Reasons for and against…taking the Liverpool job

The Premier League Owl

So it seems that being manager at Liverpool isn’t quite as alluring an offer as it once was, with reports that Brendan Rodgers and Frank de Boer having turned down the chance to interview with John Henry.

So – usual format – the pluses and minuses of the job…

For…

Regardless of where they finished last season, this is still Liverpool, and still one of the most storied clubs in football. Kenny Dalglish hasn’t left a squad in disrepair, just one that requires a bit more luck and bit of a tweak in a few crucial positions.

The talent pool at Liverpool is still to be envied. In Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Jose Reina, and Martin Skrtel, the club have a very solid spine, and one that wouldn’t be out of place in the Top 6.

If a new manager wants to generate funds for a rebuild, then several players have a genuine resale value. Admittedly, losses may be incurred, but Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson, Stewart Downing, and Charlie Adam would all interest other clubs if they were deemed surplus to requirements.

Alberto Aquilani is returning. English fans have a false impression of the Italian midfielder, and understandably so, he’s never come close to his best in the Premier League. That being said, he’s been a victim of circumstance in the sense that none of the managers that he’s played under have allowed him the opportunity to flourish in his natural role. As the conduit between Steven Gerrard and Lucas, Aquilani could surely be of value. Or at least more so than Jordan Henderson.

Against…

Liverpool’s decline has been poorly-timed, because it’s coincided with drastic improvements in teams who have traditionally been their inferior. Newcastle, Tottenham, and obviously Manchester City have all progressed, and so not only do the Merseysiders have to reel those teams back in, but they’ve lost considerable ground on more traditional rivals like Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

John Henry has had his fingers burnt by Kenny Dalglish’s spending. As a result, there has to at least be a question mark over the extent to which he would back a new manager in the transfer market. Yes, as mentioned, there’s value in selling-off parts of the existing squad, but it’s hard to see how that will cover the full-cost of remodelling this squad.

Somewhere along the line, FSG also have to commit some funding to the long-promised new stadium. Whether the fans like or not, a project of that size will always trump squad improvement for importance – hence a situation could exist where some of the bigger names in this team have to be cashed-in.

Anybody thinking of applying for the job will surely have noticed the boom-bust effect Liverpool can have on a career. This is a club, it seems, where you either succeed or fail – there’s no middle-ground. Roy Hodgson will attest that, should things go badly for you, Anfield is not a very enjoyable place to be.

Liverpool as a proposition are in an awkward place. The club’s current standing domestically makes them unappealing to the elite names in European management, yet their reputation and history probably makes them too much of a step-up for developing managers and those still carving out a reputation for themselves.

This is a long-term job, because it could be as much as five years before Liverpool are even close to challenging at the top of the league again. Financial Fair Play will help them to an extent, because it will prevent their more monied rivals from stretching the talent gap that currently exists, but regardless, anyone wanting the manager’s seat at Anfield has to be prepared to commit themselves for the long-haul.

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