Liverpool FC: Is Louis Van Gaal the Right Man to Save the Reds?

The latest man to be linked to Liverpool is Louis van Gaal.

Van Gaal would not, however, be named manager of the club; he would be given the job title of sporting director, which was vacated by Damien Comolli in April after he was sacked.

Every club that the 60-year-old has been at has ended up winning at least one league title.

Beginning with Ajax in the 1990s, the Dutchman won three Eredivisie titles, a UEFA Champions League and a UEFA Cup in his six years with the club.

Van Gaal has also won two La Liga titles with Barcelona, another Eredivisie crown with AZ Alkmaar and a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich.

There is no doubt Van Gaal has the coaching pedigree to manage a team to a domestic and even European title, but can he step up as a sporting director and bring success to Liverpool?

In all of his previous cases, Van Gaal has taken over a fairly successful club that has qualified for Europe and is looking for him to continue the club's success.

However, at Liverpool the challenge will be much more daunting, as he has to repair a club that has been damaged since the departure of Rafa Benitez.

Having finished in eighth in the Premier League and only reaching the Europa League next season by winning the Carling Cup, the Reds have a lot of work to do to get back to the top four and the Champions League.

The report above claims that Van Gaal will most likely work with a young manager and if he does take the job. One name to throw out into the mix is Frank de Boer, who is the current Ajax manager and who played under Van Gaal at the Amsterdam club and at Barcelona.

If Liverpool are serious about bringing in Van Gaal, they will have to wait to sign a new manager until the Dutchman is installed as sporting director—that way he has a say in who may be best to take over the club as well.

Liverpool and Fenway Sports Group can not go wrong with Van Gaal, who has a proven track record and the worst that can happen is that he regrets the job and they move on.

But if Van Gaal accepts the position as sporting director, Liverpool fans should celebrate the beginning of a new era that will likely bring them success.