Xabi Alonso: Welcome back to Anfield.

[Peter Cormack]

Linders please if turns out the latest Alonso stories are true - which I doubt. We haven‘t done badly appointing from within in the past. 

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, joe_fishfish said:

You might be right in Nagelsmann, Baz, hope you’re not though. He’s a dickhead, a German Brendan Rodgers imo.

 

I don't know enough about him (I have next to zero interest these days in domestic football outside of England), but I've read plenty since klopp left and certainly the whole thing at Bayern seemed more of a Bayern issue from what I can make out.

 

As for being a Brendan Rodgers, he's 36 and already achieved more. Nobody disliked Rodgers more than me, so if it is naglesmann, I certainly hope you're wrong. I hope we have learnt from the Brendan Rodgers appointment (and remember Edwards banged heads with Rodgers, so I'm sure he'll be watchful), in the same way hopefully nagelsmann has learnt from his Bayern experience. 

[Megadrive Man]

18 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

Nagelsmann has said he will make his choice in April. I don't really see the issue if we choose him. If you're getting a manager in for 5 years, you're not going to let a 2 week overlap get in the way. The question is only if he's the right man. If he is, 2 weeks doesn't matter. Someone who has the German national team, Bayern and RBL behind him by the age of 36 must have something about him. I've felt he was the outside choice from the beginning. I don't see us paying 20-odd million release clause for amorim. 

 

If It's Nagelsmann, then potentially Germany could get to the final of Euro 2024 which would mean he'd only have a five week gap before the Premier League starts.

 

I don't want any manager that is managing in the Euro's.

 

We need to get somebody that is ready to come in straight away and focus solely on the Liverpool job. 

[bizzle10]

Give it Linjnders for a year then Xabi next after after he has some more experience 

[Reckoner]

5 minutes ago, bizzle10 said:

Give it Linjnders for a year then Xabi next after after he has some more experience 

What if Linjders is a major success? We move him back room?

He has confirmed he’s leaving anyway.

[Jose Jones]

4 minutes ago, Reckoner said:

What if Linjders is a major success? We move him back room?

He has confirmed he’s leaving anyway.

Yep, couldn’t resist the lure of Hendo at Ajax.

[Scott_M]

Interesting video from a month or two back from Red Men TV on Amorim…
 

 

[Scott_M]

Another interesting video on Amorim…

 

 

[Kevin D]

Bascombe’s version:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/03/28/xabi-alonso-unlikely-to-be-next-liverpool-manager/

 

Xabi Alonso is unlikely to be on Liverpool’s shortlist to replace Jurgen Klopp as the Merseyside club do not believe he will be available this summer.

 

Alonso has long been considered the front-runner to replace Klopp since the German’s shock announcement that he is quitting Anfield at the end of the season. But the club are pressing ahead in considering alternative candidates after it emerged that Alonso plans to remain at Leverkusen.

 

That means Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi are now the outstanding remaining candidates for the imminent vacancy at Anfield as Liverpool look to whittle down the contenders in the coming weeks.

 

De Zerbi will get his chance to impress on Sunday when his Brighton side face Klopp’s in the Premier League at Anfield. Amorim, meanwhile, has many admirers having ended Sporting’s 19-year wait to be Portuguese champions and having won three domestic cup competitions in an impressive start to his coaching career.

 

The prospect of Alonso, a former player and Champions League winner, returning to Anfield to build on Klopp’s work appealed to the romanticists who recall the elegant Spaniard pulling the strings in Liverpool’s midfield between 2004 and 2009.

 

Even Klopp seemed to be on board with that idea, giving the impression that Alonso was ‘the anointed one’ with his extravagant praise of the Leverkusen coach last month. 
 

The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is the stand-out in that department,” Klopp said. “A former world-class player, obviously coaching family as well which helps a little bit. He was like a coach already when he was playing.

 

“The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did – it was absolutely exceptional. Obviously when you look through the Europa League, Leverkusen is one of the favourites there as well so that could be the season for Leverkusen. Really crazy.”

 

Liverpool compiling information about potential managers

 

From Liverpool’s perspective, the 42-year-old had front-runner status thrust upon him externally immediately after Klopp announced that he will leave. 

 

Since Klopp’s statement, Liverpool have appointed a new sporting director, Richard Hughes, who will take over in June, while Fenway Sports Group have reunited with former sporting director Michael Edwards, who is the American owners’ football chief executive.

 

They will have their own ideas on a successor, while the club’s data analysts, led by Will Spearman, have already been compiling dossiers on those most suitable for the post.

 

Alonso was under strong consideration alongside others, and would naturally have had a strong claim for the job if he felt the time was right to move to England.

 

His seeming lack of availability is undoubtedly a blow, especially to the supporters who made him their No 1 choice, but Liverpool are sure there are others capable of moving the squad forward in the full-throttle style which has become the norm under Klopp.

 

Bayern: ‘It will be difficult to sign Alonso’

 

Liverpool are not the only club anticipating that Alonso will stay at Leverkusen. Bayern Munich’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, said his club had effectively given up trying to convince him to move to the Allianz Arena.

 

“I feel that it will be very difficult to sign Xabi Alonso, not to say probably impossible,” he said. “I can certainly imagine him staying at Bayer Leverkusen to continue his job.

 

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

 

Alonso himself has remained tight-lipped despite being strongly linked with both stellar jobs. There are also suggestions that Real Madrid, another of Alonso’s former clubs, see him as the natural heir to Carlo Ancelotti

when the legendary Italian moves on.

 

A studious player, Alonso is evidently equally conscientious about how he will map out his coaching career.

 

He was patient in his first steps in management, rejecting several offers from big European clubs while learning his craft as Real Sociedad’s ‘B’ coach.

 

Despite incredible success at Leverkusen, where his side are still unbeaten in all competitions this season and on the verge of winning the Bundesliga title, it would appear he is determined to work to his own timeline rather than jump into one of the world’s biggest clubs at the first opportunity.

 

As Liverpool consider alternatives, the only guarantee is that Klopp’s replacement will be obliged to play in the same attacking manner which has brought every major honour to Anfield since 2019.

 

 

[3 Stacks]

6 hours ago, Turkish Delight said:

 

The same debate about being well thought of in the game was used to justify Hodgson.  Gerrard and Carragher also wanted Curbishley back in 2004.

 

Players don't know everything and managers often throw around platitudes about other managers (especially about those they get the better of and pretty much every one playing a low block and counter gets the better of him).

 

He's won 6 out of the last 22 league games with a set of players who should be doing far better and a lot of the reason for it is that they're constantly wide open to the counter. They get pasted by shit teams regularly and even Brighton's fans aren't too worried about losing him.

 

It's a massive no from me.

We are comparing De Zerbi to fucking Hodgson now? 

 

The opinions on De Zerbi is some of the worst stuff this forum has ever seen. 

[TD_LFC]

I hope we fucking batter Leverkusen in the Europa.

[TD_LFC]

9 months ago De Zerbi was the man and Ljinders was public enemy number 1 and one of the main reasons for last years slump.

 

Fast forward to today and De Zerbi has lost a chunk of talent from the team and is in the process of re-building while we signed a few players and are doing well so the roles have reversed.

 

 

 

 

[Carra_is_legend]

I don't understand this "give it to Lijnders for a year". 

How exactly would that work then? 

"Hey pep, we will give you the job but we have no idea if you are going to be good or shit so we will only give you for a year" ?

And what if he proves to be successful? We still take him out of the job and go for Xabi? 

It just doesn't make sense. 

If Xabi is not available, go for the next available good gamble. Then hope it works. Anyone replacing Klopp will be a step down anyway.

[Denny Crane]

The Portuguese league is a league full of bums. Basically it's a player trafficking operation. I'm not buying all this hype around managers from that league. Get me a manager who has managed in a proper league please and won some stuff. 

 

 

 

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, bizzle10 said:

Give it Linjnders for a year then Xabi next after after he has some more experience 

 

There's no such thing as giving it to a manager for 12 months. You either give someone the job or don't. And if Alonso wants 12 more months at Leverkusen while the Liverpool and Munich jobs are available, it's because he knows Madrid are waiting for him next year. 

 

1 hour ago, Megadrive Man said:

 

If It's Nagelsmann, then potentially Germany could get to the final of Euro 2024 which would mean he'd only have a five week gap before the Premier League starts.

 

I don't want any manager that is managing in the Euro's.

 

We need to get somebody that is ready to come in straight away and focus solely on the Liverpool job. 

 

As I say, I don't think a few weeks here or there make too much difference over the long term. It might make next season more challenging, but I'd sooner have the right manager 2 weeks late than the wrong one on July 1st. If nagelsmann does as he said and commits to a job in April, he can do a bunch of planning before the euros, most of the squad will get extended holidays because of the euros and he comes in once he's done. The only question really is if he is the right man. That, I have no idea on..

[TheDrowningMan]

14 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

9 months ago De Zerbi was the man and Ljinders was public enemy number 1 and one of the main reasons for last years slump.

 

Fast forward to today and De Zerbi has lost a chunk of talent from the team and is in the process of re-building while we signed a few players and are doing well so the roles have reversed.

 

 

 

 

I don’t think De Zerbi was ever “the man”. He’s a journeyman manager with 7 jobs in 10 years and no trophies of note who did what tons of people have done before in moving a club three places up the table from where they finished the season prior.

[Elite]

De Zerbi's facial hair alone should rule him out the running.

[Elite]

I had a 100% ITK record and now I'm at 50%. 

 

Fucking square-jawed, ginger bearded, Gareth Barry wannabe twat.

[Freddo]

33 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

I hope we fucking batter Leverkusen in the Europa.

We will if we meet. They won't stand up to us as we'll overpower them.

[Freddo]

9 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

I don’t think De Zerbi was ever “the man”. He’s a journeyman manager with 7 jobs in 10 years and no trophies of note who did what tons of people have done before in moving a club three places up the table from where they finished the season prior.

If De Zerbi is the man it will be painful next season. He doesn't build a project. He's a journeyman with limited quality. Yes, he plays some nice stuff out from the back, but when teams sit, they've been battered. Most sides sit back against us. He'd be hopelessly lost. 

[No2]

I love the football De Zerbi plays but then only occasionally do they meet the 2 banks of 5 that we do. When teams haven't engaged them they have struggled. The journey man tag is a little harsh,  he was a young manager floating around the bottom of Serie A, managers don't last a month down there. Then his Shaktar spell ended due to circumstances beyond his control. Overall I think it's a risk worth taking.

 

Alonso looks to be too perfect at everything. Beautiful face and hair, great football, perfect record, loyal character. He's more Real Madrid than us. If we really want him then get Bielsa in for a year. 

[3 Stacks]

4 minutes ago, No2 said:

I love the football De Zerbi plays but then only occasionally do they meet the 2 banks of 5 that we do. When teams haven't engaged them they have struggled. The journey man tag is a little harsh,  he was a young manager floating around the bottom of Serie A, managers don't last a month down there. Then his Shaktar spell ended due to circumstances beyond his control. Overall I think it's a risk worth taking.

 

Alonso looks to be too perfect at everything. Beautiful face and hair, great football, perfect record, loyal character. He's more Real Madrid than us. If we really want him then get Bielsa in for a year. 

In the league, Brighton had the most shots of any team last season, was second in chance quality and created the most shots from high press situations. He implemented this at fucking Brighton. 

 

It isnt just pretty football, it is legitimate elite level football. That is the part people are not getting (not you specifically). 

[magicrat]

If the job at Anfield was open for Xabi then I think he’s shown lack of ambition.

Staying with BL is understandable but Bayern are not going to be off the pace next time round and it’s unlikely he will be so successful. 

[TheBitch]

13 hours ago, JohnnyH said:

Seems he’s staying at Leverkusen. I respect that. It’s a proper footballing decision. Good for him. 

Sickening. 
 

21 minutes ago, Denny Crane said:

The Portuguese league is a league full of bums. Basically it's a player trafficking operation. I'm not buying all this hype around managers from that league. Get me a manager who has managed in a proper league please and won some stuff. 

 

 

 

 

Where’s the Saudi league?

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, magicrat said:

If the job at Anfield was open for Xabi then I think he’s shown lack of ambition.

Staying with BL is understandable but Bayern are not going to be off the pace next time round and it’s unlikely he will be so successful. 

He's waiting for the Madrid job in a years time.