On Friday, Jurgen Klopp shocked the football community by declaring that he would be leaving his position as manager of Liverpool at the end of the current campaign. The German will go down as one of the best managers the Reds have ever had after spending almost nine years in the Anfield dugout.
Indeed, Klopp’s legacy will be undoubtedly written in history after leading the Merseysiders to four consecutive European finals and ending their thirty-year wait to win the English championship. Finding his replacement, however, has swiftly gained attention from people not only in Liverpool but also in larger football communities.
It’s still unclear who the Reds will target, but shortly after Klopp made his shocking revelation, this article swiftly examined five outstanding prospects for Liverpool’s managerial position.
For their part, FSG plans to thoroughly investigate their potential new manager in public, if only to avoid drawing attention away from Klopp’s last season in charge—which may turn out to be his best one to date.
Liverpool currently leads the Premier League by five points heading into the midweek schedule. They have also advanced to the Carabao Cup final, where Chelsea, their previous opponents, will be waiting for them.
Additionally, the Reds have advanced to the FA Cup fifth round, where they will play Southampton or Watford at Anfield in an attempt to advance to the quarterfinals.
Thomas Frank, the manager of Brentford, is greatly admired by Liverpool.
And with the Europa League final scheduled to take place in Dublin on Wednesday, May 22, Ireland might yet turn out to be the perfect location for Klopp’s farewell present to the Reds.
Before then, there is still a ton of football to be played, so it makes sense that Klopp won’t want too many distractions regarding potential successors.
Alonso’s name is still being heavily promoted in the meantime, as his performances at Bayer Leverkusen seem to confirm that the Spaniard is the perfect substitute.
It seems sense that FSG are holding out for options in case Alonso decides the position is too soon for him to take in his still-developing managerial career.
In light of this, reputable journalist James Pearce has given a summary of the applicants that FSG is taking into consideration.
Speaking on The Athletic’s podcast, Pearce also asserts that Liverpool is a fan of Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and that they are thinking about Thomas Frank, the manager of Brentford, as a potential addition given the Dane’s popularity at Anfield.
Pearce said, “This depends on FSG and the path they wish to take.” “De Zerbi needs to be brought up. [Ange] Postecoglou has been brought up, but he’s still relatively new at Tottenham, and someone told me how much they respect Thomas Frank’s work at Brentford on a shoestring,” Pearce stated.
Former star lends Xabi Alonso Liverpool advice.
Frank established the unfashionable London side among the English elite after taking the Bees into the Premier League and guiding them to 13th and ninth place finishes thus far. They are seated in 14th place this time and don’t seem to be in any immediate danger of the drop.
It’s understandable why larger teams are beginning to take notice of him just for that reason, and who knows? Maybe one day soon he’ll receive an offer that is too good to refuse.
That coming from Liverpool, however, is still up in the air, and should the Reds go that path, the management would undoubtedly view it as a risk.
On the other hand, Danny Murphy, a former Reds player, has spoken forcefully for the selection of Alonso as Klopp’s replacement.
“The reason I’ve said Alonso all along, really, is, obviously, he gets the fans and the club, and that’s a start,” Murphy stated on talkSPORT.
He is a skilled football player, and Leverkusen are skilled players. Yes, it’s a different approach with three at the back and a slight focus on possession, but he can still be fairly dynamic when he plays with better players.
“I suppose he has a great attraction to signing players. Who wouldn’t want to play for a personality like Alonso? He looks calmer than Klopp, which sets him apart from the other manager. That could change as time passes and the strain increases.
He has experience working for [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Pep] Guardiola, and other fantastic managers. Apparently, he’s also a competent coach. He is a coach; other people don’t always provide coaching.
Ticks alot of boxes for Liverpool.
Murphy believes Klopp’s successor will have a difficult time matching the German’s achievements, though.
But he thinks that by selecting Alonso, Liverpool would have the best opportunity.
Many boxes have been checked, but no candidate has been presented to me or discussed with me that you could go into and be 90% or even 100% certain they will be able to maintain that level and keep Liverpool at that level because of what Klopp has done.
Since taking over in October 2022, Alonso has led Leverkusen to a 63% win ratio. The team is currently atop the Bundesliga standings and is vying for their first-ever championship.
