MAY 26
Benitez cool on Liverpool

BBC Sport Online

Valencia coach Rafael Benitez has moved to cool mounting speculation that a move to Liverpool is imminent.

The Liverpool Echo have claimed that the 44-year-old will definitely succeed Gerard Houllier at Anfield.

But Benitez (pictured)  told Valencia-based Radio Nou on Wednesday: "I am in no hurry to go to Inter Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid, or any other club.

"I want to stay at Valencia. It's already a big club. It's clear that I'm not looking for a team."

Liverpool's board still appear to have made the man who won the Uefa Cup and Spain's La Liga for the second time in three years this season their unanimous first choice to take over from Houllier.

And if Liverpool pull off the coup, it is likely to persuade Michael Owen to sign the new contract currently on offer at Anfield.

Owen is a massive fan of Benitez and Valencia after they beat Liverpool home and away in the Champions League two season ago.

He has revealed he will wait for a new manager to be confirmed before deciding on a new deal, but is certain to be impressed if Liverpool land Benitez.

Bookmakers have already started suspending betting on Benitez taking over at Liverpool in succession to Houllier, whose reign ended after six months on Monday.

It remains to be seen whether his cautious comments in Valencia make any change.

Charlton's Alan Curbishley is believed to be the leading British front runner.

Earlier this week, Valencia president Jaime Orti had vowed to resist any approach for Benitez, who has one year left on his current contract.

But it has since been claimed that Benitez has a get-out clause in his contract which allows him to leave at 15 days' notice.

MAY 26
Raffa the Red

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Valencia boss Rafael Benitez will become the next manager of Liverpool Football Club.

After days of speculation the ECHO can reveal he is the board's number one target - and the Reds expect to land their man.

Benitez will jump at the chance to follow Gerard Houllier into the Anfield hot-seat. He has already told associates he is relishing the prospect.

And while there are still negotiations to take place and technicalities to overcome, the Kop will see Benitez take charge for Liverpool's first Premiership game in August.

It could still take several weeks for the 44-year-old's appointment to be rubber-stamped, but Benitez quickly emerged as the unanimous choice of the Liverpool board.

His pedigree ranks him as one of Europe's greatest coaches and his arrival will represent a stunning coup for chairman David Moores and chief executive Rick Parry.

The Spanish La Liga is regarded the toughest in world football, but Benitez recently led Valencia to their second league title in three years.

Last week, he also lifted the UEFA Cup when his side comfortably defeated Liverpool's conquerors Marseille.

He did so without significant financial backing and an on-going dispute with members of his board may be one of the reasons behind his desire to come to Liverpool.

The Valencia president Jaime Orti warned Liverpool from making any approach for their manager, but the decision appears to be already out of his hands.

Benitez reportedly has a get-out clause in his contract which allows him to leave at 15 days' notice.

The Reds won't even have to pay compensation for his services.

Numerous candidates were considered in the wake of Houllier's sacking earlier this week, but the Spaniard was quickly established as the overwhelming choice.

Alan Curbishley and Jose Mourinho had emerged as possible alternatives. Even the likes of Martin O'Neill and David O'Leary found their way onto a short-list.

But it was the name Benitez which always looked the most attractive, and so it's proved.

A student of English football, Benitez has often spoken of his ambition to manage in the Premiership.

Liverpool have already suffered at the hands of his managerial wisdom. In 2002, Valencia outclassed the Reds at home and away in the Champions League.

It would now take a monumental u-turn from the man himself to stop a deal going through over the next few weeks.

Liverpool chief Parry is currently on holiday, but events will move quickly when he returns to England in June.

Respected Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague believes Benitez will transform Liverpool.

He said: "He would definitely be a success. He is the most exportable of Spanish coaches and will be well suited to English football.

"Liverpool would become like the great AC Milan team. Defending as a unit but always attacking as one as well. He will change Liverpool and he will make them a force again.

"He appreciates English football and knows all about Liverpool. As a Liverpool fan myself I am very happy about this."

MAY 26
Benitez reigns in Spain

By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Rafael Benitez signalled his intentions from day one at the Mestalla.

Following the incredibly tough acts of Hector Cuper and Claudio Ranieri -Benitez kicked off his La Liga career against Real Madrid on August 25, 2001, and won 1-0.

It would be far from the first time that unfasionable Valencia would upset Spain's traditional ruling class of Real and Barcelona.

Benitez ended his first season in charge as coach of La Liga champions - and saw hopes of a UEFA Cup double ended by the narrowest of margins by Inter Milan.

Valencia failed to follow-up their title success in 2002/03 - although they did claim a comprehensive victory over Liverpool in the Champions League.

Once again Inter proved their nemesis in Europe, a solitary away goal at the Mestalla ending their progress at the quarter-finals.

But last season Benitez showed his success was no flash in the pan, when Valencia were once again the undoubted Spanish success story.

Crowned champions with three games of the camapign to go, Benitez became the first coach to claim two titles at the Mestalla - then etched his name into club legend by taking the UEFA Cup, too.

Early in the campaign he announced Valencia's credentials.

On September 27 they overcame Los Galacticos - david Beckham et al - 2-0, then a week later followed up with a victory in the Nou Camp.

The success was achieved in a side without stars.

A collective team effort, brilliant managerial strategy and shrewd tactics saw the title clinched with a 2-0 win at Seville.

Nineteen goal striker, Mista, stood out, although goalkeeper Santiago Canizares collected his fourth Zamora Trophy awarded to the keeper with the safest hands in La Liga, conceding just 25 goals.

"The key to our success is hard work and humility," said captain David Albelda.

That, and the shrewd brain of Rafa Benitez.

MAY 26
Mourinho: Any switch will be on my terms only

By Martyn Ziegler - Daily Post

The most in-demand coach in football made it crystal clear yesterday that when he heads to pastures new he will do it his way - or not at all.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in bringing the highly-rated Portuguese coach to the Premiership.

Although the Porto coach was giving little away yesterday there was an implicit warning for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in his words as he prepared for the Champions League final against Monaco in Gelsenkirchen.

The Russian billionaire has already displayed his desire to become involved in player purchases, but he may find such meddling goes down with Mourinho about as well as out-of-date caviar.

Mourinho, who would not discuss whether he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea saying merely "it's a private question between me and Porto", left no doubt that team affairs would be his business.

He said: "I can't imagine a successful club without a very good relationship between the manager and the board. It happened once in my life when I was coach at Benfica and I walked out.

"Porto is a very good example of a successful club and I think the success was built with everybody having the same motivation and everyone fighting for the same objective."

If Chelsea or Liverpool do get their man, they will have secured a coach who is eloquent, organised and an excellent tactician, but also forthright and supremely confident in his own abilities.

Mourinho held court for 45 minutes yesterday outside the venue for tonight's final, the fantastic, futuristic SchalkeArena in Gelsenkirchen, a town in the Ruhr.

Cool even under intense questioning and changing effort-lessly between Portuguese, Spanish, English and French, Mourinho insisted that the constant speculation over his future had not distracted either himself or his players.

He said: "It has not influenced me. I said a few weeks ago that I didn't want to know anything about clubs, presidents, agents and if you ask the players they will say exactly the same.

"Everyone is fully concentrated on this. Thursday is the future but this match and this cup deserve 100% from us and I must be an example for the players.

"I don't know if it's my last match for Porto, what I know is that it's the most important match of my career, the match I have worked for for two years."

MAY 25
The two frontrunners to replace Houllier

By Ian Doyle - Daily Post Staff

Jose Mourinho has moved ahead of Rafael Benitez as favourite to become the next manager at Anfield as Liverpool prepare for life after Gerard Houllier.

The Frenchman's six-year association with the club ended yesterday with the widely anticipated announcement they had parted company.

And Mourinho, who is preparing his Porto side for tomorrow's Champions League final against Monaco, has moved to the top of Anfield's shortlist as the Liverpool board narrow their sights in the search for Houllier's successor.

Mourinho has been linked heavily with a move to Chelsea in recent weeks but Liverpool are ready to battle with the Londoners for his signature.

Liverpool cannot compete with the £4million-a-year salary Chelsea are offering, but have been encouraged by Mourinho's concern over Roman Abramovich's inclination to involve himself in the purchase of players and his pronouncement he is interested in a role at Anfield.

Benitez, meanwhile, will consider a move to Liverpool if assurances of increased financial backing at Valencia - who he has guided to a Spanish title and UEFA Cup double this season - are not kept.

Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley remains an option, but while Liverpool are admirers of his achievements at The Valley, he is now not a leading contender.

Chief executive Rick Parry insisted the search for a new manager has already started and that quality not nationality is the deciding factor. He said: "We have to determine who is most likely to make us become challengers again. I don't think there will be any shortage in quality contenders wanting to take it on.

"There are attractions in taking on a British manager, but in the end the prime criterion is quality. That's the watchword. We'll think British and we'll think foreign, but we'll pick who we think is best.

"We want to see someone who has got some hunger and some passion for success. But we have got to get it right. It won't be announced this week and it won't be next week, but it will be in good time before the start of the next season.

"It won't be the only criteria. The new manager does not have to have won a title or managed in the Champions League. But track record is going to be important. If you are looking at someone's ability to win trophies, there is some proof they have done it. That clearly helps.

"It is about potential as well and who is most likely to take us towards success and challenging for the championship."

Parry also intimated a possible language barrier would prove prohibitive for any foreign coach coming in, a policy which would favour Mourinho who is fluent in English.

"It makes more sense if the manager has a reasonable grasp of English," said Parry. "It's useful in communicating with players.

"It's extraordinarily difficult if you communicate through an interpreter because you inevitably lose some of the passion and spontaneity."

Mourinho had been quoted at the weekend as wanting to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Liverpool legends Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly in leaving his mark in the annals of football management.

"I want people to remember me as one of the all-time great managers," he said. "I want to leave my mark in football history and be remembered like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Matt Busby.

"I loved the way Liverpool played in the 1970s and 1980s. I loved Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Phil Thompson, Ray Clemence and Ian Rush. Now I want the same success."

Houllier's dismissal will not signal a complete overhaul of the coaching set-up. Phil Thompson has been made caretaker manager, and Parry is keen to maintain local and historical links at Melwood.

"Who in the backroom stays depends on who comes in," he said. "The new manager will have views on who they want to come in, but we would like to keep a Liverpool link. We don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Parry added: "I don't think anyone can say we have been unduly impatient with Gerard. Changing managers every couple of years does not work.

"We aren't going to be setting targets for the new manager by saying we need X by Y. We just want to make sure we are progressing in the right direction. But we have to be moving forwards rather than backwards."

MAY 25
Liverpool face most crucial summer

By Phil McNulty - BBC Sport Online

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.

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.

MAY 25
He understood the club and its passions

Stephen Kelly, the author who penned Gerard Houllier's biography,
delivers a unique insight into yesterday's news

A quiet man with dignity, pride and a genuine love, not only of Liverpool Football Club, but of the city itself. That's how we should remember Gerard Houllier.

Many were suspicious when he first arrived but Houllier won the respect of Scousers with his courage and determination following that life-threatening heart operation.

He understood the club and its passions and wanted to succeed as much as any diehard fan. It will hurt him to know that he was not able to deliver that ultimate success to Anfield.

It would be wrong for any of us to ever suggest that Liverpool have taken a backwards step under his stewardship.

On the contrary, Houllier dragged Liverpool into the 21st century, restructuring the playing side of the club with improved training facilities and a youth academy second to none. He also brought discipline and a new professionalism into the dressing room.

But while the club made progress behind the scenes, sadly it has not made the same progress on the field. Houllier rightly defended his players in public but you can't pull the wool over the eyes of the fans. They could see what was wrong.

The season before last was undoubtedly one of the most dour since the Second Division days and this last season has been little better.

It was perplexing that having arrived fresh from that famous French World Cup win he did not follow Wenger by turning to some of that squad. How Liverpool could have done with the likes of Gallas, Djorkaeff, Dugarry, Lizarazu and a few others. But all Liverpool signed was the injury-prone Diomede.

Instead, Houllier decided to risk his future in the next generation of players, bringing in youngsters like Kippe, Heskey, Vignal, Baros, Traore, Biscan, Diouf, Cheyrou, Diarra and others.

It was an admirable policy in many ways but, as we all know, players of potential don't always fulfil their promise.

Houllier perhaps became too paranoid with what the media and former players were writing about him and his beloved club.

But rather than ignoring them it began to gnaw away at him, culminating in that somewhat embarrassing press conference a week last Friday.

That was possibly the final straw for Parry and Moores.

And yet for all the criticism Liverpudlians will still hold fond memories of him. Who will ever forget that emotional night at Anfield when he returned to take over the reins again as Liverpool took on Roma.

Houllier has stood aside gracefully and with dignity and, who knows, maybe in a season or two, the likes of Steven Gerrard, Sinama Pongolle, Le Tallec and Diarra might be leading Liverpool to a genuine title challenge and then we'll look back and rightly say: "Merci Gerard".

Thor Zakariassen ©