Topic: LFC's next manager - chat and informed speculation

[elkun]

Thanks Samie.

It looks like Madrid have been doing it for a long time isn't it,  just buying players for the coach to build a team.

Who actually has the final say at Madrid on which players to buy?

I think Real has a policy of buying the best young players in every position. They probably have a team for that. I dont think the coach has much to say about the transfer there.

[Caligula?]

Michael Edwards has take full control of the club.

[Eeyore]

Mate, Klopp was appointed as head coach when he first joined. The reason why he is leaving is because he is fully drained and for me I think it's because he tried to take on too much responsibility. This is not a criticism of him but I do feel had he not taken on extra responsibility and left the off-field stuff to those that were orginally put in charge, he wouldn't been leaving imo

Klopp was appointed as manager not head coach. From the official site.

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/jurgen-klopp-announces-decision-step-down-liverpool-manager-end-season

Klopp was appointed as Liverpool manager on October 8, 2015. It was a decision that would revolutionise the club and establish it as a force at home and abroad once more.


The reason he had to take on so much is because Edwards and Ward walked away and Gordon stood back to sort out a sale of the club.

[Simplexity]

Thiago is literally the last world class player we went for and even thats a Klopp signing.

Would have never left Bayern for us.

Also a lot of the great deals we have done, like the Mac Allister one, was aided greatly by the fact that players are desperate to play for Klopp and will not consider other options limiting the selling club greatly in options.

[killer-heels]

Would have never left Bayern for us.

Also a lot of the great deals we have done, like the Mac Allister one, was aided greatly by the fact that players are desperate to play for Klopp and will not consider other options limiting the selling club greatly in options.

Mac Allister comes to Liverpool even if Klopp is not here.

[whiteboots]

Rodgers and Klopp had the final say on transfers.

The Board has the final say on transfers.

Rodgers influence, quite rightly, was considerably less than Jurgen's. Their pedigree was wholly different.

[Simplexity]

Mac Allister comes to Liverpool even if Klopp is not here.

Maybe, but not for the same cut price deal that we got.

[Keith Lard]

Honestly the biggest problem I have is that our biggest pull by far is walking out the door.

Without Klopp we would have never signed the likes of VVD, Allison. The genuine world class difference makers. This is something that a guy from Bournemouth or Arne Slot will not be able to replicate no matter what happens.

That’s changed now. VVD and Alisson would sign for Liverpool now under Slot if the “project” sounds right. But back then, we needed a Klopp to pull such players.

[TepidT2O]

This is what is being briefed to journalists.

Jonathan Northcroft
Saturday April 27 2024, 6.45pm, The Times

Arne Slot will be appointed as Liverpool’s new head coach rather than manager as Anfield prepares for a shift away from the traditional British football club structure.

The Dutchman, 45, is expected to be happy with that status, having spent his coaching career working in the same head coach/sporting director model that Liverpool are poised to adopt.

Like all the candidates Liverpool spoke to during their process of recruiting Jürgen Klopp’s successor, Slot is presently a head coach rather than a manager. The plan is for him to focus on coaching and preparing Liverpool’s first team while reporting to a sporting director, Richard Hughes, who will oversee recruitment and other aspects of the football department.

Above them both will sit Michael Edwards, the former Liverpool sporting director who returned to the club last month as chief executive of football. Liverpool believe the new structure is more appropriate to the complexities and demands of the modern game and that it will give the man in charge of their first team — the head coach — more support to do his job, not less.

errr. Where?

[TepidT2O]

Maybe, but not for the same cut price deal that we got.

He had a buyout clause

[Samie]

I love Al, basically creates things out of his imagination to dig a trench to fight in. 

[Samie]

Maybe, but not for the same cut price deal that we got.

What? He had a buy out clause yer fool.  Also Liverpool Football Club is bigger than one man no matter how great he was.

[TepidT2O]

I love Al, basically creates things out of his imagination to dig a trench to fight in. 

I mean Al might be right.  He might be.  We might have changed the way the club operates so the coach has no input into signing players.

But he has zero evidence of that.

[Samie]

I mean Al might be right.  He might be.  We might have changed the way the club operates so the coach has no input into signing players.

But he has zero evidence of that.

He might be but I think Slot will still have a say in who we get.  Like I said earlier Michael Edwards hasn;t gone full Dictator just yet. 

[Eeyore]

The Board has the final say on transfers.

Rodgers influence, quite rightly, was considerably less than Jurgen's. Their pedigree was wholly different.

This was Ian Ayre a member of the board.

"There's only one person who has the final say on players at Liverpool FC, and right now that's Jurgen Klopp. That’s always been the case - certainly all the time I’ve been at the club,"

[Samie]

Al, the first player we might buy of the Slot era could be from Feyenoord.  Just telling you now.

[DLF]

Wouldn’t be many big managers happy with that, explains why we have gone for a lottery winner.

I can only think of one 'big manager' and you are right, he'd want full control of the petty cash tin.  Maybe Edwards composed the job description to make sure he didn't get on the list.  Y'know, just in case he slipped through the vetting process - obsessed with LFC (tick), familiar with the area (tick), PL experience (tick), big (tick) etc.

[Eeyore]

I mean Al might be right.  He might be.  We might have changed the way the club operates so the coach has no input into signing players.

But he has zero evidence of that.

Klopp's job title was manager and we were categorically told that he had the final say on transfers by a member of the board in Ayre.

We now have a journalist stating that Slot will be a head coach and not manager and that Hughes will oversee recruitment. We have been told that we are moving to a head coach/sporting director model. We are being told that Slot will report to the Sporting Director.

That is a massive seachange, previously Klopp worked alongside the SD and reported to Gordon an owner.

[killer-heels]

Klopp's job title was manager and we were categorically told that he had the final say on transfers by a member of the board in Ayre.

We now have a journalist stating that Slot will be a head coach and not manager and that Hughes will oversee recruitment. We have been told that we are moving to a head coach/sporting director model. We are being told that Slot will report to the Sporting Director.

That is a massive seachange, previously Klopp worked alongside the SD and reported to Gordon an owner.

Yeah I mean it is quite a change if the manager reports to Hughes.

[Pistolero]

This is what is being briefed to journalists.

Jonathan Northcroft
Saturday April 27 2024, 6.45pm, The Times

Arne Slot will be appointed as Liverpool’s new head coach rather than manager as Anfield prepares for a shift away from the traditional British football club structure.

The Dutchman, 45, is expected to be happy with that status, having spent his coaching career working in the same head coach/sporting director model that Liverpool are poised to adopt.

Like all the candidates Liverpool spoke to during their process of recruiting Jürgen Klopp’s successor, Slot is presently a head coach rather than a manager. The plan is for him to focus on coaching and preparing Liverpool’s first team while reporting to a sporting director, Richard Hughes, who will oversee recruitment and other aspects of the football department.

Above them both will sit Michael Edwards, the former Liverpool sporting director who returned to the club last month as chief executive of football. Liverpool believe the new structure is more appropriate to the complexities and demands of the modern game and that it will give the man in charge of their first team — the head coach — more support to do his job, not less.

Not for nothing ....but if that's the case, what exactly has Richard Hughes done to warrant landing such a seemingly central and crucial role at LFC?....apart from his background at Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Grimsby obviously...

[TepidT2O]

Klopp's job title was manager and we were categorically told that he had the final say on transfers by a member of the board in Ayre.

We now have a journalist stating that Slot will be a head coach and not manager and that Hughes will oversee recruitment. We have been told that we are moving to a head coach/sporting director model. We are being told that Slot will report to the Sporting Director.

That is a massive seachange, previously Klopp worked alongside the SD and reported to Gordon an owner.

You say it’s a massive sea change.

I don’t see any evidence of that

[farawayred]

I'm a but with subdued expectations from next season due to both, the change in structure and the choice if a head coach. I think the structure was fine under the earlier Klopp years, where he was the manager, but didn't have that much say in recruitment as he did in the renewed contract. Why not go back to that? It combines (IMHO) the best of both worlds, the continental and traditional British approaches.

[John C]

Reminds me of this.

No disrespect Al, but I'd hate to live 5 minutes in your head. Even if one day there's an eventual divine intervention judgement that you're right.

[PaleBlueDot]

I obviously think Slot will have a say in who he wants. I just think it's back to the position where the recruitment can veto some things that don't make sense. I'm on board with that.

[Samie]

Our first signing could be Geertruida of wait for it...Feyenoord. 

[harleydanger]

Al, the first player we might buy of the Slot era could be from Feyenoord.  Just telling you now.

That would be a silly move. Nearly every time a manager brings a player with him it doesn’t end well

[Eeyore]

Not for nothing ....but if that's the case, what exactly has Richard Hughes done to warrant landing such a seemingly central and crucial role at LFC?....apart from his background at Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Grimsby obviously...

Well my understanding is that Edwards and the recruitment team did a deep dive into the data on all the leading DoF's/SD's on the planet, and were shocked when the data revealed the best candidate was Edwards mate Richard Hughes.

I got this information from Simon Ward the brother of Julian Ward who just happened to be the outstanding candidate for his role under Hughes at Bournemouth. Seems they are a bit like the Warburton family. Data analysts born and bred.

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that after an extensive dive into the data they might even decide that Mark Burchill who just happens to be a mate of Hughes might be the best candidate to be chief scout. Nerdism and Analystism and its finest.

[btroom]

Really hope we don't sign any feyenoord players. that would be first bad sign.

[Eeyore]

No disrespect Al, but I'd hate to live 5 minutes in your head. Even if one day there's an eventual divine intervention judgement that you're right.

To be fair John there is enough spare room.

[John C]

There is a monumental difference though between working under a Sporting Director and alongside one. I would say Guardiola, Arteta, Klopp, Emery, Ange, Ten Hag, Howe etc work alongside DoF their DoF's.

For me that is changing with Slot. Rodgers and Klopp had the final say on transfers. The new structure changes that for me. That is the massive difference.

Listen to the Anfield Index podcast about this subject. It covers it well.
In this respect I actually agree with you about how managers should chose the players. But perhaps I'm and particularly you are dinosaurs.

[Egyptian36]

I think it will be the same like before. The club will prepare a list of players to the manager and he will have the final say. If that's not the case then Slot doesn't deserve to be the manager and will fail.

[Eeyore]

Our first signing could be Geertruida of wait for it...Feyenoord. 

Does that mean we are not getting Frimpong, Wirtz, Hincapie and Gyökeres?

[John C]

Honestly the biggest problem I have is that our biggest pull by far is walking out the door.

I have the utmost disdain for opinions like this who minimise or dilute the enigmatic pulling power of Liverpool Football Club.

[Samie]

Does that mean we are not getting Frimpong, Wirtz, Hincapie and Gyökeres?

The only one we'd want from that list is Wirtz mate and Leverkusen would want close to 100 million this summer. 

[John C]

Not for nothing ....but if that's the case, what exactly has Richard Hughes done to warrant landing such a seemingly central and crucial role at LFC?....apart from his background at Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Grimsby obviously...

We don't have to worry about stuff like that imo mate. Everyone's heads are all over the place at the minute.

[Samie]

Really hope we don't sign any feyenoord players. that would be first bad sign.

That would be a silly move. Nearly every time a manager brings a player with him it doesn’t end well

They have a couple of players we'd seriously be interested in given our data lead approach.  The other one is their centre midfielder. 

[Dim Glas]

People are finding new ways to find a problem with Slot’s appointment. Now the fact he’s happy to carry on working in a set up he’s been working in his whole career is seen as a bad thing. And no other coach worth his salt would want to work in a set-up they’ve been working up to now anyway

at the end of the day, I’m sure Michael Edwards came back on the promise this would be the way things worked.  But it really isn’t an unusual set-up.

[Eeyore]

Listen to the Anfield Index podcast about this subject. It covers it well.
In this respect I actually agree with you about how managers should chose the players. But perhaps I'm and particularly you are dinosaurs.

There are a couple of things John.

Firstly what doesn't get mentioned very often is how often these teams who have a Head Coach/Sporting Director model change their coach. The coach becomes disposable. If you were looking for a parallel in this Country then it would be Chelsea. If you were looking for the top clubs in Europe then you would look at Bayern and Madrid.

It sounds great the Sporting Director building a squad that extends beyond the lifespan of the Coach. The problem is it creates a dressing room with more power than the Coach. Look at how many times the Chelsea, Madrid or Bayern dressing room has downed tools and seen off a Coach.

Instead of the Sporting director being held to account he just blames the Coach for not utilising the players properly.   

[G Richards]

I think we are putting too much emphasis on the switch to Head Coach. I fully expect recruitment to be a collaborative approach, and rightly so. Scouts, data nerds, head coach, sporting director… they will all have a key role to play. The head coach won’t be able to sign just anyone he fancies, to do his mates a favour. And I very much doubt he will have players forced on him he does not want. They are all grown ups, and professionals, and collaboration will be key.

[J-Mc-]

The head coach thing really isn’t as big as people are making out.

No doubt thay Slot will be involved in the recruitment side of things, he’ll have players he wants the scouts to look at who’ll all be judged together with Hughes/Edwards.

Slot will still be involved in recruitment somewhat, just not as involved in the background of it all IMO.