Rafa or Martinez? Which Spaniard will get the call?

[Paul Marin]

Sky reports that Martinez and Rafa are at the top of the list to replace KD. My question to you is who between these two makes the most sense? I am struggling with returning to the frustration of seeing Rafa's stinginess in the defense department clouding his ability to build an attacking line up with width (too stingy - don't like width) versus the swashbuckling and ballsy approach that we saw from the young Martinez who boldly switched to a 3-4-3 formation to great effect later in the Wigan campaign.

If you had to pick between the two of them FOR YOUR TEAM, who would you pick? Why?

[Gamma]

martinez ..... not a fan of "going back"

[Dunny]

Unuh no si seh Rafa days done, overrated him career flop!!

[Gamma]

going back to an ex can never be the same ...... the cause of the break up and the feelings would hang over the relationship like a pall, marin even!!

[Lazie]

For my team? My team have a manager already .... for Liverpool ... Rafa.

[Gamma]

well marin, tek sleep mark deat'!

[Paul Marin]

For my team? My team have a manager already .... for Liverpool ... Rafa.

Eedy boo... the point is that HYPOTHETICALLY, if your team DIDN'T have a manager who would you select. And is badmine' why you pick Rafa, don' tink seh mi don' know!!!

[Sir X]

Unnuh fraid a Rafa,no more sell to buy,rafa can buy the quality he wants and fix di midfield, run ferraud! Champions league again and of course the prem.

[Paul Marin]

Unuh no si seh Rafa days done, overrated him career flop!!

Dunny - Rafa's days are far from done. He is waiting on the right opportunity. The problem with him coming back to Liverpool is that he brings a shadow with him, so there may be factions amongst the supporters that would not want to go back. However, if Martinez is the only other choice, what record does he have to stand on? Keeping teams out of relegation? Is that what my proud club has become? ~groan... Given both options, I would cross my fingers, hold my nose and vote for Martinez, if he builds a Liverpool squad like Wigan's, Suarez will have many new black friends (but he better not call them his "amigos negros" which is the literal spanish translation of "black friends", lest he be branded a racist) to photo op and score nuff goals with. Martinez - given just the two choices - would get my vote. Rijkaard remains my first choice.

[Dunny]

Dunny - Rafa's days are far from done. He is waiting on the right opportunity. The problem with him coming back to Liverpool is that he brings a shadow with him, so there may be factions amongst the supporters that would not want to go back. However, if Martinez is the only other choice, what record does he have to stand on? Keeping teams out of relegation? Is that what my proud club has become? ~groan... Given both options, I would cross my fingers, hold my nose and vote for Martinez, if he builds a Liverpool squad like Wigan's, Suarez will have many new black friends (but he better not call them his "amigos negros" which is the literal spanish translation of "black friends", lest he be branded a racist) to photo op and score nuff goals with. Martinez - given just the two choices - would get my vote. Rijkaard remains my first choice.

Do you think Jose mourinho Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson could've done better with Wigan on thier budget?

[Paul Marin]

Do you think Jose mourinho Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson could've done better with Wigan on thier budget?

That's a great question. Considering Liverpool had a net spend of £37m and Wigan had a net spend of £1m pounds, one has to tip your hat to Martinez who barely swapped a six for a half dozen. By contrast, Arsenal made £11m in the window and Slurgie spend net £36m...so the answer based on budget would be a) Arsene would have done better and b) Slurgie would not have. Same for JM as Slurgie...but I don't have figures. [Edit: I just found it - RM spent +£41m in 2011-12 on their squad).

However, that is an academic issue to me. The real question is whether he would have gotten Liverpool to the title or top 4 with a net £37m budget in the transfer market. The honest answer is - "I don't think so". This is not because I don't think Martinez is capable, but rather that £37m is not enough starting with what we have. I will (when I find time) do a tally of the net from players out against what I think we need to bring in and tell you what kind of spending FSG have to do to contend for the title (with the right manager).

[Dunny]

The bookies have installed Villas-Boas as the favourite now. What you guys think about that?

[Assasin]

it comes down to one two things. One if the owner want to play it safe with the fans then they would go for Rafa but in the long run it will cost them headache because of Rafa constant bawling in the public domain for money.

Martinez will work with a small budget and can explain himself very well, young and ambitious. It will be if Fenway are willing to take that big chance.

[Paul Marin]

it comes down to one two things. One if the owner want to play it safe with the fans then they would go for Rafa but in the long run it will cost them headache because of Rafa constant bawling in the public domain for money.

Martinez will work with a small budget and can explain himself very well, young and ambitious. It will be if Fenway are willing to take that big chance.

Which one would you do?

[Sir X]

Whelan advises Martinez against Reds

May 16, 2012
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has told ESPN that he would advise his manager Roberto Martinez, the favourite to succeed Kenny Dalglish, to steer clear of the vacant manager's position at Liverpool.


Whelan was shocked when ESPN broke the news to him of Dalglish's sacking, even though it had been expected, and he believes that Liverpool need to find a completely new management structure."The club have great supporters, but the place is a morgue, a desolate place, without heart, all I can say is what a shame for their supporters," he said.

"The club needs a management structure, it needs a boardroom filled with the people running the club. When we went there, there was Alan Hansen welcoming people, it was a bit embarrassing to be honest, although he was doing his best."

Whelan also insisted that the Reds should be treating the man known as 'the King' with more respect. "They shouldn't be sacking Kenny Dalglish, they should be making him chairman, let him run the place," he continued. "As for a new manger, I am sure they might want my manager, but he's been the favourite for the West Brom job, then favourite for the Aston Villa job, now he's favourite for the Liverpool job. "I don't know who they will appoint, they have to sort themselves out, all I can tell you is that I haven't had an approach for Roberto.

"I hope Roberto is with me for the start of the new season, but in football you can never tell. I do know that he is an honest man, and if he is approached by anyone he will tell me about it. "If Roberto thought he could go to another club because that club was so big and the challenge so great he couldn't resist it, then I would step aside and let him, but I wouldn't think he should go to Liverpool, he would be better off with us." Martinez, who has impressed in four seasons at the DW Stadium, would look an obvious choice for the position at Liverpool, though Rafael Benitez would be a popular choice among many Liverpool fans. However, Fenway Sports Group, the American owners, will perhaps not wish to go for the sentimental choice once again.