Liverpool FC Forum

[ckay]

If it wasn't for rumours and speculation this site would die out. You can't beat a good bit of gossip.

It beats speaking to that wife anyway.

[simic_ie]

Personally I love all this talk of speculaion etc if even if 99% of it is pure b**ix. Imagine the team we'd have if Liverpool bought every player we were linked with in the last 12 month

                               Kirkland
Finnan           Ayala               Mexes                 Risse


Malbranque      Van der Vaart     Gerrard            Kewell

                 Cisse                       Owen

We'd win everything ( of course Martin O'Neill or jse Mouriniho would be our manager.)

[ckay]

If we'd bought every player we'd been linked with, not only would we have a great team, we could actually start our own league!! That wasn't a dig by the way, just a comment about the ammont of players we get linked every year.

[Big Niall]

The thought of Houllier getting the sack is so exciting, I don't care if Howard Wilkinsson or Graham Taylor (slight exaggeration) became the new manager.

[Redtribe]

Thats the only point if Houlier goes then they must bring in someone who will Take this club forward!
Is there anyone out there that we want at the moment morinho is chelski o'neil doesnt look interested!

I personaly like the look of curbishley!
But he has just signed a new 4 year deal!

[anfieldadorer]

This could be more speculation:

Fresh doubt over Houllier's future
Guardian Unlimited staff Wednesday May 19, 2004


Gerard Houllier's future as Liverpool manager is again in doubt after newspaper reports suggested the majority of the Liverpool board were in favour of sacking him.
Houllier's reign, which began in 1998, has been on a downward trend ever since his side won five trophies in 2001, and now it appears Liverpool may be set to cut their losses - possibly as soon as this week.

Houllier appeared to have weathered the growing storm around Anfield, after Liverpool partially redeemed a disappointing season by claiming the last Champions League place.

But after a meeting with the club's chief executive Rick Parry yesterday, Houllier's future is again in the balance - although he has denied that he is on his way out.

"Have I left Liverpool? Well, I am still here in my flat in Liverpool aren't I?" Houllier said.

"I keep getting these calls about my future and there will no doubt be another tomorrow. There's not much I can do about that."

[ckay]

This is being reported to far and wide to be Bo**ocks!!

[Redtribe]

Who do u reckon they will bring in then?

Its all very messy if they are going to get rid of him, and begs the question what sort of plan do the board have?

It seems like they are trying to winback some popularity with the fans rather then keeping to what they originaly was going to do!

Surely if it was there intention to move Houlier on they would have told him at the end of the season rather then now!

Something smells wrong!

[stmichael]

i believe that many directors are advocating a change of management. (please be true!) preferred choices included my personal favourite (alan curbishley) or benitez of valencia.

[Redtribe]

Yep AC would be my first choice too but he has just signed a 4 year deal at Charlton!
Would BENITIZ really leaved Valencia after taking them to the title and UEFA cup final??

[simic_ie]

This whole Houllier being sacked thing is dragging on too long with too many different newspapers reporting on it to be without some semblance of truth. i'd say there was a meeting but as regards the conten.. who knows. As for a new manager, remember not so long bavk Mouriniho saying he would prefer to manage Liverpool because there is more stability there, all I'm saying is watch this space.

[ckay]

Yep AC would be my first choice too but he has just signed a 4 year deal at Charlton!
Would BENITIZ really leaved Valencia after taking them to the title and UEFA cup final??

And also the fact that they've got automatic Champions Leauge and are seeded as Spanish champions.

[ckay]

This story is now being run on the BBC. There has to be something in it!!!1

[anfieldadorer]

This could be some more speculation
Hope you're fed up with this 

Houllier on the brink
By Phil McNulty, Chief football writer
Gerard Houllier's reign as Liverpool manager is under serious threat as the Anfield hierarchy review his position.
But Houllier may still hold on to his job at Anfield.

However, the Frenchman will have to convince Liverpool's directors that his plans for next season will re-ignite the club's Premiership title ambitions. BBC Sport understands top-level talks will be held in the next few days between Houllier, chairman David Moores and chief executive Rick Parry.

Houllier has come under severe pressure this season, but led Liverpool to fourth place in the Premiership and a berth in the money-spinning Champions League. This was expected to secure his job for at least another season, but this is now in doubt as Liverpool ponder whether a change of manager is required to push Liverpool back into championship contention.

Houllier has been in sole charge since November 1998, when his joint-manager ticket with Roy Evans was ripped up. And it is understood Liverpool's board will take into account his record of four major trophies when talks get under way. Houllier won a treble of the FA Cup, the Uefa Cup and Worthington Cup in 2001, and returned to the club after life-saving heart surgery to win the Worthington Cup again against Manchester United in 2003.

Liverpool have failed to win a trophy this season, but Houllier believes that with new signings in place this summer, the club will be well-placed to challenge for their first title since 1990. It is whether he can convince the club's board that this is the case that will ultimately decide his future.

He was heavily criticised by building tycoon Steve Morgan when he launched his £73m bid to buy into the club, with Houllier admitting the writing would be on the wall if Liverpool's third highest shareholder was successful with his bold move to win a measure of power.

Houllier has already agreed a £14m deal for Auxerre's Djibril Cisse, lined up a £2.5m move for Manchester City's Joey Barton and entered a battle with Manchester United to sign Leed striker Alan Smith. The Cisse deal would be in jeopardy if Houllier's role at Anfield was to change.

If he does go, Celtic's Martin O'Neill will be an obvious candidate to succeed him, while Charlton's Alan Curbishley and Valencia's Rafa Benitez has also been mentioned. The return of former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish in some capacity cannot be ruled out - but much depends on Houllier's power to persuade the Liverpool board that he is the man to take the club forward next season.

[stmichael]

Houllier's record since he took sole charge of team in November 1998.

RECORD in all competitions: P 306, W 159, D 73, L 74

PREMIERSHIP record: P 216, W 108, D 52, L 54

so basically he's won just over 50% of his matches in charge of the club. i'm sorry but if you want to win leagues then that is not good enough. stats don't lie.