by stmichael » Tue May 25, 2004 1:49 pm
Liverpool face a summer that will shape their entire future after manager Gerard Houllier was reluctantly eased out of Anfield.
Chief executive Rick Parry revealed the decision to make a change at the top hinged on one single issue - would Liverpool be serious title contenders next season?
And once the answer came up in the negative, Houllier's six-year reign was over.
But relieving Houllier of his duties may be the easy part when it comes to putting together the formula for success Parry and the Liverpool board demand.
Liverpool now have to identify the type of man who can re-ignite the glory days, and then provide the sort of financial firepower that would seriously threaten the current supremacy of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
This, we can safely assume, will be the difficult part.
Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez may fall into the flavour of the month category with the cynics, while even Alan Curbishley would admit managing Charlton is a different affair from managing Liverpool.
Whoever takes the job, we must assume from Parry's words that only the title will do because Houllier has won everything else at domestic level, with the occasional Uefa Cup thrown in.
The task is a massive one.
Arsenal are peerless and will strengthen, while it is certain the chequebook will be in regular use at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.
Roman Abramovich will bankroll another blockbuster summer at Chelsea, with an ironic twist that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard might be a prime target.
And ominous noises are emerging from Old Trafford that Sir Alex Ferguson will embark on a major spree to ease the pain of a season without the title.
This means Liverpool will have to run quickly simply to stand still in a Premiership where the power of the pound will be demonstrated again this summer.
The new man must not only acquire the calibre of player needed to bridge the increasing gap between Liverpool and the top three, but thin out a squad top heavy with the under-achievers who ultimately played a key role in Houllier's demise.
Liverpool legend Alan Hansen's thinking on this summer is clear - the club must get it right or risk watching the teams they hope to eclipse escape forever.
Owen must be persuaded to sign new deal
Houllier has put solid foundations in place with Liverpool's academy and the opulent Melwood training headquarters which ranks alongside any in the world.
And in Gerrard and Michael Owen, Houllier's successor will inherit two world-class talents.
The next man in charge must try to seal the deal on Owen's new contract, while at the same time making the moves that will impress Gerrard and keep him from Abramovich's clutches.
Djibril Cisse is arriving in a £14m deal from Auxerre - what will the new incumbent make of effectively being presented with the club's record signing?
How easy will it be to move on men such as El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Igor Biscan and Bruno Cheyrou?
This is why Liverpool's board, despite insisting the search for the man to follow Houllier began in earnest on Monday, will have surely formulated an indentikit of their new manager.
It is a dream job by anyone's standards - but it will need some quick impact actions to ensure it does not become the impossible one.
And they have no time to waste. Houllier's replacement will have already been earmarked in the Anfield corridors of power.