Liverpool fan asks Barack Obama to help in manager search
A Liverpool fan has taken extreme measures to influence owner FSG’s choice of new manager – by appealing to US president Barack Obama to step in and help get Rafa Benitez appointed.
The bizarre plea was made over social networking website Twitter as a minority of Liverpool fans demanded input into the managerial decision.
The tongue-in-cheek Tweet read: “Any chance of a RT (retweet) to show your support for Rafa Benitez being given the Liverpool job?”
Ex-manager Rafa Benitez, who won a European Champions League trophy in his first season at the club, is a popular choice with some fans. However Portuguese Andre Villas Boas has been strongly linked with the role.
Other managers in the frame include Louis Van Gaal and ex-England manager Fabio Capello, while Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has been given permission to speak to the club.
The search for the manager – which has been going on for little over a week since Kenny Dalglish was sacked – has seen fan’s group Spirit of Shankly describe the club as being in ‘disarray’.
In a strongly-worded statement, the group has asked the owners to consult fans on the managerial changes and blasting the club’s decision to tweet a message to fans asking who they would like as the club’s new manager – a tweet that was subsequently explained as a conversation generator and not a plea for help.
The Spirit of Shankly statement said: “At a time when a clear message is needed, it is somewhat embarrassing for supporters and the football club to see Twitter messages on who supporters think should be the next manager.
“We ask that you speak with supporters – engage with a true representative cross section of supporters and work with supporters to provide solutions to our current problems.”
However, the group has faced a backlash from other fans, one of whom said: “Spirit of Shankley – the owners are looking for a new manager what do use want? Them to make public every move they make?
“Spirit of Shankly do not represent every Liverpool fan, f****** pipe down and let the owners to their job.”
Category: Liverpool FC, News
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This is ridiculous!!!
Spirit of Shankly does not represent liverpool fc neither LFC fans majority, please understand that!!, there’s a few followers of Spirit of Shankly union (SOS) and they think represents all of us.
As one man says:
NESV have taken control of numerous teams in several different sports “Baseball” “Basketball” “NASCAR” “ICE HOCKEY” run sporting websites and massive media empire. They have stripped the club of the management, good – it hasn’t worked in the last 20 years bringing us a title. They are positive with their actions making bold moves, but not without due diligence. If any of you think they have come into these sackings and management change lightly think again. They do nothing without a fully energised and thought out plan. Every sporting venture they are involved in has got to the top and much more successful than before. For one having read and understood the FSG background and mentality I have complete faith in the decisions and employment of new manager who ever it is….Yes that includes Martinez. They will get it right LFC supporters just need to have failth in their management and stop condeming there actions when lets face it, if we were that good, we would be billionaires and owning clubs ourselves….
so… spirit of shankly shut up and support your team, stop doing ridiculous things in the name of LFC
Well said Ash!
SOS needs to focus on inreasing the volume of support for the team, particularly at home, rather than promoting any management candidate. A poor one at that! IRWT my A**e!
SOS does not represent me or my views as a support for over 40 years and a season ticket holder for nearly 30 years.
Get real!
I agree.
SOS think they are important. And the union analogy is spot on… Busy bas#ards…. Stop making the rest of the world laugh at our fans…
If people don’t want to manage Liverpool it might have to do with this sort of “fan” pressure and constant threat of a protest, should SOS not get what they demand.
Pipe down SOS
I guess a lot of people don’t remember the end of rafa’s management. I remember thinking he was starting to lose his mind starting weird lineups and leaving key players out. I was waiting and waiting for him to get thd boot. Was happy when he left and not surprised at all at his failure with Inter. He was good while he was still sane, but his mind is gone. Please- no rafa or AVB.
Not so long ago, these same clowns were virtually praying and pleading for someone to rescue the club from the brink of bankruptcy – and only months down the road, they have turned arrogant and tried to publicly bully and embarrass the guys who saved us. Also, I think LIverpool fans should stop this plea/demand for Rafa to return – he’s the past, had his chance over a reasonably extended period of time, and achieved one Champion’s league trophy, which we are all grateful for, but must be big enough to admit was down more to destiny over a vastly superior Milan team. Let’s have some guts and trust the management to explore and get us a manager that has more potential for positive football, than can Rafa, whole negative football reflected more his adamance for players to carry out his every detailed instructions on the pitch rather than express themselves more freely. No wonder, young Dutch, French, etc players who came in with strong skills and big potential never had a chance to blossom under Rafa. He stifled and suffocated their potential and talents rather than encourage and nurture them. No more of that drab football and scrapping for bits no higher than 4th place, please. Never mind if someone like Martinez fails eventually, at least we would have known that we tried and aimed for something more interesting, exciting and altogether Liverpool like.
SOS dont represent all LFC fans but they are fans nonetheless like you and I. I don’t support SOS and think some of their actions are wrong but lets not start to fight within outselves.
IMO Rafa still has a lot to give at liverpool. He wasn’t backed for his last 2 years at Anfield and its amazing we actually nearly won the league 3 season ago. If it was a choice between an unknown like martinez or Rafa I’d take Rafa, were not going to get a much better manager not being in the CL. One season out of six did he fail to qualify for the CL everyone seems to think we were out of it every season under his reign.
I agree that we should not have in fighting. I am not sure if I am being called a clown if I am it is an insult: so in reply. The demise of the former regime was down to Martin Broughton, Ian Ayres and Christian Purslow whether you like it or not and thank god and nothing to do with Benitez or SOS and it was a down fall I fully supported.
FSG appear to be a different prospect altogether than H&G. They should be left to manage the club, if they mess it up then we as supporters can complain but they have earned the right to to make that error.
To continually believe that Benitez would do any better than his previous stint as manager is frankly deluded and now very boring, let us move on!
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What manager would have done better in the 6 year stint he managed Liverpool? You seem to be able to predict that he would do no better even under a more secure regime however i dont think many managers if any would have done better than Rafa in the years he was at Liverpool.
Houllier managed to get us 4th in the league, the triple in 2001 was distant memory at the time and just committed the club to paying 16m for cisse. Rafa won the CL in his first season. Rafa won the FA cup in his second season closing the gap between us and man u/chelsea and finished 3rd. We got to the CL final in his third season and finished 4th, we then finished 3rd and then second recording our highest points total in the PL and close to winning it.
We then had court case/ internal fighting etc and finished 7th. H&G were then removed and we have finished 8th in the last two seasons.
What manager in that 6 year stint would have done better under the circumstances and rememebr we haven’t won the league for over 20 years now.
TEKKERS