Features

Who could be next for Liverpool?

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 08/05/2010
Football betting

There's no smoke without fire and if Rafael Benitez does leave Liverpool this summer then which of his reported replacements is most likely to get the Anfield job?

At the top of the pile is surely Roy Hodgson following his sensational job during two and a half years in charge of Fulham.

At 62 the Englishman may not have time on his side, but that is the only blemish on an otherwise stellar CV.

Hodgson has coached in Italy and Scandinavia alongside England so has experience of handling the cosmopolitan squad which Benitez is likely to leave behind.

He doesn't have Champions League experience but, with the Reds destined for a season in the Europa League, that's less of an issue.

Hodgson has a history of getting the best out of bargain basement signings and that could become increasingly important should the sale of the cash-strapped Merseysiders by their American co-owners drag on.

Having taken Fulham to the final of this season's Europa League, Hodgson is the sportsbook favourite to fill any potential managerial vacancy at Anfield.

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Jose Mourinho has also been linked with a return to England but it seems unlikely that the current Internazionale and ex-Chelsea boss would see the Anfield hot-seat as worthy of his talents amid ongoing talk of a summer switch to Real Madrid.

One man who could be interested is Martin O'Neill following his uneasy relationship with the Aston Villa board in recent months.

The Northern Irishman has transformed Villa from relegation candidates to Champions League qualifying hopefuls during four seasons in the Midlands.

Five glittering seasons north of the border with Celtic regularly led him to be mentioned as a potential replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and O'Neill might just believe he has taken Villa as far as he can.

Across the Second City, Alex McLeish could also be a possible candidate to become the new Reds manager following his impressive work at Birmingham City this season.

The former Scotland boss has not only kept the promoted Blues in the Premier League this season but came close to securing European qualification.

However, it is this lack of European experience which could count against McLeish should Liverpool be in the market for a new manager this summer.

Should the Anfield board decide to look abroad then two names stand out above any other.

Former Netherlands and Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal has seen his stock rise after guiding an unfashionable Bayern Munich to the Champions League Final this season.

Then there is former Chelsea caretaker manager Guus Hiddink, who took to English football like a duck to water when he stepped in at Stamford Bridge last season.

Hiddink has bags of experience and could probably be persuaded to take the Liverpool job ahead of his impending role as Turkey's new head coach.

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