It is the day all Liverpool supporters knew would come eventually.
At the start of next season, Jurgen Klopp will not be sitting in the Liverpool dugout. Instead, it will be someone else.
But who?
Just as it was when Alex Ferguson left Manchester United and Arsene Wenger left Arsenal, Klopp will be a hard managerial act to follow. His legacy is set in stone after leading Liverpool to domestic and European success and forming one of the greatest groups of players the club has ever had. Good luck to whoever is next.
So with Liverpool understandably keen to begin the recruitment process, The Athletic looked at some of the possible options available to the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) as it decides who will lead a new era at Anfield.
Xabi Alonso
A former Liverpool midfielder returning as the heir apparent. Too bad Steven Gerrard has just signed a new contract with Al Ettifaq, right?
But it has been Xabi Alonso who, in recent times, has become a much clearer candidate to make the move to Anfield — and the job he is doing with Bayer Leverkusen is all the evidence required.
Arriving in October 2022, it wasn’t an easy first season for Alonso. But over time, his tactical and coaching methods have shone through and he has shaped a team in his image. The Spaniard can use learnings from a career that saw him play under a succession of elite managers — including Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.
After 18 games, his side are unbeaten at the top of the Bundesliga — and four points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich. They play an exciting, possession-dominant, intense style of football in a 3-4-2-1 system. His team can also be pragmatic when required, albeit not quite the “heavy metal” football Liverpool have played under Klopp at times.
Alonso has installed a winning mentality and a fighting spirit at Leverkusen not dissimilar to what Klopp has built at Liverpool. He is a ‘first-in, last-out character’, who often broods over tactical details for hours on end. Alonso is not quite the showman Klopp is, with his focus solely on the football rather than other departments across the club.
Alonso performed at the highest level as a player and appears to be more than capable of coaching at it too.
Andy Jones
Roberto De Zerbi
The Brighton & Hove Albion manager’s introduction to the Premier League came at Anfield in October 2022 and his side raced into a deserved 2-0 lead after a dominant opening 30 minutes.
It was the first insight into what has become common knowledge: the Italian is an innovative, detailed coach who has turned Brighton into one of the most fascinating teams to watch in the Premier League.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed that De Zerbi has changed English football; a pretty big compliment from one of the greatest managers of all time.
De Zerbi likes his players to be protagonists on the pitch and that requires a possession-dominant side. He wants his side to build from the back and create space to progress the ball to attacking players.
At its best, it has been a match for the best sides in the division. He is tactically flexible and willing to change his setup, system and approach throughout the game to gain advantage and control.
GO DEEPER
Brighton are now treated differently – that’s down to De Zerbi
He has imprinted his style on a squad who have bought into his methods completely. His exuberance on the touchline demonstrates his passion and would likely resonate well with Liverpool’s supporters.
With access to bigger resources than Brighton can offer him and a higher-quality squad, it would be interesting to see how good a Liverpool team coached in De Zerbi’s methods could be.
Andy Jones
Michel
Given Klopp’s transformational effect on the club, it makes sense to glance over at Girona for inspiration on their next managerial miracle worker.
Michel has been on some journey with…
This article was originally published by a theathletic.com . Read the Original article here. .