Source: Team_Talk
Barnes: Give it to Roy or Kenny
John Barnes has backed Kenny Dalglish or Roy Hodgson to succeed Rafa Benitez, insisting whoever gets the job will enjoy a "win-win situation".[LNB] Benitez parted company with the Reds by mutual consent last week and speculation continues over the contenders to step into his shoes at Anfield.[LNB]After guiding Liverpool to a remarkable Champions League triumph in 2005, success slowly dried up while relations with the club's American owners soured, culminating in his recent departure and subsequent appointment by Inter Milan.[LNB]A lowly seventh-placed finish in the Premier League last season was the lowest of his tenure and Barnes believes the next man in will benefit from the bar being set so low.[LNB]The former league and FA Cup winner said: "Whoever comes in will finish better than seventh, regardless of whether there is money to spend.[LNB]"To be honest, I would like there not to be money to spend because if there is, it means you have sold Gerrard or Torres. So under those circumstances, I'd rather have no money![LNB]"A manager coming in has to be prepared to work in those circumstances, knowing that Liverpool will finish higher than seventh. So it's a positive thing.[LNB]"Even with no money to spend, if you finish fourth you have done better than last year. The same if you finish fifth or sixth, you have still done better.[LNB]"It's a win-win situation. I hope Liverpool fans don't expect a manager coming in saying 'we're going to finish first or second' and I don't think they will."[LNB]As for the names in the frame, Barnes insists he has no strong opinion. However, he believes both former boss Dalglish and Fulham boss Hodgson are well qualified.[LNB]"Is it going to be Kenny Dalglish or Roy Hodgson? Who knows?" he said.[LNB]"Both would do a great job, there are lots of good managers and whoever it is will have to be a proven manager so they won't get the decision wrong.[LNB]"If Kenny wants it, why not Kenny? If it's Roy Hodgson I'm sure he'll do a good job as well."[LNB]As for Benitez, Barnes added: "It does not surprise me that Rafa Benitez has gone to Inter, because he is a good manager.[LNB]"He's proven that and his stature has not gone down, in my opinion. You don't become a bad manager overnight. But obviously it didn't work out in the last year so he left."
