Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has dismissed speculation that Andre Villas-Boas is among the leading contenders to be the club's new manager.
It had recently been suggested by The Times that Villas-Boas, who is currently in charge of Russian club Zenit St Petersburg, had been sounded out by Liverpool's owners FSG regarding the possibility of him replacing the reportedly under-pressure Brendan Rodgers.
However, should the Reds decide to dispose of Rodgers's services, Murphy believes that Villas-Boas's record from his brief stints in charge of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur would rule him out of the running for the job.
"Brendan will keep his job, no matter what. He deserves that. But, if for some reason - and it would be a shock - he left, AVB would not be on the list of 20 managers next for Liverpool, never mind one," Murphy told BBC Sport.
"It's ridiculous. He failed at Chelsea, he failed at Tottenham, so why would you take him at Liverpool?"
As far as the bookmakers are concerned, former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is the favourite to return to Anfield if Rodgers were to be sacked.
Liam Apicella
