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

[The G in Gerrard]

Lee Hendrie suggested Eddie Howe Ahhh that's cheered me up abit.

[killer-heels]

Florian Plettenberg
@Plettigoal
📍Bayer 04 Leverkusen is aware that Xabi #Alonso is on FC Liverpool's list.

➡️ However, at this stage they remain optimistic and assume Alonso won't leave the club in the summer | #LFC

➡️ One reason: Alonso is already fully integrated into the squad planning and is building the squad for the 24/25 season…

His contract is valid until 2026.

Will be interesting to see what the situation is. It could be that the nerds are still analysing who should be the best person for the job and in the case of Alonso may want more data.

[Dim Glas]

Leverkusen sold their best player in the Summer.

they didn't, but they did sell a really good player, and reinvested all the money in other very good players that improved the team.

A lot is made of Xabi taking over a 17th place team last year, but that was a bit deceptive, as that team was also the 3rd or 4th best squad in the league. It was a perfect opportunity, take over a really talented group, that was underperforming horribly.

Not to say he’s not doing impressively, of course he is, but sometimes there is more to the story than just looking at league positions!

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

The more I think about it the more it makes sense and it's exactly the type of profile FSG would be interested in

Based on what? We haven't hired a manager for 9 years, and when we did, it definitely wasn't someone with the profile of Thomas fucking Frank.

[robertobaggio37]

This is it for me. I think there are potential managers out there who could get us playing better football, but can they build that mentality monster culture that allows players to reach heights they otherwise wouldn’t?

Jurgen is a master of the soft skills. He’s hugely emotionally intelligent, and basically everyone he’s managed has adored him. He’s a brilliant communicator too, certainly externally and I imagine he’s unreal behind the scenes.

Has RDZ written all over it because of those reasons imo.

[RJH]

Lee Hendrie suggested Eddie Howe Ahhh that's cheered me up abit.

I was cheered up by something similar on the BBC feed yesterday from a Newcastle fan.

Along the lines of "Liverpool will be in the market for an Elite manager, I hope they stay away from Eddie"

[Kloppage Time]

Would Xabi regard Liverpool FC as a stepping stone to Madrid?
If so I don't want him.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

they didn't, but they did sell a really good player, and reinvested all the money in other very good players that improved the team.

A lot is made of Xabi taking over a 17th place team last year, but that was a bit deceptive, as that team was also the 3rd or 4th best squad in the league. It was a perfect opportunity, take over a really talented group, that was underperforming horribly.

Not to say he’s not doing impressively, of course he is, but sometimes there is more to the story than just looking at league positions!

Interesting. Have you seen Leverkusen's matches this season, how much is their current position due to Xabi's coaching, recruitment versus the squad quality level that was already at champions league contender level (going by 3rd / 4th best in league as you said) that just needed a good set-up.

[The G in Gerrard]

I was cheered up by something similar on the BBC feed yesterday from a Newcastle fan.

Along the lines of "Liverpool will be in the market for an Elite manager, I hope they stay away from Eddie"

He isn't good enough for Newcastle let alone us.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

they didn't, but they did sell a really good player, and reinvested all the money in other very good players that improved the team.

A lot is made of Xabi taking over a 17th place team last year, but that was a bit deceptive, as that team was also the 3rd or 4th best squad in the league. It was a perfect opportunity, take over a really talented group, that was underperforming horribly.

Not to say he’s not doing impressively, of course he is, but sometimes there is more to the story than just looking at league positions!

They were 40/1 to win the Bundesliga at the start of the season with some bookmakers. I imagine their fans would have snapped your hand off for a 4th placed finish?

Not saying they shouldn't have been finishing 4th... but on paper they were a mile off Bayern Munich.

[thejbs]

Would Xabi regard Liverpool FC as a stepping stone to Madrid?
If so I don't want him.

Define stepping stone. You can't expect that a 42 year old will be viewing Liverpool as his last job as a manager. I have no problems of him having aspirations to manage both Liverpool and Madrid - that doesn't make us a stepping stone.

[Dim Glas]

They were 40/1 to win the Bundesliga at the start of the season with some bookmakers. I imagine their fans would have snapped your hand off for a 4th placed finish?

Of coures!

My initial point was about last season - that they where the 3/4th best squad in the league then, so seeing them in 17th was deceptive. 

Of course the fans would have been very happy with a CL finish this season (which may be what they end up with), and if they win the cup too, as they are favourites to do, it’ll be an incredible season regardless.

And credit Xabi too (and the sporting director for his summer signings of players like Boniface, Grimaldo and Hofman) for elevating that already good squad he took over, which is now likely seen as the 2nd best squad in Bundesliga.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Would Xabi regard Liverpool FC as a stepping stone to Madrid?
If so I don't want him.

You certainly hope that any manager that comes in will be a target for Madrid a few years down the line. That would mean he would have done a fantastic job with us.

But Xabi has openly said that he actually is a Liverpool fan above all else, even after Madrid. It surely means something that.

[Fiasco]

Waterstones...

[A-Bomb]

The legacy that Jurgen leaves behind is a world class footballing infrastructure and squad for the next man to pick up the baton - and that in and of itself will be enormously significant in providing the club the most seamless transition from the Klopp era into the next.

It that sense it really does give us some flexible to roll the dice with someone like Xabi as the infrastructure and platform are all there for him.

He's proven he is clearly a good coach, as he has Levenkusen punching this season playing some very good football, he would have the support of the fans and understands the club and city. Whether he is a good manager time will tell, he's not had many years to find solutions to problems, but he's a clever person and carries that quiet confidence along with the humility to refer to others around him. In that sense his backroom team will be as important to help work through problems and challenges.

I'm very much in the Xabi camp.

[ScouserAtHeart]

Based on what? We haven't hired a manager for 9 years, and when we did, it definitely wasn't someone with the profile of Thomas fucking Frank.

The one they hired before Jurgen was the same profile as Frank tbf

[Kenny's Jacket]

Would Xabi regard Liverpool FC as a stepping stone to Madrid?
If so I don't want him.

Possibley, however UK tax is lower than in Spain and thats important to Xabi

[deanloco9]

I want Xabi Alonso or Unai Emery.

[Crouch Potato]

Can you imagine how many of our fans will be sending him tweets over the next few months, begging him to join us.

[Caps4444]

Villas-Boas was young and was doing well in Porto and was said to be the next big thing and look how that turned out.

There is never any guarantee.

Tough spot for the club to find the right manager.

Fingers crossed they choose well.

[Suareznumber7]

Florian Plettenberg
@Plettigoal
📍Bayer 04 Leverkusen is aware that Xabi #Alonso is on FC Liverpool's list.

➡️ However, at this stage they remain optimistic and assume Alonso won't leave the club in the summer | #LFC

➡️ One reason: Alonso is already fully integrated into the squad planning and is building the squad for the 24/25 season…

His contract is valid until 2026.

Of course he's fully integrated into the squad planning for next year.  The news about Klopp just came out and he'd have not known moving to Liverpool was even an option.  Plus, as a professional, he's not just going to stop doing his job.  He'll see out the season and do all of the work to the best of his ability. 

[Samie]

Would Xabi regard Liverpool FC as a stepping stone to Madrid?
If so I don't want him.

With mangers this doesn;t apply. He's also in his early 40's, so if he came here how long do you expect him to stay with us at best? It won't be 15 years for heavens sake.  Average time of Premeir League managers lasting is 2.

[Wabaloolah]

Has to be Xabi Alonso for me. Regardless if Leverkusen wins the Bundesliga or not. He gets us, he's one of us. His football philosophy is good. He's intelligent. He's played under some of the greatest managers in the modern football era. And he'll have plenty of credit stored up with him being an ex-red.

agreed, think there will have been contact too, Leverkusen, quite rightly, won't want any announcement before the end of the season as they won't want to disrupt their own title charge.

It has to be Xabi, can't think of anyone else it could be.

There'll be talk about Ange, De Zerbi and Emery I would have thought, more likely paper gossip.

[newterp]

Big concern that has been mentioned is that Klopps whole staff is going. What we have seen from the academy is brilliant and I hope that continues.

[Dench57]

Has to be Alonso. It's a risk but pretty much all the candidates are, and he could potentially be the best young manager in Europe atm. Is he gonna leave Leverkusen after 1 season though? Would be the only thing that could soften the blow of Jurgen leaving. None of the other candidates interest me.

Little mention of Emery in this thread. I suppose it didn't go great for him with his one crack at a top club.

[Samie]

Big concern that has been mentioned is that Klopps whole staff is going. What we have seen from the academy is brilliant and I hope that continues.

Academy staff aren;t going though. It's his team.

Jurgen Klopp (Manager)
Pep Lijnders (Assistant Manager)
Peter Krawietz (Assistant Manager)
Vitor Matos (Elite Development Coach)

[Bread]

Florian Plettenberg
@Plettigoal
📍Bayer 04 Leverkusen is aware that Xabi #Alonso is on FC Liverpool's list.

➡️ However, at this stage they remain optimistic and assume Alonso won't leave the club in the summer | #LFC

➡️ One reason: Alonso is already fully integrated into the squad planning and is building the squad for the 24/25 season…

His contract is valid until 2026.

Well, contracts that are valid until 2026 don't necessarily mean much do they now.

In the event that we don't get Alonso, I've been looking a bit into Ruben Amorim. Based on my rudimentary research, he feels like an alternative that wouldn't send me into a pit of despair.

[Samie]

We will announce the new Sporting Director before we announce the head coach anyway.

[Wabaloolah]

I can’t believe people can keep a straight face suggesting Lijnders

If RAWK was around in the 1970s, your Grandad might have said the same about Bob Paisley

[kennedy81]

Xabi is young enough to pass on the Liverpool job for now, and still hope to manage us and/or Madrid in the future. He might well think the next Liverpool manager will not be in the job for long, not 9 years anyway, and hope the chance comes again in 2 or 3 years.

But timing is everything in football and he may not get the chance again either. He'd be a brave man to turn it down. He'd be my first pick anyway. None of the other candidates really fire my imagination.

[Tobelius]

Rafa,as we're throwing names in the hat now

[Chris~]

Firstly, xGD/90 isn't the same as Points (or expected points). If over 3 games, one team had XG of 3 in each game, and the other had 10 in one and zero in the others, looking at aggregates and averages might give misleading impressions.

Secondly, looking at the history of the various leagues, there seems to be a strong tendency for teams towards the top to over-perform their expected goals.
e.g. in the 6 1/2 years of data for the Premier League, Liverpool have been at or above the xG / xGD every single season.


I guess the problem is that in the short run, those stats don't really distinguish between a manager just having a lucky period, and a manager who is overperforming the average through ability.

Expected points isn't better than expected goal difference. For starters how are you calculating a win 0.01, better, 0.5, 1. ? What you want to be looking who at is creating/preventing good chances not trying to construct a table purley out of expected goals. Yes a 3 game sample size could be a bit off, but 18 games is a decent sample size when a season is only 34 games There's a reason companies like Statsbomb who specialise in this kind of thing lost by xgd/90 rather than points.

I just thought it was interesting this hadn't really been mentioned when we're supposed to be quite data led. If Klopp got hired off an unlucky season based on xg, Alonso is having a lucky one and you'd want to at least consider it. Also just thought it was quite surprising how good Hoeness/Stuttgart were doing with no mention of him, although I get why

[Wabaloolah]

Rafa,as we're throwing names in the hat now

not a chance, like Mourinho he's yesterday's man

[killer-heels]

Rafa,as we're throwing names in the hat now

No chance under this current set up.

[Samie]

Rafa,as we're throwing names in the hat now

Yeah as great as he was this isn't the era for him. Football has moved on mate.

Also FSG would hate him. 

[Chris~]

Of coures!

My initial point was about last season - that they where the 3/4th best squad in the league then, so seeing them in 17th was deceptive. 

Of course the fans would have been very happy with a CL finish this season (which may be what they end up with), and if they win the cup too, as they are favourites to do, it’ll be an incredible season regardless.

And credit Xabi too (and the sporting director for his summer signings of players like Boniface, Grimaldo and Hofman) for elevating that already good squad he took over, which is now likely seen as the 2nd best squad in Bundesliga.

Can I get your thoughts on Hoeness and Stuttgart?

[Party Phil]

Florian Plettenberg
@Plettigoal
📍Bayer 04 Leverkusen is aware that Xabi #Alonso is on FC Liverpool's list.

➡️ However, at this stage they remain optimistic and assume Alonso won't leave the club in the summer | #LFC

➡️ One reason: Alonso is already fully integrated into the squad planning and is building the squad for the 24/25 season…

His contract is valid until 2026.

I'm also optimistic and assume my wife won't leave me if Brad Pitt comes round to seduce her

[Samie]

Sadio's favourte journo now on #TeamXabi. 

https://twitter.com/MelissaReddy_/status/1751261961583538611

Xabi Alonso fits this Liverpool beyond connection with the club & city. Took over with Bayer second bottom, got them sixth & Europa League semi. Now top of Bundesliga, unbeaten, best defensive record. 6/6 wins in UEL. Under limitations, with clear identity & tactical flexibility

[RedDeadRejection]

That Alfred Molina fella would not be a bad shout. Like how his team plays.

Got his tentacles in all kinds of jobs that frigger.

[Caps4444]

Amazing how football has moved on that managers like Rafa and Mourinho are no longer any good….and I love Rafa.

Perhaps the only one of the old guard that seems to do well is Ancelotti.