Xabi Alonso: Welcome back to Anfield.

[Jordy Brouwer]

14 hours ago, dave u said:

 

If I wasn't so certain he's going to Madrid next year I'd agree. If this time next year he's turning down Madrid to stay at Leverkusen then yeah, good on him. He won't though.

 

Hasn't got the balls to take the job now when we need him, he should never be offered the chance again.

 

Maybe your view will soften down the road. 

 

My German osteopath absolutely rants and raves about German football during sessions and his view was that always that he would stay which makes me a bit more sanguine. I didn't believe it but everything he said makes sense in retrospect. What he said was that Alonso wouldn't leave in the middle of a project; it had nothing to do with lack of ambition. I was like "yeah but its Liverpool" but it turns out he was right I suppose.   

 

I know its disappointing, I'm certainly disappointed but he isn't doing anything majorly wrong by staying and maybe we could revisit things down the line. 

[Arniepie]

2 hours ago, Scott_M said:

Calling Dalglish’s re-appointment one of worst managerial appointments in our lifetime is a controversial call. 
 

Rolling up Edwards (as DoF, not his new role) / Ward / Hughes / whoever into “FSG” is wrong. They are LFC employees. In the last 9 years, they’ve got mostly everything right. 

Controversial?It's  absolute bollocks 

[Scott_M]

35 minutes ago, Arniepie said:

Controversial?It's  absolute bollocks 

@Moo will have to explain the comment. 
 

Given only 3 managers have been appointed during FSG’s ownership, I’m not sure which other way to interpret the comment. 

[Scott_M]

18 hours ago, an tha said:

Latest bookies odds:

 

I think this post shows the difficulty we’ll have in replacing Klopp.

 

In world football at the moment, there are only 3 serial winners who you’d feel guarantee success - Klopp, Ancelotti and Guardiola. 
 

Obviously Klopp is leaving and the other two are non-starters & aren’t even worth discussing. 
 

So where next? Of the coaches who have won major trophies…

 

I think we’d all agree Zidane & Xavi are non-starters. 

 

Tuchel is probably the next most decorated on the list and I don’t thing the majority would want him.

 

Inzaghi is likely the next most decorated. He’s done well at Inter. I can’t see us letting Klopp leave and appointing somebody who doesn’t speak English. 
 

Nagelsmann won a few trophies at Bayern. IMO, I’m thoroughly unconvinced by him. Klopp always comfortably beat him when we met. I wouldn’t want him any more than I’d want Tuchel. 

 

Emery would be taking up a similar job as he did at Arsenal (ie replacing a long standing coach) and didn’t really improve a side who had lost their way. 
 

So, that’s all the managers who have previously won trophies dismissed! Then we’re looking into who is the next up and coming coach. 
 

I think we’d all completely dismiss Frank, Iraola, Silva, Postecoglou & Gerrard. 
 

Of the handful left, Amorim seems to tick the most boxes - attacking & front foot football, high press, broke the Benfica / Porto hold on the league, lost his best players and then continued to win trophies. 

[3 Stacks]

10 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

I think this post shows the difficulty we’ll have in replacing Klopp.

 

In world football at the moment, there are only 3 serial winners who you’d feel guarantee success - Klopp, Ancelotti and Guardiola. 
 

Obviously Klopp is leaving and the other two are non-starters & aren’t even worth discussing. 
 

So where next? Of the coaches who have won major trophies…

 

I think we’d all agree Zidane & Xavi are non-starters. 

 

Tuchel is probably the next most decorated on the list and I don’t thing the majority would want him.

 

Inzaghi is likely the next most decorated. He’s done well at Inter. I can’t see us letting Klopp leave and appointing somebody who doesn’t speak English. 
 

Nagelsmann won a few trophies at Bayern. IMO, I’m thoroughly unconvinced by him. Klopp always comfortably beat him when we met. I wouldn’t want him any more than I’d want Tuchel. 

 

Emery would be taking up a similar job as he did at Arsenal (ie replacing a long standing coach) and didn’t really improve a side who had lost their way. 
 

So, that’s all the managers who have previously won trophies dismissed! Then we’re looking into who is the next up and coming coach. 
 

I think we’d all completely dismiss Frank, Iraola, Silva, Postecoglou & Gerrard. 
 

Of the handful left, Amorim seems to tick the most boxes - attacking & front foot football, high press, lost his best players and continued to win trophies. 

I wouldn't say Ancelotti guarantees success. Didn't do it at Napoli, and taking the Everton job, then ditching them, while funny, was just bizarre on his part. He is great, but he is very much situation-dependent.

 

It is really just Guardiola, Klopp and Simeone. That's the big 3.

 

Also, a positive way to look at it is to compare it to buying players; it's about projection, not just past performance. Someone like Mané was seen by many as simply a decent Premier League player, many didn’t see that he was this explosive, mercurial talent who had potential greatness.

 

That's why someone like De Zerbi has to be an option.

[Scott_M]

3 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Also, a positive way to look at it is to compare it to buying players; it's about projection, not just past performance. Someone like Mané was seen by many as simply a decent Premier League player, many didn’t see that he was this explosive, mercurial talent who had potential greatness.

 

That's why someone like De Zerbi has to be an option.

Yeah, that’s what I mean. 
 

Forgot about Simeone, let’s face it, after the football we’ve enjoyed the last 9 years, we aren’t going for him. 

[El Rojo]

Ancelotti’s time has passed. Can’t see him taking on a ‘challenging’ project again. Jurgen could well be the same. He just might not be interested in anything near the intensity of what he does now whenever his sabbatical is up.

[an tha]

2 hours ago, Scott_M said:

I think this post shows the difficulty we’ll have in replacing Klopp.

 

In world football at the moment, there are only 3 serial winners who you’d feel guarantee success - Klopp, Ancelotti and Guardiola. 
 

Obviously Klopp is leaving and the other two are non-starters & aren’t even worth discussing. 
 

So where next? Of the coaches who have won major trophies…

 

I think we’d all agree Zidane & Xavi are non-starters. 

 

Tuchel is probably the next most decorated on the list and I don’t thing the majority would want him.

 

Inzaghi is likely the next most decorated. He’s done well at Inter. I can’t see us letting Klopp leave and appointing somebody who doesn’t speak English. 
 

Nagelsmann won a few trophies at Bayern. IMO, I’m thoroughly unconvinced by him. Klopp always comfortably beat him when we met. I wouldn’t want him any more than I’d want Tuchel. 

 

Emery would be taking up a similar job as he did at Arsenal (ie replacing a long standing coach) and didn’t really improve a side who had lost their way. 
 

So, that’s all the managers who have previously won trophies dismissed! Then we’re looking into who is the next up and coming coach. 
 

I think we’d all completely dismiss Frank, Iraola, Silva, Postecoglou & Gerrard. 
 

Of the handful left, Amorim seems to tick the most boxes - attacking & front foot football, high press, broke the Benfica / Porto hold on the league, lost his best players and then continued to win trophies. 

Even the widely tipped and certainly popular pick with fans until this week Alonso is a rookie manager - one who is doing great things this season, but still a rookie - never managed in european cup, never managed at a club where the expectation and pressure is as high as it is here and where the spotlight is so bright.

 

We are of course in a position where we have been forced to need to act now as Klopp decided to leave as opposed to choosing to need a new manager at a time when the pool to choose from does not appear very deep - but we are where we are and i genuinely trust the club to find the right man....Who that is is not immediately obvious to me or you as it stands, there is a clamour now for Amorim - i'll be honest i know next to nothing about him and i would imagine it is same for most of us here!

 

Is the clamour because people really rate him or is it because he seems to be the name who has taken over from Alonso at the top of the clubs list - probably a bit of both i'd imagine.

 

I feel we don't have a sure thing we can go to ala Klopp when we secured his services so we are going to have to take the most considered and well thought out 'punt' on what we view as the most promising and most likely 'rising star' (for want of a better phrase) 

 

What we do know of course is that there will be a new manager at our football club this summer as an true great departs and whoever it is has massive footsteps to follow - hopefully that man can bring more success.

 

 

[Pete]

Probably a season (or two) too early for Xabi if we’re honest. He’d have been perfect in 2026 had Klopp stuck to his initial extension but alas things change.  
 

Personally I’d give it Ljinders and see how he goes.  Again looks doubtful. Just glad it’s not a decision I have to make. We’re not just losing a great manager, we’re losing a great man. 

[Dicko]

6 hours ago, Scott_M said:

That looks like made up nonsense.

Especially the last part about his style being similar to Klopp's when it's anything but.

[Scott_M]

59 minutes ago, an tha said:

Who that is is not immediately obvious to me or you as it stands, there is a clamour now for Amorim - i'll be honest i know next to nothing about him and i would imagine it is same for most of us here!

 

Is the clamour because people really rate him or is it because he seems to be the name who has taken over from Alonso at the top of the clubs list - probably a bit of both i'd imagine.

 

There are some good videos at the start of Amorim thread on him, his character and Sportings style. He does sound impressive.

 

I agree with the rest of the post BTW.

[an tha]

20 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

There are some good videos at the start of Amorim thread on him, his character and Sportings style. He does sound impressive.

 

I agree with the rest of the post BTW.

I'll take a look! Ta.

[Razoray]

6 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

Lots of sides get worse during rebuilds. He's also lost mitoma for the chunk of the season where the wheels have absolutely fallen off and it's maybe been one big loss too far. And they've taken on the burden of Europe for the first time. The reality here is the sample size is so small (as it is with Alonso), that unless he wins every game, there's doors open for questions about his competency. 

No fear of that with De Zerbi, he has failed to win 35 of his 60 league games with Brighton. 

 

[Barrington Womble]

6 minutes ago, Razoray said:

No fear of that with De Zerbi, he has failed to win 35 of his 60 league games with Brighton. 

 

Yes, but that includes brightons best ever league season and if they pick up 9 more points, their 2nd best. 

[kemskem]

I’d dread the Derby if we got De Zerbi.

[Dapower]

Just now, kemskem said:

I’d dread the Derby if we got De Zerbi.

Them 6pts they take off us next season keeps them up 

[Anubis]

5 hours ago, Scott_M said:

@Moo will have to explain the comment. 
 

Given only 3 managers have been appointed during FSG’s ownership, I’m not sure which other way to interpret the comment.
 

 

 

Think he meant Hodgson and Roggo.

[Anubis]

22 hours ago, dave u said:

 

If I wasn't so certain he's going to Madrid next year I'd agree. If this time next year he's turning down Madrid to stay at Leverkusen then yeah, good on him. He won't though.

 

Hasn't got the balls to take the job now when we need him, he should never be offered the chance again.

This is the sort of pettiness that I can throw my, not inconsiderable, weight behind.

[VladimirIlyich]

6 hours ago, Arniepie said:

Controversial?It's  absolute bollocks 

I think he might have meant Rodgers,who despite almost winning the league was a bit of a twat in terms of personality versus Klopp or King Kenny.

[Moo]

49 minutes ago, Anubis said:

 

 

Think he meant Hodgson and Roggo.

 

Yeah I did. I didn't mean Kenny, who with hindsight was not a hugely successful appointment and had a very disappointing exit, but I would never describe him in such terms. I don't think of Hodgson much at all, he's not worth it, but when I do I associate him with FSG. Mea culpa.

 

[dave u]

10 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

 

Maybe your view will soften down the road. 

 

My German osteopath absolutely rants and raves about German football during sessions and his view was that always that he would stay which makes me a bit more sanguine. I didn't believe it but everything he said makes sense in retrospect. What he said was that Alonso wouldn't leave in the middle of a project; it had nothing to do with lack of ambition. I was like "yeah but its Liverpool" but it turns out he was right I suppose.   

 

I know its disappointing, I'm certainly disappointed but he isn't doing anything majorly wrong by staying and maybe we could revisit things down the line. 

 

My view will soften if he doesn't end up at Real Madrid in a year's time.

[TD_LFC]

We might get to a point towards the end of next season where we're hoping he goes to Madrid.

 

If he's shut off the opportunity at us or Bayern then realistically it's only Madrid or another Premier League side that he could go to if his reputation continues to rise which would make Madrid the lesser of all the evils.

 

 

 

 

[lebron]

Have to respect him for not jumping at the first opportunity at a bigger club. Might very well be the best for his career. I was totally on board with Alonso succeeding Klopp in 2026, Kloppo leaving early really threw a spanner in the works.

 

Hopefully we won’t need Xabi now, with our new coach being a raving success in his first season….

[Code]

Agree with that, Klopp fucked this wonderful plan up by leaving early. 

[Arniepie]

19 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

I think he might have meant Rodgers,who despite almost winning the league was a bit of a twat in terms of personality versus Klopp or King Kenny.

Fair enough. 

Never a massive fan of Rogers but at the time him and martinez were 2 of the brightest prospects around.