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

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I'm fairly relaxed about this news, it's going to be a gamble, whoever we choose.  No real dead cert options out there right now and taking over at Liverpool could either swallow someone whole or turn out to be a marriage made in heaven, and that applies to all the people we're linked with.

I'm open-minded about the whole thing, and we'll get behind the manager, whoever it is.

I am no longer relaxed because now it really is clear that the options are not good at all. Our choice is Amorim who is a big risk, and then just not good whatsoever, midtable managers.

It's frankly a bleak managerial market. I truly fear of we don't win the league this year, we aren't getting near it for a long time

We gamble with a good chance of falling short, or we cash out and settle on not challenging for a while. That's it really

[Cracking Left Foot]

Lads, I’ll be in Formby this weekend as that’s where my family are, and I usually go to the Freshie (Jurgen’s local) for a couple of pints with some mates. More than willing to get him in a headlock and beg him to stay a couple more seasons until Xabi’s ready if that’s what it takes.

[Eeyore]

I am no longer relaxed because now it really is clear that the options are not good at all. Our choice is Amorim who is a big risk, and then just not good whatsoever, midtable managers.

It's frankly a bleak managerial market. I truly fear of we don't win the league this year, we aren't getting near it for a long time

We gamble with a good chance of falling short, or we cash out and settle on not challenging for a while. That's it really

There is a manager out there who has won trophies in 5 different countries, has won a European trophy with 5 different clubs, has won 8 League titles, and is currently out of work and looking for a new job.

[ScubaSteve]

How stressful can this Liverpool job be…come on Jürgen, you know you’ve made a mistake.

[Sonofthewind]

I think sometimes the way we look at managers is too binary. Good/bad, when the circumstances and environment play a huge factor in a person's success. Hopefully with Edwards, Hughes and others wer'e creating exactly that. A platform for a "good" or up and coming manager to thrive.

This news is also interesting in that clearly we're not far down the process as some thought we would be considering Klopp informed people a few months ago. ( Some of it understandable given vacuum of some decision makers).

I believe Hughes was a big admirer of De Zerbi for a while? But noises are Edwards prefers Amorim?

Just goes to show maybe hanging off every word of a 5+ year old interview from Xabi doesn't count for that much. 

[mattD]

There is a manager out there who has won trophies in 5 different countries, has won a European trophy with 4 different clubs, and is currently out of work and looking for a new job.

Imagine if he got his agents to sound Liverpool out. He was looking for a job, and then he found a job, and heaven knows we're miserable now.

[killer-heels]

Amorim and Nagelsmann have both won and competed in the Champions League. You can caveat their wins all whatever you like, but they’ve still done it and that has to help them if they’re to come here and compete as we expect.

De Zerbi for me is the biggest risk but he’s probably the one I know most about, have followed the closest and the one that seems to have a far greater level of respect within the game than he does on this forum or social media. He might be the biggest risk but possibly has the most potential for me. Premier league experience is also invaluable.

Got through into the knockout rounds before getting thrashed by City in 2021-22. Came third in a fairly poor CL group in 22-23 but did twat Spurs.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

There is a manager out there who has won trophies in 5 different countries, has won a European trophy with 5 different clubs, has won 8 League titles, and is currently out of work and looking for a new job.

A knobhead and a dinosaur tactically. Would be a dark fucking day if he graces our football club

[Evil Red]

I'd bet my left nut Xabi hasn't revealed his plans to anybody yet.

Joyce doesn't know what Xabi is thinking or what could really be going on behind the scenes.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Oh fuck I just scared myself at the idea of the new Bournemouth crew in our club trying to get the gang back together with Beheaddie Howe

[Dim Glas]

I'd bet my left nut Xabi hasn't revealed his plans to anybody yet.

Joyce doesn't know what Xabi is thinking or what could really be going on behind the scenes.

What does that matter? I doubt he wrote that story with any input from Alonso 

It’s the club that’s let him run with it. 

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I'd bet my left nut Xabi hasn't revealed his plans to anybody yet.

Joyce doesn't know what Xabi is thinking or what could really be going on behind the scenes.

He's off to Madrid either 2025 or 2026

[Samie]

Oh fuck I just scared myself at the idea of the new Bournemouth crew in our club trying to get the gang back together with Beheaddie Howe

What crew? A Sporting Director and a scout who would be working under our Head Scouts. 

[Sonofthewind]

I'm happy to be called a biased deluded fool ( in many cases), maybe because I was hoping for the romance reunion, and I'm just a bit disappointed.  But weirdly similar to Lavia, I understand the reasons but think as objectively as possibly Liverpool really could have been the making of their respective careers.

[Fromola]

I am no longer relaxed because now it really is clear that the options are not good at all. Our choice is Amorim who is a big risk, and then just not good whatsoever, midtable managers.

It's frankly a bleak managerial market. I truly fear of we don't win the league this year, we aren't getting near it for a long time

We gamble with a good chance of falling short, or we cash out and settle on not challenging for a while. That's it really

That was the frustrating thing with Klopp announcing he was going. Really thought we were set to win it over the next couple of years with the squad that was being built under Klopp. Now it's back to another transition with another Rodgers type appointment.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

What crew? A Sporting Director and a scout who would be working under our Head Scouts. 

I said I scared myself, not that this was a rational reaction

[Barefoot Doctor]

I'd bet my left nut Xabi hasn't revealed his plans to anybody yet.

Joyce doesn't know what Xabi is thinking or what could really be going on behind the scenes.

Joyce doesn’t know what Xabi is thinking. But he knows what the club are putting out as their view of the situation. Feels completely reasonable to me that there’s been discussions over the international break and we’re now briefing that Alonso won’t be the new manager. Let’s the fans down gently (well, depending on your perspective) ahead of actually appointing a new boss.

[Garlic Red]

Oh fuck I just scared myself at the idea of the new Bournemouth crew in our club trying to get the gang back together with Beheaddie Howe

I said this the other day. A group of blokes who are Arry Redknapp disciples in getting the band back together shocker. Hopefully they can bring that bell from Fratton park and ring it every time Joe Gomez gets the ball to drown out the whoppers shouting shoot.

[Samie]

Sporting Lisbon's last game of the season is 19th May.

[Sonofthewind]

For all the support and backing a new manager needs. I'm not sure I'd ever 100% get behind De Zerbi with that absolute mess of a goatee/beard.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

That was the frustrating thing with Klopp announcing he was going. Really thought we were set to win it over the next couple of years with the squad that was being built under Klopp. Now it's back to another transition with another Rodgers type appointment.

It either ends up the perfect storm or this whole thing goes out with a wimper and we start all over again in 3 or 4 years time, and hope to find the perfect storm again like with Klopp.

Under Klopp I had no doubts this team wins the league again. Without him I hope but realistically don't think this team wins it, I don't think the managerial options are good enough to do it during this teams cycle.

Amorim may show enough promise to keep the job long term but for him to be it I think he needs maybe 4 or 5 years to grown and mature himself before he can challenge for the PL. Maybe he does it right from the get go but I don't think that's a realistic goal for him right now.

[stoa]

We should go for Christian Streich. He's leaving Freiburg at the end of the season and in terms of being a great person, he's as close to Klopp as it gets.

[Samie]

I said this the other day. A group of blokes who are Arry Redknapp disciples in getting the band back together shocker. Hopefully they can bring that bell from Fratton park and ring it every time Joe Gomez gets the ball to drown out the whoppers shouting shoot.

Our Analytics crew aren;t from Portsmouth though, more like Harvard.

[newterp]

Call me crazy but I would be up for Stevie over all these other names being mentioned now

You are crazy. Fortunately I see you were joking.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

We should go for Christian Streich. He's leaving Freiburg at the end of the season and in terms of being a great person, he's as close to Klopp as it gets.

Not necessarily tactically or achievements wise, but as a person he does seem as close as you can get in managers

[Stockholm Syndrome]

For all the support and backing a new manager needs. I'm not sure I'd ever 100% get behind De Zerbi with that absolute mess of a goatee/beard.

Well I think he is the one we end up with. Him or Frank I think

[Sonofthewind]

Well I think he is the one we end up with. Him or Frank I think

I hope the Nivea partnership hands out some freebies then. Think Frank might be the more interesting option, despite seeming like the more unexciting option initially.

[mattD]

Well I think he is the one we end up with. Him or Frank I think

Lampard eh? The mood is really bleak in here tonight!

EDIT: Sorry, just realised you meant Thomas Frank!

[disgraced cake]

I'm happy to be called a biased deluded fool ( in many cases), maybe because I was hoping for the romance reunion, and I'm just a bit disappointed.  But weirdly similar to Lavia, I understand the reasons but think as objectively as possibly Liverpool really could have been the making of their respective careers.

I think it's so much different for a manager in though. Let's say he done 18 months with Bayern and Real and ultimately gets the bullet before Liverpool ever come in for him. He'd probably walk out of each side with a league title under his belt which is still pretty good experience. In fact I was sort of hoping Klopp stayed until 2026 and he would go to Madrid who'd be bored with him in two years.

There's a lot of people who sound like they really believe Bayern or Real are a step down from Real Sociedad's B side and Bayer Leverkusen. They are objectively two of the biggest five clubs to ever play the sport. He could go to both and 'fail' (whatever you personally think that means) and still have a pretty great future ahead of him. Because of the job he's done with Bayer, he could even go to both of those sides (or Liverpool), fail miserably and still walk into practically every job in the world. He will almost certainly IMO be one of the managers of his day which is why it's even less surprise he wants to go and manage a Madrid side which will be one of the most star studded ever. I think no less of him either way.

[Evil Red]

Fuck this, I'm going on X to call Joyce a liar for pissing on our chips.

Just kidding I'm not on X. You lot are probably right, yeah.

I just keep hearing 'doubters to believers' in my head though...

PLEASE XABI YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE!!!

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I hope the Nivea partnership hands out some freebies then. Think Frank might be the more interesting option, despite seeming like the more unexciting option initially.

He has at least shown some level of tactical flexibility from Championship to Premier League. Now it is much easier to be an attacking team in the Championship than the PL, but unlike De Zerbi he at least seems aware that you can make changes so that you DON'T get battered playing one style even when it doesn't auit

[Samie]

Well I think he is the one we end up with. Him or Frank I think

You've really shit the bed tonight. 

[Dazzer23]

I think he might end up regretting that - your stock can rise just as quickly as it can fall, and I'm getting big Leicester vibes from this Leverkusen season. They'll have their best players picked off, and even if they didn't, I think the odds of them replicating this season (unbeaten, title challengers) again next year are slim

He’s been promised the Real job next year, and that’s obviously the one he wants. Him spending next season at Leverkusen is the equivalent of you and I working our notice period.  And like you and I working our notice period, all we’re really doing is looking at the calendar

[amir87]

Can someone check up on Rossi. The last time I was this worried about him was when Dirk Kuyt signed a new contract.

[DarkOfTheManatee]

I can't begrudge a talented manager choosing staying at a smaller team he's elevating rather than jumping ship for a bigger club at the first opportunity. If he's got a genuine connection with Leverkusen and wants to bring them a consistent run of success, that actually makes him more like the kind of manager we'd want in the future.

Let's just get Bielsa in, have one insane rollercoaster season where we beat Man City 6-0 then lose 7-5 to Ipswich, and hope that by summer 2025 either Klopp feels well rested and fancies a return, or Alonso decides he's done all he can at Leverkusen after another domestic cup double.

[Garlic Red]

Joyce doesn’t know what Xabi is thinking. But he knows what the club are putting out as their view of the situation. Feels completely reasonable to me that there’s been discussions over the international break and we’re now briefing that Alonso won’t be the new manager. Let’s the fans down gently (well, depending on your perspective) ahead of actually appointing a new boss.

The club will have been drawing up a list of candidates. Before they can go on to interviews etc they’d have to at least have confirmed interest that the manager wants to come. If he’s not shown any desire to move this early in his career then we move on and find someone who’s ready instead. It says on the Ornstein article they’ve known for some time it was unlikely he was leaving Leverkusen . This for me confirms we’re moving ahead in our process (interviews next or at least preliminary conversations) and will look to seal the appointment, at least verbally, rather soon but the announcement could be months away.

[duvva 💅]

Think I'd take Hodgson over Nagalsmann.

It would be a laugh and he'd be gone quickly.

We’d all be able to get tickets easily at least. Might even get to an away

[Stockholm Syndrome]

You've really shit the bed tonight. 

The stuff around Amorim and the release clause does make it sound like it is a real issue for us, it's a real concern. We may not be willing to pay it out (the highest release clause for a manager ever iirc) for someone who isn't a sure thing.

Nagelsmann isn't even being mentioned for whatever reason (not that I am necessarily against that)

De Zerbi's name is there, and Ornstein keeps mentioning the admirers Frank has in the club.

I think Amorim goes to Chelsea or Barca as we aren't willing to pay out the release clause for someone who is a risk, and we get De Zerbi, or lesser chance Frank (still risks but for significantly less money, if any). I genuinely think that's how it will play out.

Tbf I don't think Amorim is the best thing since sliced bread either. He is the one who isn't an automatic disappointing announcement, but he isn't the standout best man in the world for the job either.

[Trim0582]

Have I missed something regarding Alonso? I have read the posts today saying it's not happening and is pretty much confirmed. Looking at the news online, all I can see is various outlets referencing each other, no quotes , no facts, just speculation. Is there a reason why this is seen as legitimate?

[Garlic Red]

For all the support and backing a new manager needs. I'm not sure I'd ever 100% get behind De Zerbi with that absolute mess of a goatee/beard.