Guus Hiddink looking for a job

Guus Hiddink closes in on embattled Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as former Chelsea coach admits he would jump at Kop job

By JOHN EDWARDS and MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 11:40 PM on 14th January 2010

Guus Hiddink has put himself in the frame to replace Rafa Benitez as Liverpool manager but will first seek the approval of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

The Dutchman, who was a huge success during a four-month spell at Chelsea last year, is set to leave his job as coach of Russia and has told friends he would relish the challenge at Anfield.

Hiddink’s menacing presence in the wings came as Benitez suffered the devastating blow of losing three vital players to injury — Fernando Torres for six weeks, Steven Gerrard for a fortnight and Yossi Benayoun for a month.

Benitez is likely to survive the season despite the humiliating FA Cup loss to Reading on Wednesday. The home defeat sparked fury among Liverpool fans, who flooded radio phone-ins and internet forums with demands that he be sacked.

Hiddink, 63 and a veteran of three World Cups, is still to thrash out the terms of his departure from Russia but sources close to him have revealed he is desperate for a second opportunity in the Barclays Premier League. He will consult Abramovich, who has stopped funding his £6.25million-a-year salary as Russia coach, before making up his mind.

Hiddink said: ‘I have to speak to the federation president before making any decision on my future, but it is true that I would like to coach in England again. After all the support I’ve received from Roman Abramovich I owe it to them to discuss anything with them first.’

Just when Benitez thought things could not get worse, he was buffeted by a torrent of bad news on the injury front. Torres was found to have torn a cartilage in his right knee in the opening minutes on Wednesday, and Gerrard strained a hamstring and will miss the away games with Stoke and Wolves and the Anfield clash with Tottenham next Wednesday.

Torres can add Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City to the catalogue of key Premier League fixtures he will have to sit out, and there was a further setback when it was revealed that Benayoun had cracked a rib.

Benitez’s reputation, so long defended on Merseyside, now seems irreparably damaged.

Ronnie Whelan, a key member of Liverpool’s midfield in the 1980s, issued a withering condemnation.

He said: ‘I think he should have gone a long time ago. The whole club is struggling — the owners, the club’s in debt, the players are not good enough, the manager’s not good enough. I don’t know where they go.’

Torres also added to the pressure on the club’s owners by saying: ‘This season should have been the turning point for us, the chance to do something great. It is now the owners’ turn. They have to sign players, so that this does not happen again.

‘If we want to compete with Manchester United and Chelsea, we need a much, much more complete squad,’ he says in an interview to be published in Four Four Two magazine.

‘We need more genuinely first-class players, and we also cannot let our best players go.’

Club insiders denied rumours of a bust-up between Benitez and Gerrard at half time against Reading. The skipper had complained of a twinge in his hamstring and a dispute is believed to have evolved with another member of staff.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1243361/Guus-Hiddink-closes-embattled-Liverpool-boss-Rafael-Benitez-Chelsea-coach-admits-jump-Kop-job.html?ITO=1490

I don't get it. Doesn't that sound like poaching? "Relishing the anfield Challenge......"

Torres is the only one in the article making sense.

Give some fans a minute and Guus will soon be the new cult-hero

Tough sh*t Goose Hiddink, Rafa is going no where!

'But who'd want to manage a club with all those constraints'?

"Wow it feels great to be here.. whats that? What do you mean no money? This is one of the most prestigious football clubs of all time you yank idiots.. cya!"

Anyone who needs to ask the permission of Chelsea's chairman doesn't come anywhere near my requirements of a Liverpool manager.

Anyone who needs to ask the permission of Chelsea's chairman doesn't come anywhere near my requirements of a Liverpool manager.

Thank Jesus nobody needs your permission then.

He did a cracking job getting Russia to the World Cup Finals.

Oh. Hang on a minute - the mighty Slovenia took their place.

Let me just check - this is the same Hiddink who finished behind Rafa's Liverpool last year.

Anyone who needs to ask the permission of Chelsea's chairman doesn't come anywhere near my requirements of a Liverpool manager.

Same thought. He should not have to, or want to do that, to be Liverpool boss. IF Rafa was to be sacked, then i wouldn't mind him coming in. But Rafa aint going no where, so doesn't matter.

Thank Jesus nobody needs your permission then.

Do you think its acceptable for him to ask a rival clubs boss permission then huh? Come on! It should be do you want to be Liverpool boss or not, nothing about asking a rival clubs owner if he can!

Thank Jesus nobody needs your permission then.

Maybe if he comes he can ask Roman what his team selection should be when we play them?

Or sell him Torres and Gerrard for 30 million?

Let's erm, get this article straight.

Hiddink says:

‘I have to speak to the federation president before making any decision on my future, but it is true that I would like to coach in England again. After all the support I’ve received from Roman Abramovich I owe it to them to discuss anything with them first.’

No mention of Liverpool then? Just an excuse to blag people's head and get hopes up of those fans who believe Rafa's days are over.

And since when did F***ing Jedward start writing for the Mail? Times must be bad.

Let's erm, get this article straight.

Hiddink says:

No mention of Liverpool then? Just an excuse to blag people's head and get hopes up of those fans who believe Rafa's days are over.

And since when did f**king Jedward start writing for the Mail? Times must be bad.

Ah, good man RK. Read into it better than I did

Exactly right, no mention of us from the man himself. Blatant media bullshit. I should start bringing articles like this into my Journalism class here and see what the instructor thinks, him being a long time member in the field here in the states. See what his opinion is.

No mention of Liverpool at all. Therefore topic title amended and moved to the General Football thread.

In fact I believe the original article was asked in relation to the Juventus job.

Extremely sloppy journalism from, surprisingly, the Daily Mail.

The word surprisingly was sarcastic.

I've just left a comment to the story saying.

Can you tell me where exactly he 'admits' he would jump at the Kop job? Sloppy sloppy 'journalism'.

This was actually in reference to the Juventus job.

Bet they don't publish it.  Feel free to leave your own comments. Link in first post.

Do you think its acceptable for him to ask a rival clubs boss permission then huh? Come on! It should be do you want to be Liverpool boss or not, nothing about asking a rival clubs owner if he can!

Just to clear this part up, if hypothetically speaking any of this all is true. To Hiddink Abramovich isn't just the owner of Chelsea, he's technically his current boss at Russia and has been for the past few years since he's been the one paying him for Russia. With 'them' he means Abramovich and the federation president like he says. All he's saying is that whatever he decides he wants to discuss it with 'them' first since he hasn't even discussed whether or not he'll continue to coach Russia, or at least no final decission has been made there.

From what I've gathered Guus does want to come back to England. However, I think he'll go to Chelsea, but more as a technical director, at least he has openly said on dutch tv that he's certainly open to that. Don't forget, he's getting old. Also with that in mind, he should never be more than an interim target for Liverpool, since he can't bring longterm stability. That said, I think most of us know that our coach isn't the problem at Liverpool. And this article is crap.

I think its almost a bargaining chip, he's been linked heavily with juve recently, but by saying other clubs might be interested then he can hike his fee.

I think its almost a bargaining chip, he's been linked heavily with juve recently, but by saying other clubs might be interested then he can hike his fee.

Really, then where did he say other clubs might be interested?

Anyone who needs to ask the permission of Chelsea's chairman doesn't come anywhere near my requirements of a Liverpool manager.

Well said mate.
I agree. That's a massive conflict of interest, and doesn't sit well for me.

I have been told by a friend who follows the Serie A closely that Juve want him very much. I also have read somewhere, that he wishes to retire from managing in 3 years so wherever he goes, it probably won't be a long term project.

If Rafa does get dumped, which I hope he doesn't, then you can do a lot worse than Guus.

I'll love that. Bt i still belive in rafa but the fact is he never seem to get anything right nw, i guess is best to try somebody else now. I believe hiddink is one of only two coaches who can replace benitez at the helm (daglish the other). What do u think mates?

Thread in general football forum mate, because unless you have a quote from Hiddink himself that actually says he wants to manage Liverpool, it isn't worth the Kop.

Just reading into that, i think he was referring to the Russia job when he mentions Abramovich? Not sure, just taking a punt because he never mentions us.

Abramovich was key in his Russia managerial career, so he might be saying that he wants out of Russia to coach in England but would like Abramovich' approval to leave his Russia post and move to England?

As i said, just taking a punt.

Not one direct quote from Hiddink saying he wants to manage Liverpool FC, just media bollocks trying to whip up more controversy and place more pressure on Benitez after the defeat against Reading. Complete tosh.

Just reading into that, I think he was referring to the Russia job when he mentions Abramovich? Not sure, just taking a punt because he never mentions us.

Abramovich was key in his Russia managerial career, so he might be saying that he wants out of Russia to coach in England but would like Abramovich' approval to leave his Russia post and move to England?

As I said, just taking a punt.

I didn't know Abramovich owned Russia.

The Daily Mail is such a sh*t rag. I can't pick up any of the national papers anymore.