Former Liverpool star and assistant turned pundit Phil Thompson wouldn’t swap Jurgen Klopp for any manager in the world…
But he’d be tempted by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard won everything with Barcelona, dominated Germany with Bayern Munich and is waltzing to the Premier League title with the Citizens this term.
They could also win the League Cup and Champions League, if all goes to plan.
“If you think about box ticking he covers them all,” Thompson told Sky Sports.
“People might say he’s not defensive minded but he identifies the right defenders to suit his system and he sorted out the full-backs. He’s got that value that everybody wants – winning but with a bit of style.”
The difference is that Guardiola has always walked into the best side in the country since leaving Spain.
What he did at Barcelona deserves enormous credit, as he built a world-class team in his own image. (Remember, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and co. were all at the club the year before he arrived and they finished fourth in La Liga.)
But anybody can win a title at Bayern, and although his City team are undeniably impressive, he’s had more funds than any manager in the history of football with which to create it.
Liverpool managers don’t have such funds, and as a result, Klopp is the best possible candidate to deliver us success. It requires more patience, but when it arrives, it’ll be more than worth it.