Why Liverpool MUST Already Have Klopp Replacement Lined Up, and Who It Should Be

The checklist for candidates

I’m still reeling from the news, but here was my initial reaction this morning:

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Why Liverpool MUST Already Have Klopp Replacement Lined Up, and Who It Should Be

James Pearce just said on The Athletic podcast that the search for Jürgen Klopp’s replacement starts now; but while he may know more than me, based purely on Occam’s Razor, that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

First, Klopp told the club in November.

So surely the process began in November?

Next, with Pep Lijnders announced as leaving along with all of Klopp’s staff (and the interim DoF), that has to mean a decision has been made about Klopp’s staff, whom he isn’t going to be taking on one-year sabbatical with him.

If Lijnders wants to manage, he may take Vitor Matos with him. But if no new manager was provisionally in place (along with his own new staff), someone like Matos was more likely to be offered a continued role at the club, and would not be joining a bigger club if he went with Lijnders. Matos staying would be natural, unless a new manager had their own person in mind.

While new managers bring their own staff, they often like the chance to pick someone at the club for continuity. That isn’t happening.

Someone like Peter Krawietz could be kept on for a year as a transitional person, if Klopp is taking time away from the game. But that hasn’t happened. Again, if no managerial replacement is in place, how could that decision have been made, unless all Klopp’s staff wanted to walk away with him (but if he’s taking time out, do they need to, too?) It’s not like Klopp is leaving under protest; he’s leaving on a high, but exhausted.

Liverpool’s two former Directors of Football are not attached to new clubs, and apparently had some issues with Lijnders’ increased role in transfers.

Could they have been consulting with FSG and Mike Gordon in particular, given their good working relationships? I believe they’re working as general consultants now, and so could they have been consulted? (That’s just a guess, but it would have made sense to consult them back in November.)

I just find it hard to believe that Liverpool would spend three months sitting on this, doing nothing. And then announce it late January, and only start the process then; unless the process is to first find a brand new Director of Football.

Especially with Man United assessing their manager, and various other clubs and managers stuck together (Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, Thomas Tuchel at Bayern), where in time the relationship might sour. Going back to November, none of those managers was in a comfortable position at their club.

I wrote earlier on my separate ZenDen about why Xabi Alonso is the only manager to tick every box.

No One Can Beat Klopp. But Reds Can Still Go From Strength to Strength

The only box he doesn’t tick is Premier League managerial experience, but he understands the Premier League. So it made sense to go through and actually list the boxes, and then tick them.

The new manager must be a good “fit”. Fit is everything; fit is Klopp; anti-fit is Roy Hodgson and David Moyes. It’s not so much that Alex Ferguson left Man United as he replaced himself with a mid-level manager with no personality or charisma, and no track record of success beyond doing well with a lower budget.

It’s even harder succeeding someone like Klopp, so you can’t gamble on mid-tier managers with meek personalities, or who can only play underdog football. This is not about starting a new project with new players; that’s already in place.

You don’t need to tick all boxes, but for now, these are the boxes I’d be looking at:

1. Big Club experience or personality;

2. Liverpool FC connection or the right personality for the job if no prior connection (such as Klopp, Shankly, Benítez, et al.);

3. High-possession, inventive football, in a modern style, with pressing and control, that’s transferable to Liverpool in 2024, to fit with how the team plays right now;

4. Some kind of “bulletproof” identity for the fans to back, if times get tough. That could be stellar CV or connection to the club;

5. Speaks good English, and is a top communicator;

6. Has a proper grounding, and is not a flash in the pan.

7. European competition management experience, which shows ability to rotate and handle midweek-weekend-midweek-weekend slog. This is fairly vital.

8. Major European league experience, and not some obscure league that’s hard to judge.

9. Can work with younger players and improve them, and work within a modern club structure without rocking the boat.

For Alonso, we can say:

1. Nearly 700 games for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain; understanding the pressure, expectation, and knowing what it’s like to play in World Cup finals, Champions League finals, Euros finals, and trying win league titles every year. Some managers will never get to understand that pressure, and unlike your passing ability, it’s a transferable skill from player to manager. Bayer Leverkusen also a fairly big club.

2. Liverpool legend. Would be accepted and given time.

3. Bayer have 61.5% possession this season, second only to Bayern by 0.5%. This is not with a team of super-expensive players, unlike Bayern. Have scored 84 goals and conceded just 20 in all competitions. Not just improving but improving at an astonishing rate.

4. Current stellar reputation as a younger manager is deserved, and strong connection to Liverpool FC. Like Klopp, he’s taken a fairly big German club to the top of the league. Has pre-arranged credit in the bank.

5. Excellent aura. Calm, intelligent, and speaks great English. Not easily ruffled. Knows about pressure.

6. Did three years with Real Sociedad B, learning the ropes. Played under the best coaches. Prior to management, did coaching badges and youth coaching.

7. He took over a Bayer team 2nd-bottom in October 2022, but took them to the Europa League semis and 6th. Now they’re top, 24 wins and three draws in all competitions, when juggling Europe and the Bundesliga, as they did so well under him last season too.

8. He’s doing this in Germany, with a lesser-budget team, and not in a weaker league with a bigger budget.

9. Alonso ticks this box with a lot of younger players at Leverkusen, and working within the German system. Doesn’t seem to court controversy.

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