Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp announced on Friday that he will step down as manager of the club and go on a one-year sabbatical after he spent nine years at the club and became a cult hero in Liverpool’s folklore.
Famously known as ‘the Messiah’ who brought Liverpool their first-ever Premier League title in 30 long years. It will be an almost impossible job for the owners to find a replacement for a manager with such pedigree, a man who resonates and embodies the spirit and ethos of the club.
The German manager not only won 7 trophies in his time as manager but also created a special bond with supporters and rejuvenated the Kop, making Anfield an ‘undisputed fortress.’
His stint at the club will be remembered for decades. However, it is important that the club and its owners think about the future and it will be interesting to see who will take the torch from here while Jurgen’s legacy lingers on.
Here are the five candidates who can take the charge at the helm at Liverpool after Klopp’s exit this summer:
The most likely candidate who can resonate with the philosophy, identity, culture, and ethos of the club is De Zerbi, currently managing Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
His formational fluidness and pressing with quick passing resonate with the ‘The Liverpool way.’ His build-up play from two center-backs is immaculate and he believes in a ‘Highline’ philosophy while counter-pressing.
The 44-year-old guided Brighton to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last year and he has all the tools to be successful at a ‘big six’ club provided that he is backed with good investment and signings.
Brighton topped their group in the Europa League this season with 5 wins and a draw and are poised to play in the Round of 32.
A manager who believes in the concept of ‘Money Ball’ which is a Brad Pitt movie. He believes that great quality players can be bought with less investment by using data science.
Liverpool and owners FSG believe in data science and Thomas Frank can be the perfect fit for the club as he understands the ideology of the owners and the club. He has nurtured players such as Ivan Toney, Mbuemo, and Sergi Canos identifying their skills through data science and numbers.
He took charge at Brentford in 2018 and three years later won them the promotion play-off to the Premier League. The club reached the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Last season under his management, Brentford achieved a 9th-placed finish with 59 points. It was their best finish in the Premier League era which began in 1992.
Former Liverpool player and legend Xabi Alonso is a hot prospect for the club as the Spaniard has helped Bayer Leverkusen reach the top of the Bundesliga table. They sit 4 points clear of Bayern Munich. After Alonso took charge at the helm, they were desperately fighting relegation in 2022. His contract at the club is till 2026.
Spanish giants Real Madrid are also behind him and his versatile footballing philosophy seems to cater to their needs after the legendary Carlo Ancelloti paves the way. Alonso believes in Man-marking ‘off the ball’ and structural fluidity. He often uses the principles of Marcelo Bielsa and Johan Cruyff integrating their philosophies into his managerial ideology.
Apparently, there is no close in his contract which bounds him after the summer of 2024 and he remains one of the favourites to join the club.
The young German manager can be a fantastic acquisition by the club as he has proved during his management with RB Leipzig what a big coaching talent he is.
He remains the youngest coach at 33, to deliver a UEFA Champions League semifinal berth to RB Leipzig.
Nagelsmann also helped Leipzig reach the DFB Pokal (German Cup) Final two times in 3 years.
He went on to win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in his first season and during the 2020-21 season, he helped RB Leipzig reach second place in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history.
High-intensity pressing style and counter-pressing off the ball is his main football mantra, something very similar to the early years of Jurgen Klopp.
Taking charge of Girona in 2021 the Spaniard took the club from the second division of Spanish football to La Liga through a playoff final in his first-ever season.
The 48-year-old then elevated the club to 10th place with his attacking football philosophy oriented around closing down the opposition, creating overloads, and switching flanks when needed, bombarding the opposition box with six attackers at all times using a high line.
This season they are fighting for the title against Real Madrid and have scored the most goals (51) in the league which is eight more than Real Madrid. His Catalan side also uses the principles of Johan Cruyff and Fernando Diniz.
All these candidates embody the crux and ideology of ‘The Liverpool Way’ but only time will tell who John W. Henry deems best for the role of ‘The Chosen One.’