressing room was split, it was no surprise that he was sacked. Bates cannot be blamed for deciding to make the change and despite the chairman being dubbed Bad Santa by the fans, he will not have relished the timing.[/article]

 

[Fabio]

@Ryan there are some people who have been shite when in charge of a team, but good as the first team coach

Wasn't meulenstein a bit shite when left to his own devices?

 

[Fabio]

Btw I'm not really in favour of this, I'm just playing devil's advocate

 

[gkmacca]

Clearly he's not coming to do any actual coaching. It's already going to be a struggle to accommodate both Rodgers and O'Driscoll as coaches. McAllister, or whoever arrives, will surely only have a role as a sort of cheerleader and motivator. Maybe Rodgers and O'Driscoll will do teamtalks, then say, 'Now a few words from someone who's actually won stuff'.

 

[Ryan]

Let's cut the word 'romance' out of it for the time being. We are not in a Mills&Boon novel after all.

Let me ask you a few questions.

1) Will we win the league this year?
2) Why not?
3) Will you still watch the games?
4) Why?

I’m really not sure what path you’re going down here RA. Trying to shoehorn some selective point onto me with your leading questions won’t get you there.

I’ve already summed up my views for you’ it’s fine to be romantic and want to win. I’d class myself as that type of fan. You didn’t.

That’s the difference.

 

[i_rushie]

Is Rodgers so insecure that he cannot contemplate hiring a coach who has actually got significant experience coaching a top team challenging for titles?

 

[Ryan]

@Ryan there are some people who have been shite when in charge of a team, but good as the first team coach

Wasn't meulenstein a bit shite when left to his own devices?

Sure. But he wasn't put in charge of coaching Man United after having failed at a bunch of managerial roles, like McAllister is.

Just to be clear - Gary Mac could be great, could be the fucking coach of the millenium for all we know, and of course there's a romantic attachment, but you've got to be pragmatic and question this appointment.

He has no evidence of coaching credentials, and has a truly dreadful managerial record at middling clubs, and now he's being gifted a job at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Based on what? How has he got the credentials required for this job?

It's fucking ok to question this. It doesn't make me any less of a romantic.

This is the club we've become. Handing out coaching roles continuously to effectively 'yes boss' mates of the Manager. An inexperienced, at times out of his depth manager too.

Where are the folks with the track record of coaching success? Who are going to challenge the manager? Who are going to offset his limited experience? Who are going to add variety and elite level knowledge to the group?

Mike Marsh. What on earth was he there for?
Colin Pascoe. A man built for putting out cones.
A 32 year old who's had a year with the Under 16's.
O'Driscoll. Afailed lower league manager for 20 years.
And now McAllister. With his coaching track record.

Fans need to get their heads out of the fucking sand and ask proper questions of the clubs they're supporting. Cos the decisions this manager is now making do not add up.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I'm with Ryan on this one.

 

[tombrown]

Are you doubting Gary's cone placing ability? I think he could be boss at it, but its true he will have to bend over further than Colin did