Xabi Alonso: Welcome back to Anfield.

[Scott_M]

If I was a Bayern supporter, I’d be gutted when the appoint Solskjaer.

[Anubis]

On 27/03/2024 at 14:59, Ron B said:

There is a case for Southgate. 

Yes there is. A suitcase. Big enough that we only have to cut him up into a few pieces. Then take it out to a deep part of the Irish Sea and drop it.

[Scott_M]

9 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Whatever happens you just have to hope that they know quickly who is possible and who isn't so if their first choice is unlikely we can quickly move for our next choice. Xabi doesn't come across as someone who will um and aah I think we will know fairly quickly if he wants it or not.

I few a follow on Twitter (I know…) who aren’t self promoters are of the opinion we asked Xabi if he’d be interested. If no, we move on, if yes, we continue to talk to him. Apparently he said he’d be interested, his agent has told Leverkusen, we’ve discussed contract terms and although not a 100% guaranteed, we are proceeding on the assumption Xabi will take over in the summer. 

 

Obviously it’s Twitter, huge pinch of salt etc, the posters seem more reliable than more well known bozo’s. Which, if is true, feels a significant boost compared to this article 3 weeks ago from Faulk on Bayern…

 

https://thedailybriefing.io/p/christian-falks-fact-files-liverpool-183

 

Hoeness seemingly back tracking feels positive.

[3 Stacks]

Like I said earlier (credit to me), if Bayern could do it, they would have gotten him already. I don't think he wants to go there right now.

[Scott_M]

3 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Like I said earlier (credit to me), if Bayern could do it, they would have gotten him already. I don't think he wants to go there right now.

Like Gotze, Lewendowski, Hummels etc, they’d certainly have been crowing about it at the earliest opportunity.

[Reckoner]

29 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

I few a follow on Twitter (I know…) who aren’t self promoters are of the opinion we asked Xabi if he’d be interested. If no, we move on, if yes, we continue to talk to him. Apparently he said he’d be interested, his agent has told Leverkusen, we’ve discussed contract terms and although not a 100% guaranteed, we are proceeding on the assumption Xabi will take over in the summer. 

 

Obviously it’s Twitter, huge pinch of salt etc, the posters seem more reliable than more well known bozo’s. Which, if is true, feels a significant boost compared to this article 3 weeks ago from Faulk on Bayern…

 

https://thedailybriefing.io/p/christian-falks-fact-files-liverpool-183

 

Hoeness seemingly back tracking feels positive.

Mind. Blown.

[Scott_M]

1 minute ago, Reckoner said:

Mind. Blown.

It allegedly seems to be more encouraging than whatever he said to Bayern.

[andrew78]

1 hour ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Amerion Express?

Amorim that better

[Vincent Vega]

 

[Freddo]

Close the thread. Maybe he's staying at leverkusen. Maybe he doesn't want to follow a legend. If that's the case, he isn't the right man for this job.

[Lee909]

Well, that sounds like they've told the club it's not happening 

[Elite]

Poor man's Frank Lampard.

 

Ginger cunt.

[Jordy Brouwer]

Maybe just wait until there is clarity. 

[bizzle10]

Southgate it is then with Hendo back

[Lee909]

Well he said years ago he didn't like the UK tax bill

 

Clubs definitely put something out to journos. So staying and taking the Real job in a year I guess. 

 

 

Don't fancy either de Zerbi or Amorin to be honest. Too many question marks over both. I'd rather Pep and Matos took the job but that doesn't sound a possibility. 

 

Naglesman has done more than both of them but his star has fallen the past 18 months

[TheHowieLama]

unfucking acceptable.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Gareth Barry it is then. 

[Elite]

Hope his managerial career goes tits up now.

[VladimirIlyich]

33 minutes ago, andrew78 said:

Amorim that better

Never heard of the cunt.

[Lee909]

After Dave putting his FM resume up I think I should be in for the job. 

 

My 4231 is working wonders 

Overhauled the squad when Mo and Virg fucked off to Saudi

 

2 league titles

2 league cups

1 champions league

1 Europa league

1 Super cup

[3 Stacks]

Just now, Lee909 said:

After Dave putting his FM resume up I think I should be in for the job. 

 

My 4231 is working wonders 

Overhauled the squad when Mo and Virg fucked off to Saudi

 

2 league titles

2 league cups

1 champions league

1 Europa league

1 Super cup

Who d'you sign?

[Dapower]

20 minutes ago, Vincent Vega said:

 

Well good chance he might never get the chance again it’s up to him end of

[The Midnight Rambler]

Unlikely?

 

So there's still a chance then..

[Salou]

Think even one of the Bayern senior follks came out today and said would be improbable getting Xabi this summer. Seems like he's decided to stay at Leverkusen for atleast one more season and taking his chances on the jobs he wants being available again (Madrid most likely will as Ancelloti only signed a two year deal). 

 

Its probably the most logical thing from his career development perspective, one more season in a top league with added Champions league football, as disappointing as it is. 

[Kevin D]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sport/football/article/liverpool-alonso-xabi-stay-move-leverkusen-bayer-0w0rvc709
 

Xabi Alonso is unlikely to feature on the final shortlist to become Jürgen Klopp’s successor as Liverpool believe the Spaniard will not be available this summer.

 

The development strengthens the hand of candidates such as the Sporting Lisbon head coach, Rúben Amorim, who is highly regarded at Anfield, and the Brighton and Hove Albion manager, Roberto De Zerbi.

 

Liverpool’s due diligence has indicated that Alonso is minded to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for at least another season and continue the impressive work that has left the German club on the brink of a first Bundesliga title.

 

 

Alonso joined Leverkusen in October 2022 when they were languishing in the relegation zone and has transformed their fortunes to such an extent that they are ten points clear at the top.

 

Alonso has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich, who are a distant second place in the league and have been targeting Alonso to replace Thomas Tuchel, who will depart at the end of the season.

 

Bayern had been very public in their pursuit of the former midfielder, who enjoyed successful spells as a player at both Liverpool and Bayern, but there was a significant volte face on Thursday when honorary president, Uli Hoeness, suggested it would be “impossible” to lure the Spaniard away.

 

“We’ll have to see if we can do it this year,” he said. “It will be difficult, if not probably impossible.

 

“[Alonso] is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their current successes, because he would not want to leave them behind,” Hoeness said. “Let’s say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to bring him out of there.”

 

It is understood that Liverpool had already arrived at this understanding after extensive background checks which focused on establishing the suitability and availability of potential replacements for Klopp, who is leaving at the end of the campaign after nine years on Merseyside. 

 

The search for a new manager is to take them elsewhere with the process involving Michael Edwards who has recently been appointed CEO of Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool.

 

Edwards, who has returned two years after leaving, recruited Richard Hughes from Bournemouth last week to be Liverpool’s new sporting director and the Scot officially starts in the role at the end of the season. 

 

Amorim, 39, is one of the continent’s other highly regarded coaches, having guided Sporting to the Portuguese title in 2021. 

 

Sporting are top of the league and on course to repeat that success with Amorim’s man-management and tactical acumen having helped out-manoeuvre Porto and Benfica. He is believed to have a release clause in his contract of up to £17 million.

 

De Zerbi brings his Brighton side to Anfield on Sunday hoping to undermine Liverpool’s title push and Klopp has yet to get the better of the Italian in four meetings. De Zerbi’s first match in charge of Brighton was a 3-3 draw at Liverpool last October.

 

There is still the prospect of Liverpool meeting Alonso — who was described by Klopp recently as the “stand out” coach of a new, emerging generation — in the Europa League final in May.

Both sides have been kept apart in the quarter-final and semi-finals draws but, barring a dramatic change, the possibility of Alonso returning to Liverpool where he spent six years is now remote.