Liverpool go from Capello to De Boer in manager roundabout

Ajax legend Frank de Boer has become the hot favourite to succeed Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager.

Liverpool contacted the former Holland defender in the last 48 hours and he has asked for time to consider their approach, The Sun reported in an exclusive.

De Boer has emerged as the top candidate after winning successive Dutch titles although former England manager Fabio Capello had been strongly linked with the Anfield job after snubbing Chelsea.

The move will come as a shock to Roberto Martinez, who was given permission by Wigan to speak to the Anfield club following the sacking of Dalglish.

But it will be welcome by Liverpool fans who are up in arms against the club's decision-makers for considering Wigan's Roberto Martinez as a managerial successor to Kop legend Dalglish.

De Boer is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented coaches ala Pep Guardiola who also rejected links to Chelsea.

Liverpool have targeted the 42-year-old Dutchman because he has proven ability of delivering the goods.

He took over from current Fulham boss Martin Jol in December 2010 and, within 18 months, had rebuilt the Ajax team and won two titles.

As a player, De Boer won 112 caps, played for 10 years at Ajax and five seasons at Barcelona.

He also had a spell at Glasgow Rangers.

Liverpool in a dilemma

Liverpool are in a dilemma as they look for a successor to Kenny Dalglish although former England manager Fabio Capello has been linked with Anfield.

The Italian is keen for a return to the Premier League but has joined Barcelona's Pep Guardiola in publicly rejecting the Chelsea job.

"I will not go to Chelsea," said Capello, after he was filmed greeting Terry on the pitch before Chelsea’s Champions League final in Munich against Bayern.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich may yet be able to change Capello’s mind.

However, the 65-year-old former AC Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid boss is showing interest in the vacancy at Liverpool instead, according to the Daily Mail.

Liverpool now look like a  viable option for Capello, who was on the club’s long list of candidates to replace Dalglish though he is likely to demand substantial transfer funds.

Meanwhile, the Liverpool fans are up in arms against the club's decision-makers for considering Wigan's Roberto Martinez as a managerial successor to Kop legend Dalglish.

Supporters abused managing director Ian Ayre at a race meeting at Aintree on Friday night and chanted the name of previous Anfield boss Rafael Benitez, according to another report.

Anfield owner John W Henry are in favour of appointing a young up-and-coming manager to replace the Scot, fired on Wednesday despite reaching two cup finals this season.

Henry does not want a manager who is almost a cult figure among the fans, as Dalglish was.

That means Martinez, Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers, former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas and Dane Michael Laudrup could be in, but Benitez and Capello are out.

Spaniard Martinez has still not spoken formally to Liverpool but is believed to be keen on starting a new challenge after saving Wigan from relegation with seven wins in the club's last nine games.

But the Reds fans are unlikely to endear themselves to 38-year-old Martinez who could face the same fate as Roy Hodgson.

Liverpool fans never accepted Hodgson and his reign was the shortest in the club's history, lasting just 31 games.

With Swansea boss Brendan Rogers not willing to even talk to Liverpool, manager of Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp unavailable and Capello considered somewhat old-fashioned by the management, their failure to act swiftly to find a successor to sacked Dalglish could open themselves to ridicule.

With Henry and chairman Tom Werner in America, under-fire Ayre has had to bear the brunt of the fans' frustrations.

Ex-Chelsea boss AVB lined up for Liverpool job

Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas could make a spectacular return to the Premier League at the expense of bealeaguered Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish.

Dalglish's Anfield future hangs in the balance with a definitive decision expected with the next 24-48 hours, according to a report in the Mirror.

Speculation about his imminent exit has been fuelled after the ominous silence maintained by Liverpool's American ownersJohn Henry and Tom Werner after Dalglish delivered his end of season review during a summit meeting in Boston.

Dalglish flew from Heathrow with his assistant Steve Clarke to explain that the job he undertook - after inheriting a side 18 months ago that was dropping towards the relegation zone - was too big to turn around in a single season.

In his presentation, the manager argued there are clear signs of progress from a young, newly constructed side, despite the obvious disappointment of a dismal league performance in which they finished eighth.

Dalglish left the meeting to head straight back to the airport, while Clarke accompanied Henry and Werner to Fenway Park to watch a Boston Red Sox baseball match.

Dalglish has already set plans underway for next season, as he identifies summer transfer targets and in some cases has already opened talks.

However, the delay in the Fenway owners to publicly back him suggests the Kop legends has failed to impress his bosses despite winning the Carling Cup and barely missing out on bringing home the FA Cup.

Villas-Boas who was considered by the Americans for the Anfield job before Dalglish was appointed is one of the favourites though Wigan's Roberto Martinez is heading the list to become the next Liverpool manageer, the Mirror reported.

There are also suggestions the owners could look to Germany, with the highly-rated Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hugely admired, and less obvious candidates in Freiburg's Christian Streich and Lucien Favre, who has performed wonders with Borussia Monchengladbach this season, also in the picture, it added.

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