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We've got to shake all this glum shit off though. There's matches to be won this week and it's not a death. Quite the opposite, he's going off to have a life. And we've got leagues and cups to win. We've all said klopp has never won enough due to the cheats, well here's an opportunity to put some of that right - we're in one final, doing sound in the other domestic competition with a nice home tie and lots of PL teams sure to be out by the end of this round, we'd be one of the favourites in the CL let alone the Europa and for once we have our noses in front of city AND they're coming to us. Time to get bouncing and hostile. What we need now is an aggressive Liverpool fan base, make anfield as hostile as we can. Smash Norwich tomorrow, fuck Chelsea on Wednesday before our away support get down to the Emirates and carry that support on to help the team finish the week with 3 wins.

Been mentioned a few times. Could do a poll but there are so many. For me beating Barcelona 4-0 in 2019. My dad was at deaths door at the time, he told me before the match we'd win 4-0. I put it down to the amount of morphine he was on. Just unreal to come back like that. We won number 6 two days after his funeral.

I knew Guardiola would be a great manager if he wanted to before he retired, I knew Alonso would be a great manager if he wanted to before he retired, you can see some players have it in them by the way they understand the game itself. This is a no brainer, the talk about him needing more experience is a bit daft. He started coaching in the Real Madrid youth system, then he went back to Sociedad and the B team, then he went to Leverkusen. He’s been playing at Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, he’s won everything there is to win apart from the PL as a player. He got pretty close in his last season for us though. He’s been working under managers like Toshack, Benitez, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Guardiola, Inaki Saez, Aragones and Del Bosque, you would think a player with his football brain and capacity would be able to understand and develop based on working in these professional conditions from 2000 when he got into the Sociedad first team until he retired in 2017 at Bayern. Can some of the names who have been brought forward as more experienced coaches even get close to the actual football experience Alonso has got at the highest level? What Mourinho said in 2010: “He has the quality that a ‘metronome’ should have. I’m sure that when he hangs up his boots he will be a great coach if he wants to. He reminds me of Pep Guardiola when I had him as a player. He was already a coach on the pitch.” What Alonso said in 2019: Of course, I have taken a lot from all of them. I've been lucky enough to experience great clubs, with great players, great team-mates and great managers," Alonso said. "I've always tried to be close to them, to understand how and why they make decisions. You learn from that but you need to build your own personality - it's not a copy and paste thing this manager's job. You need to build your own ideas and believe in them to be able to transmit that idea and that's what I'm trying to do. "Occasionally I call them (his former managers). I try to keep in touch with some of them that I have a good relationship with. "That's the good thing that you have after 18 years playing football, I have been lucky to have contact with John Toshack, with Jose Mourinho, with Pep Guardiola, with Vicente Del Bosque." Here is Alonso discussing Guardiola and Mourinho tactics with Carra in 2016.

I reckon Guardiola would love to be our manager. I'd sound him out, see if he's interested. He'd need to quit City first though because there's no way they'd let him talk to us. Get everything agreed with him on the quiet, let him quit City and say he's achieved everything and needs a fresh challenge. The only thing is we'd need to keep it all hush hush and not let City have any sniff of what's going on until the day he comes in to sign the contract. And on that day I'd have the press conference unveiling Alonso.

To all the various Blueshite, Mancs and Cockneys having a laugh, go fuck each other in The Brick. Jurgen instilled excellence in this team, we went from Lambert and Ballotelli upfront to the Red Arrows. We won every cup we were eligible to win. We handed out fucking arse tannings to The Blueshite and United by routine. You got slapped like you went to s Christian Brothers school. We are Liverpool Fucking FC and whatever happens now Jurgen Klopp was our manager, and you weren't good enough for him like we are. We will continue booting you round the place you fucking deadbeats. Fuck Off

Hehe

I suspect one of the main reasons it's such a blow is the fact that Klopp managed, amongst so many other things, to make football seem like a proper sport, a proper game, and above all else proper fun again. At a time when so many were absolutely pissed off by the hyped-up tribalism, the obscene amount of money being used to buy success and the increasing pomposity and inasanity of the various governing bodies, Klopp made you just enjoy the sight of fast and frantic footie again. There are a few other managers around who might offer a similar tactical sophistication, even excitement, but they won't bring that simple unforced joy of playing the game. Not even Shanks, Paisley, or Kenny offered that to the same extent. That's an irrecoverable loss.

Yeah, living in Darwin with my daughter atm (monsoon time). Been here for 3 months. previously in Tasmania with my son for a year, after 47 yrs in QLD. I'm missing Liverpool more and more. This forum is my connection, Thanks.

I won't say it feels like a death in the family as I'm all too familiar with that feeling and saying it about a man I've never met is a bit too melodramatic (for me, other people are entitled to their own feeling). It does, however, feel like a really good mate moving away and knowing he is never coming back. Can't help but think about all those special moments (Dortmund, Barcelona, no. 6, no. 19, battering United repeatedly, beating Everton in the cup with a team of children haha) and feeling things will never have that same magic again, no matter who comes in. As has been said, you can replace the coach, but you can never replace the man. Love the man to bits and hope he can find the rest and normalcy he is looking for. No one deserves it more.

At some clubs the manager is really the first team coach and that is it. At a huge club like Liverpool, especially Liverpool, historically as the manager, you are the face and voice of the club. The boss. De Zerbi and a few others mentioned seem like coaches. Alonso has the charisma and gravitas to be a coach and manager of Liverpool Football Club.

Gnasher still spectacularly missing the part where the Far-Right across the globe were emboldened by the UK Referendum and that the Labour Party have to move to the right in the UK to win votes and an election.

What I've taken from what he's said today, he was pretty ready to go after last season, but we didn't want to sack him (the fans and fsg both wanted him here) and he didn't want to leave us in that state. Once he's seen the foundations for the new team were in place, he's thought I just need to enjoy this and then get out. Fair play to him, his own health and wellbeing must come first and if his heart isn't in it, I could imagine he becomes half the manager. It's devastating news and something I've been dreading for years. He really is a genius, he's a wonderfully gifted football manager and then is a fantastic human being, which helps him drag every ounce of talent and effort out of the players, while simultaneously being the fella every one of us would pick to go for a pint with before anyone else on the planet. The next manager, no matter how talented, has impossible shoes to fill. I look out there and I've genuinely no idea where we would go next.

It's been a fuckling privilege to have gone on this journey with him. I am so grateful to him for bringing the joy back. It's a fucking great big fairy story. Rocks up. Says he is normal. Tells everyone that if they want success they need to buck-up! Wins everything. God bless, you massive fucking legend. Hope all your future endeavours bring you happiness.

Jurgen Klopp dropped a bombshell on us this morning with the news he was leaving at the end of the season, so we recorded this emergency podcast to try and make some sense of it all. TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Julian Richards and Stu Montagu, while there are drop ins from a couple of other lads as we discuss the whys, wherefores and what nexts. What started out as a serious, sombre discussion descended into chaos thanks to interruptions from cats, home smart speaker systems and the distraction of a Xabi Alonso press conference. View full article

Spirit Of The Ewes.

Sometimes I think I love Everton, they always cheer me up when I'm feeling down. The Klopp news this week was pretty saddening along come Everton to the rescue, ensuring another year passes by without any silverware :0)

Just thought I'd post a quick ha fucking ha. That is all. Cunts

You can always count on one thing when Liverpool are on a downer.

Oh, Everton! Trophyless again.

That's Numberwang!

He thought that through. He planned it and decided "Yes. That'll be good. I will do that."

The one where we batter Wolves and win the league at home.

I think we have to take a chance on Xabi, not for nostalgic reasons (though it helps he was a red), but he might just be the new outstanding coach of his generation. He'd get time here to implement his ideas and will inherit a great squad of players. Of course no one knows for sure how it will go for him I think it's worth a shot.

I don't think Alonso is popular just because he played for us. When he signed for us, he watched us before playing and was telling benitez what was wrong with the team. He was already showing signs as a good thinker in the game then. He then went on to have one of the most incredible careers. He worked for most of the best managers of his generation. He's got off to an absolute belter of a start at Leverkusen. He has some of the things I place that make you think he could be right, there's just no doubting it's early for him. But when he was a player, he played like a 30 year old when he was 22. Alonso would be one of the leading (in fact the leading) young managers candidates for this job without his Liverpool history. Him knowing the league and the club is a bonus and maybe helps make up for some of his lack of experience as a manager. I feel that is all a bit of a swings and roundabouts thing though. There's no doubt if there were faultless CL winning managers available with enourmous character, Alonso wouldn't be in the running yet. But looking at the field of runners, we are going to need to make a compromise somewhere. For instance, Emery is another front runner..but he was a flop at arsenal. His PSG record is ok, but it's one horse town territory. And have you listened to him? He doesn't really have any communication skills at all. That might have been ok for Bob on the 70s. I don't know that can work now. Honestly , can you think of any manager out there who doesn't come with some question marks? Even ancelotti went to Everton, which makes you question his sanity.

The last 5 minutes of the final was some of the best tv I’ve ever seen. All of us in my house shouting at the telly.

We knew we were lucky to have him and get 7 or more seasons out of his reign. I can completely understand it when somebody like him has said 'enough is enough' and needs a break. I think his stepping down is symptomatic of a game that's changed so much that it was only him,Klopp,keeping it worth watching. I don't watch any other football outside our games and that was largely down to Klopp.

Leverkusen were 2nd from bottom when he took over in early October. They won only one of their first four matches under Alonso but then won 38 points in 17 games. They then fell off a cliff at the end of the season drawing 3 and losing 2 of the final 5 games, but 4th (Champions League) was unattainable at that stage, so there wasn't much to play for. They lost the semi-final of the Europa League to a Mourinho masterclass (dourfest) 1-0. This season they have won 15 and drawn 3 (to Bayern, 3rd placed Stuttgart and 5th placed Dortmund) from 18 games in the league. They have scored 50 goals and conceded just 14. He has achieved this while spending just £22m net. He speaks three languages which would help. He just seems the real deal.

Fantastic TV, had to pause it a load of times to just shout "what are you doing" at the TV with the missus.

Last of the Summer Whine

From Hansard: Dame Caroline Dineage MP, Chair of Culture, Media and Sports Committee: We welcome Mr Masters' contrition and willingness to set the record straight with regard to his description of Everton Football Club as a "small" club. Richard Masters: I thank the honourable lady for the opportunity to clarify that my language which was careless, and without due thought. If it pleases the committee, I would like to confirm that Everton are not a "small" club. I meant to say "small time club". Thank you.

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

Well duh. Could it BE any more obvious?

“the rest of NATO…..they’re a glorified crew”.

I'm not laughing, you're laughing

Immense rant

Oh, absolutely.

Embarrassing inhuman fuckwits! Just get relegated you mongrel cunts!

My only real regret is that I wish he had just kept to his original contract and gone the same time anyway. Like Baz I think we need to use this as fuel for the rest of the season, and realise how good a place Jurgen has left us in. I reckon with great replacements for Joel and Thiago, and contracts for Trent and Mo, we could have the best squad in our history.

Though this is what happens when through a combination of state sportswashing and champions league top positions and trophies are monopolised, numerous leagues across Europe and (to a lesser extent) cup competitions are decided before a ball is kicked.

I don't have a problem with an ex-player being given the job, as long as they aren't given the job because they're an ex-player. If Alonso had never played for Liverpool, or even had never played at all, he'd still be talked about as one of the best young managers out there based on what he's done at Leverkusen. It's not like Gerrard where he did well his first few years at Rangers and then has been mediocre ever since.

That's not his phone, that's the Grim Reaper.

I take it this is the same Boris fucking Johnson who hid in a fridge to avoid a tv interview

Would be a huge loss to football if he doesn't return somewhere.

Anyone speculating about motives, falling outs, anything like that, just watch the video

VID-20240126-WA0002.mp4