Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre fears club's status among world's elite is in danger if right manager is not found Ayre, who revealed he has signed a new deal at Anfield despite claims by some he would be next to depart, accepts Liverpool have reached a defining point in their history. "It's absolutely critical that we get it right and we move forward," he said. The Champions League is where the football club has to be. It's where everyone wants it to be. When John Henry and Tom Werner arrived, they said they wanted to be winning the league. It won't happen overnight. Nobody is kidding themselves. But you have got to be heading in that direction. You can only live on history of success for a certain amount of time. I don't believe that Chelsea have more fans in south-east Asia than Liverpool. I have seen the stats but I don't believe it. Spend time in those countries and those cities and you will see that Liverpool and Manchester United dominate the landscape. But it doesn't last forever. That is why it is so critical and so important and it is why progress is so important. If you are a manager at that level or you are a manager aspiring to get there, I still think this is one of the biggest jobs in world football. We can find a top-class manager to come to this football club. Ayre revealed there will be another structural change at Anfield, with scouting, executive and coaching duties redefined. "It will be more than one person, dividing up the responsibilities," he said. What you will see over the next two weeks is new people arriving and a momentum of going forward and forward thinking. The idea is rather than one person being responsible for all the elements Damien Comolli's role took on. There will be two or three positions within that. Ayre insists no approaches have yet been made for a manager, but the latest of many cross-Atlantic conference calls was held on Thursday to formulate a shortlist. Whoever takes over will know the top four means far more than domestic trophies. That is why Dalglish lost his job. "It's a very simple decision based on results," said Ayre on Dalglish's exit. Thirty-seven points off the winners and 17 points off fourth place and 14 losses was the measurement on which the owners made their decision. People don't want to hear that football is a business. They want to see us put lots and lots of money into the football team and win lots of trophies. But you have got to have continued progress in the league. If you don't get into the Champions League, you are writing cheques from your own pocket. That is not a sustainable way going forward.