Thierry Henry has hailed one Liverpool-linked manager as a ‘genius’, and he explained with a detailed analysis as to why.
According to Tuttosport, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi is a possible candidate for the Reds job once Jurgen Klopp leaves at the end of the season.
Prior to the Serie A leaders’ Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, the ex-Arsenal striker talked through his admiration for the 47-year-old’s style of play while on punditry duty for CBS Sports.
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Henry said: “They quite often say that strikers cannot be good managers. Well, he defies logic at the moment because the way he’s setting up his team is second to none. He was known as a cup coach, now he’s going to win the league. We all know that.”
The Frenchman used a clip from Inter’s Champions League group stage match against Real Sociedad to illustrate how they press high, particularly with their two wing-backs, but retreat quickly if that initial press is bypassed.
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Footage from another European game against Benfica showed how they can be devastating on the counterattack when winning the ball in the middle third.
Henry finished his analysis with a clip of their winning goal against Bologna last weekend, when Alessandro Bastoni crossed for Yan Bisseck to score, saying: “I’ve never seen, in open play, 0-0 away, the left centre-back crossing the ball for the right centre-back to score a goal. In my life, I’ve never seen that. This guy, Inzaghi, is a genius!”
Inter’s current campaign under Inzaghi has strong echoes of Liverpool in 2019/20 – running away with the league title but undone by Atletico in the Champions League round of 16.
That uncanny coincidence aside, the 47-year-old has the Nerazzurri playing exciting yet well-organised football, and his use of wing-backs could continue to get the best out of Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold if the Italian were to end up at Anfield.
His inclusion as a possible candidate for the Reds job is quite intriguing, indeed.