FOOTBALL has a habit of looking for the easy fix, but the trouble is, those supposed simple solutions invariably turn out to be bad decisions. Liverpool are reeling at the moment, the messianic figure of Jürgen Klopp has decided to leave at the end of the season. The outpouring of grief seems dramatic, but Klopp’s impact has been nothing short of sensational. Admittedly, he’s won four trophies and has sat in the shadow of Pep Guardiola for much of his time at Anfield, but Klopp’s presence has inspired a club and its legions of supporters. He is likeable, charismatic and certainly a showman, but Klopp is also a smart figure. Only an intelligent man would decide to call it a day when his team are in better shape than they were a year ago. He may have wanted to walk away last season, but you get the feeling he wanted to leave the club in a good position before stepping down. This he will be doing after constructing Liverpool 2.0 , a worthy successor to his 2019 side.
But those simple solutions? Everyone is looking at Xabi Alonso as Klopp’s replacement. It is a curious habit football has in always looking for someone with family connections. He’s an ex-Liverpool player – an excellent one at that – and he supposedly “knows the club”. Alonso knew the club between 2004 and 2009. The Liverpool of that period is very different from the club of today, although the heritage has been a constant factor. Alonso would be working in “the now”, in other words, club history will not help you if the team underperforms. Liverpool have been down this road before, although it never got to the stage where they had to act on their instincts.
Steven Gerrard was supposed to be the heir to the throne, until it was clear he was not going to become a great manager. Gerrard did well at Rangers, but at Aston Villa he was disappointing. He’s now in Saudi Arabia, which implies he may realise the time to cash-in on his name is before the currency devalues. He’s no longer on anyone’s list for the Liverpool role and certainly doesn’t have the charisma to lead a such a high level club. Alonso, in the past week, has moved to the top of the Anfield line of succession.
It is, almost certainly, too early for Alonso to be judged. Even if he wins the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, he needs to evaluated over a two or three year period. Jump too early and he risks being discarded from the top bracket. Liverpool, having spent years in the wilderness, cannot afford to be hasty or ill-prepared. They need proven quality and a coach who is, “oven ready”. Alonso may well fit the bill in another year, but any potential employer has to ensure that a single season in the spotlight is not a fluke. Similarly, they need to see how Alonso performs when things are not going so well. Despite their stunning first half of the 2023-24 season, there is still a strong feeling FC Bayern will emerge as champions.
There is no room for experiments because the opposition will capitalise on any shortcomings. But time and time again, football clubs make these mistakes as they play to the tune being played by the media and fans. Naturally, the newspapers and television start to champion the cause of any manager who appears to be doing a good job with an unfashionable club. Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton is attracting a lot of attention and rightly so. He took Brighton into Europe and he has maintained the momentum established in 2022-23, but he is still work in progress and has yet to win a major trophy. Liverpool’s challenge is to determine if the likes of De Zerbi and Alonso can become truly successful with a bigger, better-resourced club. And then there’s Julian Nagelsmann, whose wings have been clipped a little by his exit from Bayern Munich. Surely, he will be looking to get back to club football and Liverpool would obviously appeal to him, but has he flown too close to the sun, too early?
Alternatively, they could go for a proven coach with a track record of winning major prizes. The last externalmanagement appointment to arrive at Liverpool without a single piece of silverware on his CV was Bill Shankly. Klopp, for example, had won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal and took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final. He was a contemporary coach, a modern, confident man who seemed to appreciate the value of gratitude and humility. Having experienced and enjoyed the Klopp experience, this could be the biggest hurdle for the club in seeking out his replacement. Whoever gets the position, Liverpool may find that what follows is a sense of anti-climax. Klopp will be sorely missed for a while, but it is surprising how quickly people move on, especially if they find the right successor.
It is, arguably, the biggest job currently on offer in football today. Liverpool have to avoid the romantic road and appoint somebody who can go head-to-head with the top coaches in the game. In fact, you can boil it down to going into battle with Pep Guardiola because he is the benchmark. Klopp was the nearest thing to a credible rival for the Manchester City boss. Handing over the baton will take no small amount of skill.
