King Kenny to be the LFC king maker

The following story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club:

Kenny Dalglish will become the king maker who decides the identity of Liverpool's next manager.

King Kenny, still idolised by the Kop, has been asked by the Anfield board to draw up a shortlist of names to succeed Rafa Benitez, who - as was exclusively revealed by the Mirror - departed yesterday.

And Dalglish, who is the greatest living hero the club has produced, will spend the next month alongside MD Christian Purslow assessing available managers before recommending the stand-out candidate to the Reds board.

Already, Roy Hodgson has emerged as one of the names at the head of the shortlist, as an experienced manager who possesses all the right credentials to take the massive job at Anfield.

And Louis van Gaal is another sure to be examined closely by Dalglish, who is perfectly qualified as a former manager, player and now ambassador of the club to define who is best suited to the role.

Senior sources at the club have suggested that Dalglish and Purslow will look for six key qualities in their new manager, before making the final decision.

They have indicated that no interim boss will be appointed, but instead, current assistant manager Sammy Lee will hold the fort until a permanent replacement is appointed, probably at the end of June.

The new boss, who will be offered a long-term contract even though the club is likely to get new owners within the next 12-24 months, must display the following criteria:

He must be - experienced; established; calm and stable; understand European football; statesmanlike... and have proven ability to work under stressful conditions.

That immediately marks Hodgson out as a viable candidate and clear front-runner. Not only does he have vast experience both in the Premier League and in European football with clubs like Inter Milan, he also has extensive international management knowledge.

Several well-known managers have already expressed interest in the job, but Hodgson has proven consistently he can work in difficult environments and appease both players and fans.

He did an impressive rebuilding job at Inter in the mid-90s on a restricted budget and, crucially, has always produced good footballing teams, even under restricted financial circumstances.

Liverpool fans have long suffered negative football under both Benitez and predecessor Gerard Houllier, and after 12 years of caution, they would welcome someone who plays the game in the right way.

Van Gaal also fits that bill perfectly, and his credentials in steering Bayern Munich to the Champions League final make him a stand-out candidate, but the question remains whether he would move from Germany at this time.

Whilst the pair are front-runners, Liverpool insist Dalglish will consider other contenders, with Benfica's talented boss Jorge Jesus and Zenit St Petersburg's highly-rated Italian Luciano Spalletti also on the list, along with Dutchman Frank Rijkaard, and Martin O'Neill of Aston Villa, who also has his admirers within Anfield.

Daglish himself should not be ruled out entirely as a candidate. If he cannot find a suitable successor to Benitez then he has already indicated he is prepared to take responsibility on a short-term basis.

But Liverpool believe that will not be necessary. They will offer an immediate input of funds of around £15million to bring in new players, plus the chance to sell fringe players and deadwood to boost that kitty even further... which could easily more than double the final transfer spend.

Benitez himself will walk away with a graduated £6million pay-off that could rise even further should he remain unemployed for any length of time, after he concluded negotiations over his settlement after being sacked.

Speaking yesterday, the Spanish coach said from his holiday home in Sardinia: "It is very sad for me that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC. I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts.

"I'll always keep in my heart the good times I've had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool."

This  story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.