Klinsmann Taking Over for Rafa at Liverpool?

By: Laurie | January 8th, 2008

I’m operating here on the assumption that everything you see on the Fox Soccer news show at midnight has to be true, so I feel comfortable bringing you the following rumor: Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez out, Jurgen Klinsmann in. (Seriously, how could they lie to us at that time of night? Our defenses are down. We’re vulnerable. It wouldn’t be nice.)

This is the rumor the Daily Mail (the Fox Soccer source on this story) is bringing us.

It’s no secret that the Rafa is currently in disfavor now that Liverpool, one of the eternal top four teams in England, has slipped into fifth place.

Try to imagine a Champions League without Liverpool, last year’s runners up and the winners in 2005. Just try. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?

It’s easy to blame a manager who never plays the same squad twice, and that’s what everybody has done.

Sportsmail understands Liverpool’s American owners, in particular Gillett, see the German as an ideal choice should they finally run out of patience with Benitez over what is being viewed as more agitating by the former Valencia coach.

Although the widely reported quotes about his misgivings were not attributed to him, the manager’s attempts to distance himself from them have been called into question in Anfield circles.

If Gillett and Hicks conclude that he was instrumental in causing more turmoil behind the scenes, it could hasten his departure when the pair meet chief executive Rick Parry today to discuss his increasingly precarious position.

Before we go on, let’s all read that middle paragraph again: “Although the widely reported quotes about his misgivings were not attributed to him, the manager’s attempts to distance himself from them have been called into question in Anfield circles.”

Is that British tabloid-speak or what? In other words: He didn’t really say what we said he said, except that we’re thinking he’s protesting too much, so he must’ve actually said it. I LOVE the British tabloids.

But at any rate. What experience does the mighty Jurgen have that qualifies him to coach a moneybags team like Liverpool? Um…let’s see… He coached Germany to third place in World Cup. The end. Oh, and Liverpool’s American owners like him. (You know. The ones too stingy to help out a struggling fellow team? Yeah. Those guys.)

Seriously, I don’t think this story has wings. Klinsmann doesn’t have the experience, and he’s previously said he’s quite happy with his life in SoCal, thank you very much. (He even turned down the job coaching the LA Galaxy. Imagine.)

But I’ve been wrong before.