After a fair amount of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what might stick, the very first interview with an actual football manager could be on the cards this week. A source close to the club tells me that so far, Levy & Co have failed to make it past reception with any of their alleged shortlist. They’ve interviewed nobody.
What would Rafa bring? He does what it says on the box, and if we look beyond his famous spell at Liverpool it might be useful to ponder the 3 years he put in at Newcastle, prior to heading off to China for the big bucks.
This would be an oil upon the water type deal in practical terms and would sit well with sponsors and other commercial partners.
Rafa has settled home in Wallasey up on Merseyside and when I lived close by to that area, his wife was at that time very well thought of by locals and was known to work in a local charity shop.
Well, he did sign Bale on loan against the managers wishes…..😏😆
Well, hoping for divine intervention….along with Dele Alli rediscovering his form of 4+ years ago, there by adding value to the team & saving Levy 30-40 million in transfer fees…. 😏
Luis Campos is free but we have Sunday League Steve.
Please not Southgate.
We aren’t the big draw for the best out there. Rafa may be all we can get. Not sure he’s much different to Jose. Just less successful but a little more pragmatic.
Well, well, well…
Rafa’s first love is Liverpool and will always be, so not sure about him coming here and having the heart for it.
I take it that’s sarcasm?!
Correct.
In reckon Ray Purchase is a shoe-in…
Levy; “Ok, can you polish turds and achieve things we aren’t willing to finance?”
Interviewee; “Yeah, I reckon so. The squad is already quality, you won’t have to spend much at all…”
Levy; Great… Start Monday?”
No danger of that, Levy doesn’t have a strategy.
‘Yes I can hear you, ClemFandango’ 👍
As long as Steve Hitchen remains “technical director”, nobody will get anywhere. Levy is, of course, a big part of the problem but it’s Hitchen who is generally the one meant to be in charge of scouting for new talent.
If we actually had someome competent in the role then it might not matter than we sign cheap punts, if they’ve been properly scouted by someone who understands the game then they might work out.
Anyway, with the amount of managerial “talent” available at the moment, I wouldn’t have a huge problem with Rafa.
But then I just pray it isn’t Southgate. Levy would wet himself over that one. “It underlines our standing as a big club that the england manager himself would want to help us achieve our goals”.
The press release pretty much writes itself.
Rafa strikes me as a man of integrity and good character which makes me think that he won’t work with Levy whose reputation for deal scuppering and parsimony are legendary in the game.
I can’t stand Steve G. As you say, if the ‘Pool or the national job came up, he’d be gone. Personally, I’m not too bothered how long a manager stays, as long as he gets us a trophy & makes us more attractive to other managers.
I’m sorry but no, if Jose was yesterday’s man then Rafa was a person he bumped into 2 weeks earlier. One of footballs good guys but I think the PL has moved on . He did a great job at Sid James Park despite the stick he got but there are many better options out there. I like Allegri but just think
that if we were going to approach him it would’ve happened by now. Therefore for me a risky one but worth a punt, Stevie G, biggest risk is if Liverpool come calling a few years down the line.
As long as Levy is there he will interfere. Therein lies the problem.
I dont really care who comes in as long as Levy doesn’t interfere with the player recruitment strategy…
Could do worse than RB. Give him a 3 year contract & then see where young upstarts like Scott Parker are in the game. Whoever Danny Boy decides to take on, he’ll get tremendous stick for it. Hopefully we won’t see scumbags breaking in & rampaging around our ground under the disguise of a protest.