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

[kennedy81]

Surely Amorim knew the Liverpool job wasn't happening before he spoke to West Ham. That was always my impression. There were never any signs from the club that Amorim was number one choice. It was all media rumours. If he was, they'd have got him.

As for the club's 'no dickhead' policy, wasn't Slot actually sacked from AZ for going behind their backs to talk to Feynoord? Something FSG will surely be aware of, but seemingly not bothered by.

[Draex]

No he wasn’t.

Not that it matteres like!

Anyway, not sure what the big deal is. Edwards and his sporting director want control from the get-go. And really, it’s great for Slot, as he’ll have less to do, and can hopefully for him, elimimate some of the work Klopp had to do which added to his already big work load.

Yep clearly defined roles and responsibilities is key during a refresh.

[Sinyoro]

Which clubs in the Premier League and Europe employ Head Coaches instead of Managers?

[Hazell]

Is Slot happy with the structure though or was conceding power the only way he would get the job.?

He probably thinks he can come in do well and build his powerbase at the club the way Klopp did. The issue is will that result in a power struggle. Rodgers lost out to Edwards and was sacked. Klopp gained more power and Edwards left.

You have absolutely no idea what Slot's thoughts are, there's no need to pretend you do. Fact is, he wants to join and knows what his role will be. Everything else is conjecture.

[Andy82lfc]

They could quite easily put Liverpool into crisis with a new manager if we get the same type of treatment we haave had this season.

Honestly how can it get any worse and if it does it doesn’t make a difference anyway. Only way it’s changing if the club calls the refs club out but as proven with much more important issues like tragedy chanting they are weak as fuck and a total fucking pushover.

[Samie]

Which clubs in the Premier League and Europe employ Head Coaches instead of Managers?

Evrey top tier club in Europe is basically a Head Coach and those clubs employ a Sporting Director.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

As far as the sporting director thing goes, however you phrase it, your coach must want to play who you sign, that's it.

At the top level there's no strong arming people to a positive outcome, if you're here then you're a tough character, including the likes of Rodgers. Trying to strong arm them into playing the Sporting Director's picks will only lead to sabotage and conflict.
If I were to speculate, where it failed last time was Klopp became too powerful imo due to his success, the likes of Nunez and Gakpo were signed over the heads of the SD and team. They rightly left.
This time round, sure let the SD and his scouts and analysts pick players for positions the coach wants, offer him the list, let him pick. If he has suggestions, you analyse the player, then you give your decision. Make sure you stick to that even if Slot wins the treble first season, follow through on the mutual agreement for a player process, maintain that good relationship.

[Samie]

Is Slot happy with the structure though or was conceding power the only way he would get the job.?

He probably thinks he can come in do well and build his powerbase at the club the way Klopp did. The issue is will that result in a power struggle. Rodgers lost out to Edwards and was sacked. Klopp gained more power and Edwards left.

Which manager worth his salt at which club isn't working under a Sporting Director?

[CS111]

If he likes, attacking, high tempo football, do we have a team capable of this.
If the answer is yes, then why arent we playing that style of football now, where did the heavy metal football go and why.

[Draex]

As far as the sporting director thing goes, however you phrase it, your coach must want to play who you sign, that's it.

At the top level there's no strong arming people to a positive outcome, if you're here then you're a tough character, including the likes of Rodgers. Trying to strong arm them into playing the Sporting Director's picks will only lead to sabotage and conflict.
If I were to speculate, where it failed last time was Klopp became too powerful imo due to his success, the likes of Nunez and Gakpo were signed over the heads of the SD and team. They rightly left.
This time round, sure let the SD and his scouts and analysts pick players for positions the coach wants, offer him the list, let him pick. If he has suggestions, you analyse the player, then you give your decision. Make sure you stick to that even if Slot wins the treble first season, follow through on the mutual agreement for a player process, maintain that good relationship.

Think it started with the Hendo contract, Edwards clearly thought he was about to start the decline, Klopp wanted his captain to stay and got involved and Hendo ended on a massive contract for 4 more years. I'd imagine that shifted power to Klopp and Edwards left.

I really think (hope) we will go back to the early years of Klopp, Edwards and Gordon where we got Mane, Salah, Firmino, everyone working together.

[RedSince86]

Surely Amorim knew the Liverpool job wasn't happening before he spoke to West Ham. That was always my impression. There were never any signs from the club that Amorim was number one choice. It was all media rumours. If he was, they'd have got him.

As for the club's 'no dickhead' policy, wasn't Slot actually sacked from AZ for going behind their backs to talk to Feynoord? Something FSG will surely be aware of, but seemingly not bothered by.

To be fair, Slot had 1 year left at AZ and told them he would go to them the following summer, he was going to see the season out at AZ, but the Board got slighted by him talking to them and sacked him on the spot.

No betrayal there from what i can see.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Think it started with the Hendo contract, Edwards clearly thought he was about to start the decline, Klopp wanted his captain to stay and got involved and Hendo ended on a massive contract for 4 more years. I'd imagine that shifted power to Klopp and Edwards left.

I really think (hope) we will go back to the early years of Klopp, Edwards and Gordon where we got Mane, Salah, Firmino, everyone working together.

Yeah the signings, the more solid team on the pitch. That was the peak.

[Sinyoro]

Evrey top tier club in Europe is basically a Head Coach and those clubs employ a Sporting Director.

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?

[wemmick]

Good if he is just a coach. Perhaps the job won't burn him out quickly.

[Barefoot Doctor]

Wouldn’t read much into the head coach thing. Different than Klopp’s title, but not sure there’ll be any huge distinction in Slot’s responsibilities and Klopp’s when he joined in 2015. From a recruitment POV, I imagine Slot will have a voice round the table and be able to veto players he doesn’t want. If not, that’s a problem but can’t see why Edwards/Hughes would want that anyway.

[Samie]

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?

Florentino Perez really but they have a Sporting Director too.

[killer-heels]

Wouldn’t read much into the head coach thing. Different than Klopp’s title, but not sure there’ll be any huge distinction in Slot’s responsibilities and Klopp’s when he joined in 2015. From a recruitment POV, I imagine Slot will have a voice round the table and be able to veto players he doesn’t want. If not, that’s a problem but can’t see why Edwards/Hughes would want that anyway.

Yep and he was/is involved in everything at Feyenoord.

[mattD]

Surely Amorim knew the Liverpool job wasn't happening before he spoke to West Ham. That was always my impression. There were never any signs from the club that Amorim was number one choice. It was all media rumours. If he was, they'd have got him.

As for the club's 'no dickhead' policy, wasn't Slot actually sacked from AZ for going behind their backs to talk to Feynoord? Something FSG will surely be aware of, but seemingly not bothered by.

My thinking is there may have been discussions with Amorim amongst others, but Amorim would have been in the dark as to who the other targets were.

Maybe he was optimistic about his chances, knew he was in demand, thought Liverpool were debating it, and then tried to bluff us with the West Ham move. Maybe its entirely unrelated, maybe the club only ever approached Slot. But its a strange strange move from Amorim regardless.

[Eeyore]

Which manager worth his salt at which club isn't working under a Sporting Director?

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.

[Pie Eyed]

He hasn't even started yet and some of our supporters are already forensically analysing his every action.
Give it a rest, we have plenty other issues to worry about at the moment

"Forensically analysing his every action" ??

All I did was to call an obviously indiscrete man, indiscrete. (Unless the club have given him permission to speak openly, which would be odd?)

If the club are fine with that, then so be it, and it doesn't affect me one way or the other.

I'm just surprised, as we have been a "closed shop" for years as far as the media are concerned, until any deal is done.

I just hope he's better at saying nothing when it comes to the inevitable "so who are you looking to sign" questions, otherwise the price for whoever he names is liable to shoot up, and other teams will have notice of our intention.

[Samie]

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.

It's all the same thing mate. You don' t know if it's changing or not.

Slot will get a say, Michael Edwards hasn't gone full Dictator... just yet.

[mattD]

It's all the same thing mate. You don' t know if it's changing or not.

Slot will get a say, Michael Edwards hasn't gone full Dictator... just yet.

All hail Chairman Edwards!

[TepidT2O]

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.

Does it?

How do you know?

[DLF]

Which clubs in the Premier League and Europe employ Head Coaches instead of Managers?

Manchester City
Arsenal
arguably Liverpool 2016-2022
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen
Paris Saint-Germain
Ajax
Porto
Benfica
...

It's actually hard to find a club that doesn't!

[stockdam]

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.

I think it could be a problem if the two of them don’t work together. If the coach doesn’t rate too many of the players brought in then that could lead to a problem. The coach knows what tactics and style he wants but if the Sporting Director tries to impose a different style then the coach will lose interest.

[darragh85]

I should have expanded on my earlier post. For the record i wasnt writing him off. im just not sure we can actually win the league again no matter who the manager is.

Best of luck to him regardless. 

[slotmachine]

Slot will have a veto for any signing like Klopp had i would imagine. He is the man responsible to fit the player into the team and develop on the training ground. Slot has a reputation of improving and developing players like Klopp so he should have the final say and a big part in the decision making of the recruitment process.

[Eeyore]

As far as the sporting director thing goes, however you phrase it, your coach must want to play who you sign, that's it.

At the top level there's no strong arming people to a positive outcome, if you're here then you're a tough character, including the likes of Rodgers. Trying to strong arm them into playing the Sporting Director's picks will only lead to sabotage and conflict.
If I were to speculate, where it failed last time was Klopp became too powerful imo due to his success, the likes of Nunez and Gakpo were signed over the heads of the SD and team. They rightly left.
This time round, sure let the SD and his scouts and analysts pick players for positions the coach wants, offer him the list, let him pick. If he has suggestions, you analyse the player, then you give your decision. Make sure you stick to that even if Slot wins the treble first season, follow through on the mutual agreement for a player process, maintain that good relationship.

Ward announced he was leaving in the November. We showed no interest in Gakpo whatsoever until he played as a false 9 in the World Cup and then was available on the cheap because PSV had financial difficulties during the following January.

[Eeyore]

Slot will have a veto for any signing like Klopp had i would imagine. He is the man responsible to fit the player into the team and develop on the training ground. Slot has a reputation of improving and developing players like Klopp so he should have the final say and a big part in the decision making of the recruitment process.

If Slot had a veto then he would be the manager and not the head coach. IF Slot was going to get a veto and be in charge of signings then I doubt the recruitment team would be leaking about Nunez being a Klopp signing.

[TepidT2O]

If Slot had a veto then he would be the manager and not the head coach. IF Slot was going to get a veto and be in charge of signings then I doubt the recruitment team would be leaking about Nunez being a Klopp signing.

You have an absolutely  no idea if this is true or not.

[killer-heels]

If Slot had a veto then he would be the manager and not the head coach. IF Slot was going to get a veto and be in charge of signings then I doubt the recruitment team would be leaking about Nunez being a Klopp signing.

Nunez seems like an obvious case of us wanting a striker and Klopp and Ljinders saying they want him only.

[KC7]

If he likes, attacking, high tempo football, do we have a team capable of this.
If the answer is yes, then why arent we playing that style of football now, where did the heavy metal football go and why.

Jurgen let the midfield get too old and slow, and we ended up being more Karen Carpenter than Ozzy Osbourne.

Don't know if it was loyalty to great servants ala Shanks, or there were financial restrictions in the summer '22 window so his hands were tied, either way it needed new blood in midfield. Fabinho (and less shocking Henderson as he was already on the wane) getting bypassed so easily must have been a real shock to the system for Jurgen. Basically a write off that season.

We are completely stacked with 8s now so that area is sorted. Gravenberch looked the part at times today. Mac we know is class, Jones was our first choice midfielder at Christmas before the injury lay off, and Dom when he was fresh started off like a house on fire, great engine, no doubts about him either. Jurgen needed an extra summer to get the midfield sorted (likely would have done had he acted in '22) as it was too much in one go. Hopefully Slot can finish the job in regards to the 6.

Slot has a penchant for rapid wingers who specialise in one vs one duels by all accounts so thats an area that should get sorted too. Doak I think will be a huge asset also in that department. Nunez is rapid, as is Diaz, and Mo (if he stays) showed some real pace today for the first time since he came back.

The intensity I think will return when the new man comes in as thats his game.

[Eeyore]

You have an absolutely  no idea if this is true or not.

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.

[Eeyore]

Jurgen let the midfield get too old and slow, and we ended up being more Karen Carpenter than Ozzy Osbourne.

Don't know if it was loyalty to great servants ala Shanks, or there were financial restrictions in the summer '22 window so his hands were tied, either way it needed new blood in midfield. Fabinho (and less shocking Henderson as he was already on the wane) getting bypassed so easily must have been a real shock to the system for Jurgen. Basically a write off that season.

We are completely stacked with 8s now so that area is sorted. Gravenberch looked the part at times today. Mac we know is class, Jones was our first choice midfielder at Christmas before the injury lay off, and Dom when he was fresh started off like a house on fire, great engine, no doubts about him either. Jurgen needed that extra summer to get the midfield sorted (likely would have done had he acted in '22) as it was too much in one go. Hopefully Slot can finish the job.

Slot has a penchant for rapid wingers who specialise in one vs one duels by all accounts so thats an area that should get sorted too. Doak I think will be a huge asset also in that department. Nunez is rapid, as is Diaz, and Mo (if he stays) showed some real pace today for the first time since he came back.

The intensity I think will return when the new man comes in as thats his game.

I think the fact that FSG had to sell off a chunk of the club to fund the acquisition of a new midfield speaks volumes. Add in the fact that we allowed all three of Mane, Salah and Firmino to run down their deals meant the transfer budget went on rebuilding the attack.

[Redbonnie]

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.

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

[KC7]

I think the fact that FSG had to sell off a chunk of the club to fund the acquisition of a new midfield speaks volumes. Add in the fact that we allowed all three of Mane, Salah and Firmino to run down their deals meant the transfer budget went on rebuilding the attack.

True. Had forgot about the work done on the forward line that summer, plus Diaz had come in in the January. In all likelihood it was restrictions then. Jurgen is the least complaining manager out there, so the owners have got off scot free far more than they would have done with anyone else at the helm. He wasn't a yes man, it was just his nature to get on with things and make the best of it, even to the detriment of his job (the infamous January '21 window).

What he has produced here under the circumstances has been sensational.

[CS111]

The team obviously needs tweaks here and there. Most will agree we over achieved this season, lots of v late goals to cover up our all round general play.
We are way too static and predictable to play against at times compared to a few years ago when we were nearly the opposite and unplayable at times.
Another interesting summer lies ahead. I just hope fsg open the cheque book because this current team,  good as it is, doesn't have the players capable of putting teams to the sword game after game. Also we have the CL this season

[rob1966]

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

I was watching the announcement interview 2 days ago and he said it was planning next seasons signings and summer camp at this seasons summer camp that made him realise he wouldn't be here anymore. Like you say, he's doing too much and its wiped him out.

[Simplexity]

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.

[killer-heels]

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.

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