Ayre staying positive

The age old saying 'long live the King', it's fair to say, didn't apply at Anfield this week as Kenny Dalglish was sacked following a disappointing league campaign at Liverpool, although the Reds did end their 6 year trophy drought by winning the Carling Cup in February.

Life goes on however, and managing director Ian Ayre's is heading the search for the clubs new manager. With Champions League football having been a regular feature at L4 OTH over the years, the lack of it next year could affect who the 5 times Europeon Champions can reasonably expect to appoint to replace the King.

Ayre, however, is confident that the new boss will overlook the lack of Champions League football according to Football 365. Since the managers position has become vacant at Liverpool, numerous names have been linked with a move to North West.

Brendan Rodgers, one of these names, turned down the opportunity to talk to the Reds preffering to remain at Swansea, who have impressed many with their fluid football this year.

With Rodgers choosing to remain on the Gower coast, other names to be linked with the job include Roberto Martinez, the Wigan boss, Andre Villas Boas, former Chelsea manager and Pep Guardiola, who will quit Barcelona in the summer.

Scorn has been cast over the Guardiola link, but Ayre believes that the clubs stature will stand them in good stead: 'if you lined up most managers in football and asked them if Liverpool would be a great club to manage and most people would aspire to do so I think they would say yes.

'The history of this club, the reach of this club around the world , its fanbase and everything we have achieved and want to achieve is more than enough to keep any manager we would want to go after hungry for the opportunity.'

Liverpool's American owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are keen to make a smooth transitional process, with a variety of other positions at the club needing to be filled.

An accusation levelled at FSG, is that they are based permanently across the pond. Leading some to say that they are out of touch with Liverpudlian wishes.

Ayre's take on the subject was: 'I don't see distance as an issue.' The managing directors knowledge of daily life in Liverpool, he believes, somewhat balances it out.

Nothing's certain yet, but it could be a busy summer on Merseyside.

@georgepowell8