Xabi Alonso: Welcome back to Anfield.

[Denny Crane]

There is another option apart from his former clubs.  Alonso stays at Leverkuson for a another season or two. This seems as likely as the other options. The better we do this year the more daunting the job becomes for a new manager especially an inexperienced one. 

[Lee909]

If it it is Xabi he really needs to be given time in what could be a bumpy first season. He may lose some players, especially Mo. Amd will be bringing a whole new staff into the club a d wint ha e most of the first team squad for the start of preseason with the Euros and Copa America running till mid July

 

It's a really big job for Alonso if it happens as its not just taking over the first team but completely being in charge of the club. So a sporting director would maybe be a good idea. But the pair would need to work well together. 

[Lee909]

https://www.coachesvoice.com/cv/xabi-alonso-bayer-leverkusen-liverpool/

 

 

[TD_LFC]

9 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

If it it is Xabi he really needs to be given time in what could be a bumpy first season. He may lose some players, especially Mo. Amd will be bringing a whole new staff into the club a d wint ha e most of the first team squad for the start of preseason with the Euros and Copa America running till mid July

 

I read that like you broke down sobbing mid way through.

[Lee909]

8 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

 

I read that like you broke down sobbing mid way through.

 

Trying to type on my phone. Its why so many posts end up like it. 

 

Full on homer trying to call the plant for the nuclear emergency vibes

[Kevin D]

5 hours ago, Code said:

The last game of our season could be Liverpool-Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

 

Imagine that. 

I’d hope we get beat.

[Code]

Why did Ancelotti suddenly sign an extension at Madrid, probably because Alonso was no longer availible. 

[TD_LFC]

23 minutes ago, Code said:

Why did Ancelotti suddenly sign an extension at Madrid, probably because Alonso was no longer availible. 

 

Think the Brazil job didn't pan out.

[Lee909]

So Xabi started playing 4231 at Sociedad B team and then moved them into a 343. 

 

I can see us playing a 4231 but unsure how we would work as a 343 with the current squad. 

They way he plays it does give you that box midfield we sometimes see with the inverted fullback as his number 10 and two 6s will for the box and the wingbacks obviously gives him his width. But looking at the squad we currently have i just can't see how it fits. 

 

Starting at the back 

All of our fullbacks could play that wingback role, but with Trent its more does he want to. 

 

The CB would probably fit after a bit of adapting to play as a 3. Both Gomez and Konate could play as the wide CB easily. Virg and Quansah would fill the role he has Tah playingas the central defenders. 

 

 

CM

We don't really have anything like he plays with at Leverkusen with two 6s sitting. 

We could play Mac Callister and Trent there but doubt that would offer the cover you want as a pair. Though playing 1 and Bajectic and Endo could pair with either and look fine. 

 

AM

Could Trent play further forward as one of the AM/10. Szoboszlai,Gakpo,Harvey and Jones all probably suit playing there. 

 

Nunez as the lone front man probably works but Jota and Diaz don't really fit. 

 

 

As a 4231 i think it would work, more so if Trent would play as a proper fullback but i think there is no chance of that so moving him permanently to one of the midfielders and taking Xabi role he played in Rafa 4231 would work. At home you could pair him and Mac Calister away if you want more defensive cover hopefully Bajectic and Endo come into play. Szoboszlai can play the 10 or the RW role. And Diaz/Jota again have a more suited role.

 

 

 

If he does come and brings in the 4231 i wouldn't mind him bring Wirtz in with him for the 10 role. We have been reportedly interested in Hincapie and Exequiel Palacios aswell. 

 

 

Could see something along the lines of 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Code]

How much did we get for Salah?

[Lee909]

9 minutes ago, Code said:

How much did we get for Salah?

 

147.6 million. 

I only didn't add him as I really think he will ask to move on in tbe summer and I'd expect the owners would be quite happy to clear his wages and bring money in to find deals for a new manager. I honestly though Klopp would sign a extension they way the season started and we would get Mo to agree to a rolling additional year on his deal. But this feels like a break point for the team and I think his agent will push for a deal. Even if its a handshake that he goes to Saudi for a year and has a release clause for a big club in Europe to bring him back after a year. They don't care about the money

[TD_LFC]

 

[TD_LFC]

 

[TD_LFC]

 

[Dicko]

If he views it as a stepping stone to Madrid then no.

[Lee909]

He's got a real test coming up. He lost 2 of his starting back 3 to AFCON and his main striker is out till April at least. So big test to see if he can keep the challenge going

[Scott_M]

[Scott_M]

26 minutes ago, Dicko said:

If he views it as a stepping stone to Madrid then no.

Don't agree with that at all.

 

Do you think that about his playing career? 
 

Unfortunately, having 9 years at a club is unheard of these days. 
 

If Xabi have us 5 years like his playing career, that’s likely the very best we’ll be able to hope for these days. 

[TheDrowningMan]

1 minute ago, Scott_M said:

Don't agree with that at all.

 

Do you think that about his playing career? 
 

Unfortunately, having 9 years at a club is unheard of these days. 
 

If Xabi have us 5 years like his playing career, that’s likely the very best we’ll be able to hope for these days. 

Also, I’m sure he’s well aware that a managerial job is very different to that of a player. Even then, it’s not like he’d agitated for a move out of the blue…Rafa wanted to replace him with Gareth Barry, that didn’t happen and he gave perhaps his best season at the club before wanting out.

Unless we appoint a stopgap there’s no danger of a Liverpool manager being turfed out after a few months in the event he’s not an immediate success, but there’s every chance of that happening at Real Madrid. I don’t buy the idea that his head would be turned as soon as the vacancy came up at Madrid.

[Mook]

39 minutes ago, Dicko said:

If he views it as a stepping stone to Madrid then no.

 

I think we have to accept that a lot of top players and managers will view Liverpool as a stepping stone to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

 

The good news is we're second or third in the food chain, behind them and the oil state clubs.

[Dicko]

1 minute ago, Mook said:

 

I think we have to accept that a lot of top players and managers will view Liverpool as a stepping stone to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

 

The good news is we're second or third in the food chain, behind them and the oil state clubs.

Why though?

Klopp is a better manager than all of them and never thought that.

Players I get, managers less so.

 

[El Rojo]

It’s a huge job. We’ll likely get whoever we want. Seems a relatively small list of those we’d actually be interested in.

 

Alonso is currently excelling at the same kind of overachievement that Mourinho, Benitez and Klopp had demonstrated before taking up roles in England.

 

Huge ask still, but would be great for him and us as if he wins the Bundesliga in the coming months. 

[Mook]

14 minutes ago, Dicko said:

Why though?

Klopp is a better manager than all of them and never thought that.

Players I get, managers less so.

 

 

Money, weather & prestige.

 

Klopp is a bit of a one off.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

The plan is simple. Alonso comes here, wins a few trophies, then heads to Madrid. We then get Ancelotti, who'll nab old big ears again and cover the fort until Milner returns as a 54 year old player / manager. 

 

Easy this DoF lark.

[El Dangerous]

2 hours ago, Code said:

How much did we get for Salah?

He’s on the bench resting up for home games and champions league mega clashes. Florian Wirtz fills in for him as the talisman.