Following the shock announcement that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season Xabi Alonso is the ‘early bookies favourite’ to replace the 56-year-old.
The Spaniard is adored by Kopites after a successful five year playing career at Anfield between 2004 and 2009 and is currently in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
The Bundesliga outfit are four points clear at the top of the German top flight at the moment and are through to the knockout stages of the Europa League having won all six of their group games.
Ahead of his side’s clash with ‘Gladbach tomorrow Alonso spoke to the press just hours after Klopp’s announcement and was quizzed about replacing the former Borussia Dortmund boss in the summer.
“At the moment I’m really happy here, I’m enjoying my work,” he said (as quoted by the Express). “Each day it’s a challenge & we are on a beautiful journey here in Leverkusen. To be honest, I am not in that moment to think about the next step. I am thinking about where I am right now.”
When asked directly if he would be willing to rule out a move to Liverpool at the end of the season, Alonso replied: “That’s a direct question! I don’t have a direct answer. I’m happy here right now, that’s for sure, and only thinking about Leverkusen.”
READ MORE: ‘Early bookies favourite’ to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool now emerges
Alonso is doing a brilliant job in Germany and there are reports of a release clause inserted in the Spaniard’s Leverkusen contract which would allow him to leave the club from this summer onwards if one of Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid make an approach.
Steven Gerrard was the man many expected to replace Klopp when he started his senior managerial career with Glasgow Rangers in 2018.
The Scouser tasted huge success up in Scotland but struggled at Aston Villa and is now of course in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
You’d suspect that there’ll be many names ahead of our former No. 8 in the pecking order to replace the ‘Normal One’ but we’ll just have to wait and see.
There are four trophies for us to win between now and the end of the season before we say farewell to Jurgen.
Loved by Liverpool fans and proving himself at Kaiserslautern so seems a good selection, however, every manager brings their own backroom staff, and their own playing philosophy.
I love the way Liverpool play and the man who has been influential in training and has introduce new ideas on playing, according to Klopp, is Pep. I believe that LFC should look back to keeping everything running smoothly by doing what the club did when Shankly retired and make Pep our new manager.
My answer to having g Pep manager I don’t think that will happen really , Now as for Gerrard look at the last Liverpool player that took the job Graym Sunus he was a flop and I think Aston Villa well there is your answer We need Fresh new thinking Manager to fallow on with klopps way of management to keep us up with there with the best in Europe ,not go back , but go forward
Jurgen he was a genius, he was forward thinking man which means he was five steps ahead of the other managers in the world, so we need to keep winning cups so only the best can do we shouldn’t settle for less that is my opinion Y. N. W. A
They made Pep manager when Shankly retired?
Stevie g not up for the job, I’d go for Alonso
I think so too!!!
New managers bring in their own backroom staff, introduce their ideas on playing and change how they build up to a match. Me, I like the way we play and the players have not only a good understanding of what is require but their position in the league and the cups but know how to carry out what has been taught.
Why change a winning formula? When Shankly resigned there were good English and Foreign managers available but LFC chose Bob Paisley who had no managerial experience, but has there been many more successful managers?
Pep Lijndjers is instrumental in the current managers training, he, as spoken by Klopp in his departure interview, has introduce new playing ideas to help win games. Pep wants to get into management so why when he has the players ,knows the system of playing do we have to throw that away to bring in a new, possible very good manager who will bring in his own way of playing. Take a leaf out of Liverpool’s past , keep a winning formula and promote Pep.
I agree that at this time Gerrard is not to the standard to be a Liverpool manager, maybe one day. As to you saying we cannot go backwards but must go forward with a new manager. With Pep bring in new forward thinking ways to play as acknowledged by Klopp, it seems that because the idea to promote from within happened in the past it is somehow not forward thinking. Analyse what we do and explain why it would be detrimental to promote Pep.