Liverpool put Pep Guardiola at top of wish-list for new manager

? Wigan give Roberto Martínez permission to talk to Liverpool
? Fabio Capello and André Villas-Boas also under consideration

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Andy Hunter
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 May 2012 22.51 BST

pep guardiola
The outgoing Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, is at the top of Liverpool's list as the club searches for a new manager. Photograph: Juan Ferreras/EPA

Liverpool have wasted little time in the search for Kenny Dalglish's successor by drawing up a wish-list headed by Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello, and have already approached Roberto Martínez at Wigan Athletic, Swansea City's Brendan Rodgers and André Villas-Boas within 24 hours of bringing the Anfield legend's reign to an end.

Fenway Sports Group, the club's owners, received permission to hold talks with Martínez from the Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, as their wide-ranging approach to identifying Liverpool's next manager became apparent a day after Dalglish's exit. Unlike Whelan, Swansea have not cleared the way for Rodgers to meet Liverpool as yet but are expected to do so. Villas?Boas is also in the frame for the Liverpool job but John W Henry and Tom Werner, the principal owner and the chairman at Anfield respectively, intend to assess several candidates as they finalise a shortlist. Martínez, Rodgers and Villas?Boas are by no means the only coaches under consideration. The ideal candidates are Guardiola and Capello but Liverpool's prospects of landing the outgoing Barcelona coach and former England manager are understood to be remote. Guardiola has previously stated his intention to take a sabbatical from the game following a trophy-laden but draining spell at the Camp Nou, while Capello is keen on the Chelsea job.

The Wigan chairman revealed: "When Liverpool sacked Kenny I have to say I thought Liverpool would be knocking on the door, and sure enough they are. I did promise Roberto when a big club comes he will have permission to talk to them and they don't come any bigger than Liverpool. I gave permission and he will be talking to them soon."

Martínez does not have the title-winning experience that forms part of FSG's criteria but he will get the opportunity to convince Liverpool's owners that he can fit into the new management structure they intend to install at Anfield. Whelan said: "We played there [at Liverpool] about two months ago. There's no heart at the club. It's a bit disturbing when you think a club like Liverpool is functioning without a heart. I mentioned that to Roberto and I think there's no heart beating at Liverpool. I think the sooner they get a heart the better. I don't know Roberto's feelings about Liverpool, I think he's going there with an open mind. I would love to keep Roberto, he's a great manager."

Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, claimed the selection of Dalglish's successor represented the most critical in the club's recent history. He also insisted Anfield remains an attraction for the finest managers in the game. FSG are being advised on the process by "highly regarded people within football", according to Ayre, who revealed the next manager must work under a new management structure at Anfield. Damien Comolli's former role as director of football is to be fragmented this summer although the new manager will continue to have an influence on transfers.

Liverpool face a third season outside the Champions League next term and Uefa's financial fair play rules, which requires clubs throughout Europe to break even, come into effect in 2013?14. The failure to mount a challenge to the top four this season, and FSG's doubts over Dalglish's ability to deliver one next year, cost him his job despite winning the Carling Cup and reaching the FA Cup final.

Asked if Liverpool had made a more important appointment than the one now confronting Henry and Werner, Ayre said: "No. It's absolutely critical that we get it right and we move forward. The Champions League is where the football club has to be. When John and Tom arrived, they said they wanted to win. They mean winning and being in that competition. They want to be winning the league. It won't happen overnight. Nobody is kidding themselves. But you have got to be heading in that direction."

Replacements for Comolli ? with his old job to be divided between its administrative, scouting and negotiating functions ? Graham Bartlett, the former commercial director, and the head of communications Ian Cotton are anticipated in the next fortnight. The managerial search, said Ayre, who recently had his contract extended at Liverpool, is based "on a whole range of things, from experience and ability, methodology, style of play, character traits. As we've seen in the past it is not just about the football. It is about how controlling some are compared to others. There's a particular process that fits part of the plan we are trying to put together. It has to be a manager who fits in all of that."

Ayre's "controlling" comment would appear to rule out Rafael Benítez from a Liverpool return, the former manager having been given control over all football operations in his final contract.

David Dein, the former vice-chairman of Arsenal, was spotted at several matches with Liverpool officials towards the end of the season but Ayre refused to confirm who is advising Henry and Werner. Villas-Boas, Jürgen Klopp and Didier Deschamps all meet the criteria of younger title-winning coaches but, having again failed to qualify for the Champions League, and appointed from Fulham (Roy Hodgson) and within (Dalglish) for its last two managers, Ayre denies Liverpool are struggling to entice the most coveted coaches.

Ayre added: "Liverpool still gets everyone excited and interested. We may have lost our way a little in terms of performances but it is still one of the biggest football clubs in the world. It still has a huge fan base. It has also got a good solid business foundation. It has got good owners who are committed. A lot of that doesn't exist in a lot of other football clubs. If you are a manager at that level or you are a manager aspiring to get there, I still think this is one of the biggest jobs in world football.

"I am under no illusion that we can go and find a top-class manager to come to this football club, for all the reasons I have stated. I do not think we are in a situation where the very experienced, very capable, very driven managers who people would want to see here do not want to come."

Potter?

CLARETS boss Eddie Howe is eager to continue his youthful revolution at Turf Moor by snapping up Leeds midfielder Adam Clayton and Portsmouth utility player Joel Ward.

But he faces competition from Championship rivals for the duo?s signature.

Clayton, 23, has been transfer-listed by Neil Warnock after talks stalled on a new contract, with 12 months remaining on his existing deal.

And Ward, 22, is another target, with Pompey expected to jettison a number of players after their relegation to League One.

Both are expected to cost in the region of £400,000, and fit perfectly into Howe?s transfer blueprint - young talent with a good potential resale value.

Clayton started his career at Manchester City before moving to Elland Road two years ago, and he made 37 appearances for United last term, scoring six goals - including Leeds? goal of the season at Leicester in November.

He has spent time on loan at Carlisle United, MK Dons and Peterborough United.

Leeds boss Neil Warnock said: ?I have to look at it and say I?ll be signing a player for £400,000 or £500,000 and I don?t feel Adam?s worth more than the player I?ll be signing.

?With what I?m looking for, I?ve got to generate something to get me what I want. That?s how I looked at it and I?m trying to be a realist.

?I?m sure there?ll be a number of clubs after Adam because he?s done well this season in a lot of games.?

Should Clayton move on as expected, Leeds are likely to move for Ward, while Crystal Palace and Ipswich are also interested in the versatile Pompey youngster, who can play at right back, centre back and as a holding midfielder.

Leeds are thought to have met with Ward last week, as they look to pair him again with another Burnley target Jason Pearce, who joined United earlier this month.

Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch said, ?Joel Ward will be the next to go but I am not certain of the timescale on that.

?That is progressing. I would have thought something should be happening in the next few days.

?It is not necessarily going to be Leeds. He has met a few other clubs in total and has been talking things over with them.

?We are waiting to see what the outcome will be.?

Howe knows Ward well, having signed him on loan from Portsmouth in the second half of the 2008/09 season while boss at Bournemouth.

There could be movement on both Clayton and Ward next week

Right, I owe Stacki a fiver, Granby a tenner.

PM me details of how to pay boys.

FC United?s players were unanimous in their thanks to the club?s supporters after several of them won awards at the end-of-season presentation evening last week.

Centre-back Adam Jones collected several awards for his first season with the Reds including the coveted Russell Delaney Supporters? Player of the Year. He said: ?It was an amazing feeling and gives me a massive sense of achievement. I think this is the award that all the lads want to win.

?Players? player of the season is obviously an award everyone wants to win too but at a club like FC United, which is all about the supporters and the unbelievable contribution they make, this award is really special.?

And, despite losing in a play-off final for the sixth season in a row, Jones added: ?It?s been a really enjoyable season for me. I?m not really one for change, so leaving Curzon Ashton after six years was a big decision to make but it has been fantastic.

?The way I was welcomed by the management, the rest of the lads and the supporters has been amazing. I can?t describe how it feels when the supporters sing our names and cheer us on, it means so much to the lads. We really appreciated all the fundraising and work behind the scenes all the supporters and volunteers do, even though we only get to see a fraction of it.?

Forward Matthew Wolfenden was voted as the players? player of the season, goalkeeper James Spencer was chosen as the manager?s player, whilst Carlos Roca was voted FCUth?s (Junior Supporters) player of the season and won the Match Reporters? Award for most man-of-the-matches of the season.

Roca said: ?The junior supporters means a lot because I like to think that I?m the sort of player who plays exciting, attacking football whilst trying to do things that are a little bit out of the ordinary.

?Sometimes they come off and sometimes they don?t but if the younger supporters enjoy the way I play football, that?s really good because hopefully it will inspire a few of them to play the game in an exciting way. I?d like to thank everyone who voted for me, it means a lot and it?s really appreciated.?

Roca certainly excited all age-groups of the FC United faithful during the season and probably no more so than when his 25-yard-screamer against Altrincham set the Reds on their way to first round proper of the FA Carlsberg Trophy for the first ever time. And for that, the winger won the Didsbury and Withington Supporters? Branch goal of the season award.

Other branch awards went to Adam Jones (Trafford Branch and Armchair Army), Kyle Jacobs scooped the Newton Heath Branch award and goal of the season against Whitby from the Irwell Valley Branch, whilst Jacobs and Jones were joint players of the season from the Stockport Branch and James Spencer?s safe-hands were recognised by the Eccles Branch.

Our Under-18s manager Dave Brown selected James Brooks as player of the season, whilst Alex Stones was voted players? player.

Looking ahead to next season, all of the players were in agreement that they wanted to keep the squad together and have a go at winning promotion as champions before ?having the honour? of running out at FC United?s new ground.

My point is that the players of old would simply have adapted...if the norm was high pace, high fitness, better diet, etc., they'd have gone along with it. I'm not always convinced that the increased athleticism has improved football as a spectacle though.