Benitez Given Golden Handshake to Leave Anfield

After spending six years at the helm of Liverpool Football Club and after many boardroom tussles with American co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez has finally been shown the door at Anfield.

His golden handshake was £6m, despite him having agreed a 5 year contract in March of last year. The final straw was Liverpool’s abysmal Premier League finish of 7th, their worst finish since the Premier League was introduced.

After a Fairytale start to his Liverpool managerial career where he won the Champions League in 2005  in his first year in charge. It all went wrong after that, with only a Super Cup and F.A Cup the year after to show for his six years in charge,most clubs would be happy with that, but not a big club like Liverpool.

So where now for the Anfield Club, Martin O’ Neill, Roy Hodgeson and Kenny Dalglish are the front runners with the latter taking control of first team duties until a permanent replacement for Benitez in place.

Roy Hodgson looks the most likely predecessor after guiding Fulham to the Europa Cup Final last season, losing to Atl.Madrid who beat Liverpool in the Semi- Finals. While Martin O’Neill might be wiser to stay at Villa Park after his team finished above Liverpool this season.

Whoever takes over will have to assemble a team on a shoe string transfer budget as the club try to claw back their substantial debts.