Kuyt yet another tale of what might have been
ANFIELD’S GAIN PROVED TO BE NEWCASTLE’S LOSS
FORMER Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has emerged as one of the front-runners to replace Walter Mazzarri as manager of Watford next season.
The Hornets announced yesterday afternoon that Mazzarri will step down after the final game of this season – Sunday’s clash with Manchester City.
In a statement, club Chairman Scott Duxbury said: “After the Board discussed with Walter Mazzarri the club’s future goals and aspirations, it was decided he will be stepping down from his position as the club’s Head Coach after the final game of the 2016/17 season.
“We thank Walter and his staff for the contribution they have made to Watford Football Club over the past year.”
And Pardew – who has been out of work since being sacked by Crystal Palace in December – has emerged as one of the front-runners for the job.
Pardew has been linked with vacancies at Swansea, Middlesbrough, Leicester and Derby since leaving Selhurst Park, but he insists he is looking for the right project.
The 55-year-old has been quoted as a 7/1 third favourite with Betfair to take the reins at Vicarage Road as he looks to reinvigorate his managerial career.
Premier League winning manager Claudio Ranieri is the 3/1 favourite, while Hull boss Marco Silva is a close second favourite at 4/1.
Nigel Pearson is priced at 9/1 as is Leeds manager Garry Monk, while you can get 14/1 to back Roberto Mancini.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton and Burnley manager Sean Dyche are both priced at 16/1, as is Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.
Meanwhile, Former Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren insists his future remains in management, despite reports linking him with a sporting director role.
Speculation had been rife that McClaren was being lined up for a sporting director role at both Middlesbrough and Huddersfield Town.
The 56-year-old enjoyed five successful years in charge of Boro, winning the League Cup in 2004 and guiding them to the final of the UEFA Cup in 2006, while he had been pictured at quite a few of Huddersfield’s recent games.
However, McClaren insists he has only been watching Huddersfield because he likes the way that they play.
“Yes, that’s right. Many people have been linking me with a Sporting Director role but there is no way I’m ready for that,” McClaren told BBC Radio 5Live. Sports writer “A club like Newcastle would be my dream,” Dirk Kuyt admitted in the summer of 2006. A 25-year-old at the time, he had just finished a campaign with Feyenoord where he netted 22 goals for the Dutch side. The Holland forward was in demand and Newcastle were leading the line for his signature. In the end and rather ironically, it would be Rafa Benitez at Liverpool who would win the race.
Fast forward 11 years, Benitez is in charge at Newcastle, and the now 36-year-old Kuyt has just retired from football after leading Feyenoord to the Dutch title.
In football, you hear many tales of ‘what might have been’ – the deals that were all-but completed but for some reason just never crossed the line.
For Newcastle fans a favourite one is that of Dele Alli. The Magpies were said to be in pole position to sign the midfielder from MK Dons but word has it there was disagreement over the price.
Tottenham stepped in, signed him for £5 million and Alli is now one of the most highly-rated players in the Premier League.
The Alli story can be disputed, no doubt the facts distorted but there is no doubt United were at the front of the queue when it came to the pursuit of Kuyt.
Glenn Roeder was in charge and had just guided his side to a seventhplace finish after replacing Graeme Souness in February.
Kuyt was with Holland for the World Cup in Germany and Roeder admitted he was heading out to see him, telling the Chronicle: “He is certainly one of several players we are looking at and I am looking forward to seeing him in Germany.”
A month later Kuyt was standing with Benitez holding aloft a Liverpool scarf after securing a £10 million deal.
Benitez spoke of Kuyt’s ‘intelligence,’ ‘finishing’ and workrate – something the Spaniard will be hunting for this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.
Newcastle missed out on one of the best Dutch players of the last decade and Kuyt would of course come back to haunt the Magpies.
His first goal for Liverpool would come against United at Anfield in September, the first of six he scored against the former suitors before leaving in 2012.
He left Merseyside with a League Cup medal and 71 goals to his name.
Going on to win the league and cup in Turkey with Fenerbahce before heading home to Feyenoord to secure their first title in 18 years, Kuyt has had a glittering career.
Beyond the medals and goals, he’ll go down as a player with superb work ethic and a real eye for goal.
Benitez knows if he can find someone in Kuyt’s mould this summer, he will have one fine player on board.