SUNDAY 6
	Fowler talks up Tottenham boss for Liverpool job Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler feels Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is the man to replace Rafael Benitez at Anfield. Redknapp transformed Spurs from relegation candidates to Champions League qualifiers in the space of 18 months and Fowler believes he could have the same impact at Liverpool. Spurs also replaced Liverpool in the Champions League after breaking into the top four ahead of Manchester City. And Fowler said: "You want someone who has done well in the Premier League and knows how it works so you know, as a top man, why not Harry Redknapp? "He's done fantastic with Spurs and he would be a very good manager for Liverpool. "I'm not saying they'll go for him but he's done fantastic at all the clubs he's been at in the Premier League and so have Martin O'Neill and Roy Hodgson." (tribalfootball) Schwarzer fears Hodgson departure Mark Schwarzer admits he would not blame manager Roy Hodgson if he decides to quit Fulham and take charge of Liverpool this summer. Schwarzer wants Hodgson to stay at Craven Cottage after the "remarkable" job he has done in reviving Fulham's fortunes. He steered Fulham to their first ever European final in May before they were beaten by Atletico Madrid. But Hodgson has emerged as strong favourites with some bookmakers to replace Rafael Benitez ahead of Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill. And Australia goalkeeper Schwarzer would understand fully if Hodgson decides to make the move to Anfield - should his services be required by the Reds. Schwarzer said: "How important is it Hodgson stays at Fulham? It is massive. The gaffer is huge for Fulham. "He has done a remarkable job at the club during the past two and a half years. "I suppose in a lot of ways you can't blame the guy if an opportunity like this came along. "We hope he doesn't go, we hope he stays at Fulham, but we will have to wait and see what happens. "But I wouldn't blame him at all (if he decides to move), not at all. "It is Liverpool you are talking about, a huge club, who normally compete in the Champions League every season. "There are four or five such clubs in the country and there would be very few managers or players who would find it difficult to resist going to them." (TEAMtalk) Benitez set for Inter Milan talks Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is poised to hold talks with Champions League winners Inter Milan next week. Inter are looking for a new manager after Jose Mourinho, who also won Serie A and the Italian Cup last season, left to take over at Real Madrid. Benitez left Liverpool by mutual consent on Thursday after six years at the helm at Anfield. "That is the direction and in the next few days we will see and decide," said Inter president Massimo Moratti. (BBC Sport Online)  Houllier: Gerrard will thrive as skipper Gerard Houllier believes Steven Gerrard is the perfect choice to take over from the injured Rio Ferdinand as England captain at the World Cup. The former Liverpool manager insists the Reds midfielder thrives on responsibility and wearing the skipper's armband will increase his value to England. Houllier said: "I am pleased for Stevie. It is a good reward to be captain of England. He must be absolutely over the moon. "He is a winner and he will give an urge to drive them on all the time. He never gives up. He leads by example, giving a lot of mental and physical energy to himself and the team. "His game should be even better. He likes responsibility. He likes when people trust him. That is when he can surpass himself and deliver even more." Meanwhile, Houllier ruled himself out of returning to Anfield following the departure of Rafael Benitez but said he would be "delighted" if Liverpool chose bookmakers' favourite Roy Hodgson as their new boss. "Roy has done very well with an average team at Fulham...and he is used to coaching stars," said Houllier, who admitted he would like to return to the Premier League one day. "If the right opportunity arises, then yes." (TEAMtalk) Reports: Liverpool look to Lippi There are reports that Italy boss Marcello Lippi is Liverpool’s target to replace Rafa Benitez. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Lippi represents the kind of solidity and success rate that the new Anfield owners are looking for. (Football Italia)   Gerrard makes pledge to Prince New England skipper Steven Gerrard has assured Prince William the Three Lions will be ready to roar when their World Cup campaign begins against the United States next Saturday. Prince William spoke to the squad, who are still coming to terms with the loss of captain Rio Ferdinand to a knee injury, on Saturday via video-link to offer them best wishes ahead of the tournament. Yet optimism among Fabio Capello's squad is still high and Gerrard said: "We're very disappointed about Rio but by the time that first game comes around I'm sure the team will be fit and ready to win." He added: "We are really excited. We have been given a super training camp at which to prepare. The guys are working hard to make sure they are fit and ready." Capello also told Prince William that Gerrard would be Ferdinand's replacement as skipper, with the Liverpool star admitting he had mixed feelings about the situation given his joy has come at the central defender's expense. "It's fantastic for me to be able lead the country in the World Cup," said Gerrard. "But obviously I'd rather that Rio was here fit and available so it's mixed emotions at the minute." (Liverpool Daily Post) Gerrard faces decision day on Liverpool future It looks like Steven Gerrard is going to have another World Cup ruined. No sooner had the Liverpool captain spoken of his distress at being tapped up by Chelsea four years ago in Germany, and two years before that at the European Championship in Portugal, than events at Anfield took a turn to defy all his best efforts to put club matters out of his mind and concentrate on England for the duration of the tournament. When Gerrard said last month he was going to shut himself off totally from events on Merseyside, and had told all his family and friends that he did not wish to discuss any "club stuff" until he returned from South Africa, he could hardly have imagined that might involve turning his back on conversations with Kenny Dalglish. (Paul Wilson - The Observer)
	SATURDAY 5
	Tom Hicks and George Gillett are impeding the 'fresh start' Liverpool badly needs Even before the paperwork had been signed, the mobile phones of a number of senior figures at Liverpool had started to trill. As lawyers at Anfield were agreeing the final details of the £6 million severance package which would end Rafael Benítez’s six-year reign as manager, the vultures had started to circle. Each call brought notification from the agent of another manager eager to throw his hat into the ring as a contender to succeed the Spaniard, each conversation designed to help each client gain a crucial advantage in the race for the most high-profile job likely to come on the domestic market this summer. To those conducting the search – Christian Purslow, the club’s managing director, and Kenny Dalglish, the Academy ambassador whose name still echoes from the Kop — such enthusiasm, such interest even before the die was cast is evidence that Liverpool remains the sort of job no ambitious, self-confident manager can turn down. (Rory Smith - Telegraph.co.uk)  Dalglish the perfect man to lead Liverpool's search for new manager Liverpool could not have chosen a better person to scout the next Liverpool manager than Kenny Dalglish. Those who claim he has been out of the game too long ignore that this is a man obsessed with football, who watches countless televised matches and was a fixture in the Anfield directors' box last season. Doing what is best for Liverpool comes as naturally to Dalglish as breathing. Having played under three giants of the dugout in Jock Stein, Bob Paisley and Alex Ferguson, Dalglish knows the art and science of management. (Henry Winter - Telegraph.co.uk)   Relief for Skrtel and Slovakia Martin Skrtel is relieved after learning an ankle injury he suffered in Slovakia's 3-0 win over Costa Rica will not keep him out of the World Cup. The Liverpool defender limped out of Saturday's friendly in Bratislava after only 16 minutes and was then taken to hospital for scans. But Skrtel has been told he needs only a few days' rest before he returns. "It is not too bad, it is just a gash," Skrtel told the Slovakian Football Association's website. "I think that in a few days it will be okay." And Skrtel was also encouraged by his team-mates' efforts as they brushed Costa Rica aside. "I saw the second half," he added. "I think we will have delighted the fans. We wanted to win this match to put ourselves in a good place before the World Cup. We managed that. "Perhaps the only negative is my injury, because to go off after quarter of an hour is not nice." Skrtel suffered an injury-plagued season and was only making his second appearance since breaking a metatarsal in February. Slovakia won thanks to an own goal from Douglas Esteban Solano Sequeira and further strikes from Robert Vittek and Stanislav Sestak after the break. (TEAMtalk) Masch future in doubt Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has admitted his future is in doubt following the departure of Rafa Benitez from Anfield. "Would I follow Benitez? I don't know," he said, with a shrug. "At the moment I really know little about my future. "But of course with Benitez at Liverpool I experienced three incredible years. His football is my football." (Sky Sports)  Hiddink unlikely to join Liverpool as manager New Turkey boss Guus Hiddink is unlikely to become Liverpool's next manager, according to the Dutchman's agent, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen. Liverpool are searching for a new boss after Rafael Benitez's exit on Thursday with former boss Kenny Dalglish charged with finding his replacement. "Guus has shown over the years that he is loyal to agreements that he signed," van Nieuwenhuizen told BBC Sport. "There is no reason today why he would change such behaviour." (BBC Sport Online)  Report: Reds plan Redknapp swoop Liverpool are planning a shock move for Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, Sky Sports sources understand. The Anfield outfit are searching for a new man at the helm after Rafa Benitez's six-year reign was brought to an end by mutual consent on Thursday. And Spurs boss Redknapp has emerged as a leading contender for the Reds hierarchy as they aim to bring stability back to Merseyside. Redknapp has only one year remaining on his current contract at White Hart Lane and talks over a new deal are yet to take place. (Sky Sports)   Benitez to Inter within 48 hours? There are reports Inter could appoint Rafa Benitez within 48 hours, sparking transfer bids for Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt. Benitez is now free to engage in negotiations after accepting an early termination by mutual consent with the new Anfield owners. The Italian media are confident the Spaniard will pen a new deal with Inter within the next 48 hours, as President Massimo Moratti has given the all-clear. (Football Italia)  Striker deal still on Liverpool are still set to sign Milan Jovanovic. Rafael Benitez had agreed a deal to bring the Serbian international to Anfield once his contract with Standard Liege expired this Summer. Despite Benitez leaving Liverpool this week, the transfer will still go ahead once Jovanovic gets his work permit. (LFC Online) Eriksson reveals dream to manage Reds Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed he grew up supporting Liverpool and has a "dream" to manage the Premier League side. The Swede was shocked Rafael Benitez left the club but he hopes to be in contention to take over at Anfield once his short stint in charge of the Ivory Coast comes to an end after the World Cup. Eriksson told The Sun: "I have been a Liverpool fan all of my life. I never mentioned it when I was in charge of England because I didn't think it was fair. "I was shocked when I discovered Rafa Benitez had left. Would I want to be the manager of Liverpool? It is every manager's dream to manage Liverpool." (TEAMtalk)  Liverpool FC must now show Gerrard and Torres proof of their ambition So where do Liverpool go from here? Perhaps, more importantly, where do the club’s players go? While Rafael Benitez’s departure will at least remove one sizeable thorn from the sides of owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool are far from out of the woods. Now ponder the unthinkable prospect of either Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres following Benitez out of the door this summer. What are the chances of their absences going unnoticed for too long? (David Randles - Liverpool Echo)  Barnes says Liverpool should sell Torres, Gerrard Liverpool icon John Barnes says the club should sell Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres if they're unsettled. Anfield legend Barnes says anyone who wants to go should be allowed to - even if it means losing one of the Kop idols. Barnes said: "Liverpool don't want Gerrard and Torres to go - but if they don't want to be there, let them move on. "The fans would have to understand that and still get behind the club. "Any player who doesn't want to be at Liverpool should go... no matter who they are." (tribalfootball.com) Capello refuses to dismiss Dalglish visit Fabio Capello has not ruled out the possibility of Kenny Dalglish heading to England's World Cup camp in Rustenburg to speak with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher about the vacant Liverpool job. Instinctively, it is something the England boss would shy away from, given the Three Lions have now commenced the build-up to their Group C opener against the United States on June 12. But he understands why Reds ambassador Dalglish might want to speak with the Anfield outfit's most influential players following Thursday's departure of Rafael Benitez. It remains highly unlikely Dalglish will commit to such an intrusion. However, it is not a prospect Capello has dismissed completely. "We have to decide about this and what happens, yes or no," said the England coach. "First of all, he (Dalglish) would have to ask me. After that, I would speak with the players." With Gerrard taking over as captain from the injured Rio Ferdinand, the Italian is confident one of his remaining star men will not be affected. "Stevie is okay," said Capello. "He has his telephone and the media are here. "I know that Liverpool have changed their manager but I don't think it can disturb him. "It is another thing. We are focused on the World Cup, not club problems. "We are focused on training every day and that's it. We have other problems without thinking about this one." (Press Association)
	FRIDAY 4
	Gerrard gets England captaincy Steven Gerrard will take over the captain's armband for England. Rio Ferdinand is on his way home after picking up an injury in training and will be replaced by Michael Dawson. (LFC Online) Kenny Dalglish's return to Liverpool signifies a reassertion of Boot Room values The return to the Anfield frontline of Kenny Dalglish is the instinctive response of a club seeking a return to traditional values. In a sense it represents the end of the cultural flirtation with continental methods and the reassertion of the Boot Room. It is not that the foreign model has exhausted its appeal per se, only that it is no longer de rigeur, no longer the default option. The burning of the Stars and Stripes at the gates of Anfield more obviously demonstrates the Kop’s disaffection with the club’s debt-ridden American ownership. It can be seen also as an attempt to reclaim its identity. (Kevin Garside - Telegraph.co.uk)  Benitez loses out in Anfield’s civil war In the end, it was the one fight Rafael Benitez couldn't win. The Spaniard's rollercoaster reign at Liverpool, from the highs of Istanbul to the lows of the recent failure to qualify for the Champions League, drew to an inevitable close yesterday. But don't be fooled by talk of the 50-year-old leaving “by mutual consent”, as was the official line from Anfield. By all intents and purposes, Benitez was sacked – pushed out by a board that either couldn't or wouldn't give him the assurances he needed to move the club forward. Similar to Liverpool supporters no longer trusting George Gillett and Tom Hicks, so the American owners – guided by managing director Christian Purslow – no longer trusted the Spaniard. (Liverpool Daily Post)  Grobbelaar: Reds should pick Dalglish Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has been backed to succeed Rafael Benitez as manager by former Reds goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Grobbelaar believes Dalglish could be the stabilising influence Liverpool now require. "I think there is only one man for the job and that is Kenny Dalglish," Grobbelaar told BBC Radio Five Live. (TEAMtalk) Alan Hansen: It will take years to rebuild Liverpool Alan Hansen has warned the new Liverpool manager faces years of rebuilding following Rafael Benitez's departure. Writing in his column in the Daily Telegraph, Hansen said: "I would imagine that the board will have a good idea who they want to bring in, but I don't have a preference, other than wanting somebody who will buy well and who will take the job under no illusions about the challenge he faces." (London Evening Standard)   Is Liverpool FC manager’s job a cherished title or a poisoned chalice? The Liverpool manager’s job used to be passed down like a cherished family heirloom. Shankly, to Paisley. Paisley to Fagan. Fagan to Dalglish. Even when Dalglish’s departure took the club by surprise in 1991, there was still a trusted family member ready to step into the breach in the shape of Graeme Souness. And Roy Evans’ accession after Souness’ failed regime simply restored the promotion from within policy. Even when Gerard Houllier departed it was a sacking conducted with class and dignity. The Frenchman posed for pictures on the Anfield pitch before speaking with as much pride as pathos about his exit. That family feel changed when the Reds looked abroad to appoint a manager in 2004. And six years on the Liverpool manager’s job is now treated with all the reverence of a tatty old hand-me-down. (David Prentice - Liverpool Echo) Alonso hopes for Gerrard reunion Xabi Alonso would be delighted to see former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard join him at Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho, who attempted to prise Gerrard away from Anfield during his time at Chelsea, has hinted that he could be interested in the England midfielder and the Spanish press reported on Friday that a €30 million bid is in the offing. Alonso says he still holds his former club in high regard but suggested he would relish the chance to play alongside the Liverpool captain once more. "We will see what happens," he said. "Steven is a legend at Liverpool and I have a lot of respect for Liverpool's fans and also the club, but it is clear that he's an awesome player. He has incredible quality." (Soccernet) McLeish vows to stay at St Andrew's Liverpool-linked manager Alex McLeish insists he is committed to remaining at Birmingham after holding talks over a new contract. The Blues manager is adamant he will not walk away from the club after persuading the likes of Serbian striker Nikola Zigic and former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster to join his ranks. Birmingham City vice-chairman Peter Pannu added: "I have touched base with Alex's representatives. "We have had initial talks and we will talk again." Regarding the Liverpool speculation, Pannu said: "I don't respond to idle gossip or rumour. "If any club approached us for our manager, I would deal with it then - and no club has." (TEAMtalk) Reina pays tribute to departing Benitez Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has confirmed his intention to stay at Anfield even after Rafa Benitez's departure from the club was confirmed on Thursday. The 27-year-old has made more than 250 appearances for the Reds after joining the club from Villarreal five years ago. 12 months after Benitez was appointed Liverpool manager. Reina recently signed a new long-term contract with the club and said after playing for Spain in a friendly international against South Korea: "It's a sad moment for Liverpool, for Rafa Benitez and for the players who have been with him. "He was a very important person for the club for six years. Liverpool grew with him and Rafa also grew thanks to Liverpool. "I hope that this crisis passes. That a person so important for the club as Rafa Benitez has left is news that you never would have expected and that you never would have believed. "But this changes nothing. I still have a six-year contract with Liverpool." (Sport.co.uk) Ex-Liverpool midfielder: It was Gerrard or Benitez Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes it was either Rafael Benitez or Steven Gerrard who would have left the club this summer. After Benitez’s tenure at the club was ended late this week, Redknapp chimed in with his view that if the Spanish tactician were to remain in charge at Anfield, captain Gerrard was more of a chance of departing the club and he has made his feeling on the issue very clear. “It’s a decision that’s taken a lot of people by surprise, but they had to act, and they had to act quickly. For me, it’s the right decision,” Redknapp, a close friend of Gerrard’s, said. “And when you get a situation where there’s talk of Gerrard going to Real Madrid because he’s not happy with the manager – if it’s then a choice between keeping Benitez or Gerrard – then it has to be Gerrard every time. “He’s vital to everything Liverpool hope to achieve in the future.” (tribalfootball) Report: Barcelona consider move for Torres Barcelona are reportedly are weighing up the merits of a move for Liverpool hot-shot Fernando Torres. The Spain international's future at Anfield looks to be the subject of much speculation after seeing compatriot Rafael Benitez depart the club yesterday following a disappointing season at the helm of the Reds. (Goal.com)   Thor Zakariassen ©