Who are the contenders to take over at Liverpool? All the runners and riders rated

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 11:57 08/01/11

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Roy Hodgson has finally been put out of his misery by the new Liverpool owners after a disastrous spell in charge of the club.

The club have announced that Kenny Dalglish will take charge for Sunday's FA Cup tie against Manchester United and for the rest of the season. But will the Kop legend get the job full-time? Or will John W Henry and co bring in a new man?

MirrorFootball gives you the lowdown on the runners and riders for the Anfield hot-seat.

1) Kenny Dalglish
Current club: Liverpool - Caretaker manager

A hero at Anfield after a stellar career with the club that saw him pick up a stack of medals as both player and manager. Also the last manager to win the league for Liverpool and he is already on the payroll.

Wanted the job in the summer but was overlooked in favour of Hodgson. Has now taken charge, apparently for the rest of the season, although it is understood the new owners do not see him as the long-term solution as he has been out of management for 10 years.

Certainly the fan's choice, but will have to go on a stellar run between now and the end of the season to have a chance of the job permanently.

2) Ralf Rangnick
Current club: Unemployed

Known as the 'football professor' after he appeared on German TV when still a second division coach to explain tactics using a blackboard, the former Stuttgart boss has also been described as a 'German Arsene Wenger' because of his approach to building up a club with an emphasis on youth rather than simply buying established stars.

The 52-year-old has also bossed Hannover and Schalke but his major managerial success came at Hoffenheim. He joined the club in 2006 when they were in the third division but immediately led the side to back-to-back promotions to take them to the Bundesliga. In their first season in the top flight they were top at Christmas, but eventually finished 11th. He is available now after resigning last week when a player was sold without his knowledge, and is interested in the job.

His agent Oliver Mintzlaff said this week: "Ralf Rangnick is very interested in the Premier League and Liverpool is certainly a very interesting club with a great tradition."

Rangnick speaks fluent English after studying in England in his 20s, when he played for Sussex non-league side Southwick FC. But his lack of experience in the Europe's top three leagues is bound to count against him.

3) Jurgen Klopp
Current club: Borussia Dortmund

After a career as a striker for second division Mainz, he took over as manager after hanging up his boots in 2001 and took them into the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2004. Klopp left in 2008 after Mainz were relegated and failed to win immediate promotion back to the top flight.

He joined Dortmund and has led them back into title contention, with the club 10 points clear at the top of the table and looking good for their first league title since 2002 while playing attractive, high tempo football.

Would also be attractive as he has developed a young squad with an average age of just 23, many of whom are set to be the next wave of German internationals. Defender Mats Hummels, 21, Marcel Schmelzer, 22 and midfielders Kevin Großkreutz, 22, and Mario Götze, 18, have all been called up for Germany's friendly against Sweden next week.

Klopp speaks fluent English but the 43-year-old would be unlikely to leave Dortmund when they're on the verge of title glory, although might be persuaded to switch in the summer.

4) Andre Villas Boas
Current club: Porto

Despite their niggly history together, many Liverpool fans would love to see Jose Mourinho take charge at Anfield. But as he's currently doing his star turn at Real Madrid they could do worse than go for a man moulded in the Special One's image and who used to be his assistant.

Villas has followed a very similar career path to his mentor - he never played professional football and started out in the game under the guidance of Bobby Robson, at Porto in the mid 1990s. After a short stint as the British Virgin Islands' national coach when he was just 21, he joined Mourinho's backroom staff back at Porto, and followed him to both Chelsea and Inter Milan, where Jose described him as his "eyes and ears".

His Porto team are now top of the league and are unbeaten in 36 games, which actually breaks Mourinho's 33-match record.

A fluent English speaker, Villas is only 33 but new Liverpool owners NESV are not afraid of going with youth - Theo Epstein was just 28 when they appointed him as general manager of baseball's Boston Red Sox in 2002.

5) Owen Coyle
Current club: Bolton Wanderers

The former St Johnstone boss has impressed since moving south, getting Burnley promoted to the Premier League on meagre resources before switching to local rivals Bolton, who he has taken to seventh in the league this season, transforming their style of play in the process.

Certainly knows what's needed in the Premier League but lacks experience at a big club, and has never really had a budget to work with, so is unproven in handling major transfer deals.

6) Manuel Pellegrini
Current club: Malaga

Former Real Madrid boss Pellegrini was interviewed for the Anfield job in the summer, but lost out to Hodgson.

Has won trophies in South America, including in his native Chile and Argentina, before five successful years at Villarreal won him a shot at the big time with Real. Despite bringing in Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Pellegrini was unable to lead the club to any trophy success as they finished second in La Liga to Barcelona and were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16.

Is only two months into a five-year contract at Malaga and that potless spell at Real has probably damaged his chances of being seen as a really top-class manager.

7) Didier Deschamps
Current club: Marseille

The Frenchman was the club's top choice to take over from Rafa Benitez in the summer but turned it down, and it appears he doesn't want the job now either after insisting he wants to see out his contract at Marseille.

Highly decorated as a player, Deschamps won titles in France and Italy and the World Cup and Euro 2000 with France before coming to England to help Chelsea win the FA Cup in 2000.

As a manager, he led Monaco to the Champions League Final (where they lost to Mourinho's Porto), before leaving for Italy, where he got Juventus promoted back to Serie A after their demotion following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.

In 2009, he took over at Marseille and in his debut season guided them to their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years.

8) Frank Rijkaard
Current club: Unemployed

After a stellar playing career, the former Ajax, Milan and Holland star went on to coach his country to the semi-finals at Euro 2000 before taking over at Barcelona, where he restored the club to its former glories, transforming them from mid-table underachievers to an exciting, attacking team that won La Liga and the Champions League.

A year in charge of Galatasaray was less successful and Rudi Voller's old friend left the club in October after a run of poor results. He was immediately made the bookies' favourite to take Hodgson's job at Liverpool.

9) Martin O'Neill
Current club: Unemployed

The former Leicester, Celtic and Aston Villa boss is linked with the Liverpool post every time it becomes vacant, or he is out of work.

Had success with the Foxes and in Glasgow, and led Villa to three consecutive sixth-place finishes in the Premier League before quitting just days before the current season started.

O'Neill is known to demand control over all areas of the club including transfers and player contracts, so may not be keen to work with Liverpool's new Director of Football Strategy, Damien Comolli.

10) Rafa Benitez
Current club: Unemployed

He couldn't. Could he...?

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