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For what feels like forever, Steven Gerrard has been lined up to be Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool.
The former Reds skipper has made no secrets about it being his dream job and appears to have methodically planned out his career so that he’ll be ready and able to slip into Klopp’s shoes once the German eventually leaves Anfield.
But following a shaky start to the season, Gerrard’s future at Aston Villa is hanging in the balance, and if he loses his job, his hopes of replacing Klopp will almost certainly be lost with it.
As such, Liverpool will need a Plan B, so Daily Star Sport has listed six potential alternatives the club could look to if Gerrard becomes persona non grata.
Liverpool’s iconic Boot Room proves that recruiting internally can often work gangbusters, so why not try it again?
Pep Lijnders, who has been the club’s assistant manager for eight years now, could follow in the footsteps of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish by taking the reins as an extension of Klopp’s dynasty.
The 39-year-old is a highly-rated thinker and a hugely popular figure at the club, though his brief foray into management in 2018, with second-tier Dutch-side NEC, didn’t exactly go well. An intriguing, though admittedly risky, option.
Which of these six managers do you think is the best man for the job? Let us know in the comments section below.
Thomas Tuchel
I mean, why not? The former Chelsea boss was so ruthlessly booted out of Stamford Bridge this week that he’d have very little reason to snub the Reds out of loyalty and Thomas Tuchel has everything a club like Liverpool would want in a manager.
He’s is tactically meticulous, ferociously determined and proven at the highest level, and given that both he and Klopp were schooled at Kindergarten Gagenpress, the transition would probably be fairly smooth.
Plus, he’s has been following in Klopp’s footsteps his entire career. He was appointed Mainz boss 12 months after Klopp departed, and took his place at Dortmund a few years later. Who’s to say it couldn’t happen a third time?
Julian Nagelsmann
As another graduate of Kindergarten Gagenpress, Julian Nagelsmann would be a heck of a capture for Liverpool.
Prying him away from Bayern Munich won’t be an easy task, especially since he’s only been at the club for one full season, though the average shelf life for managers at the Allianz Arena hasn’t been especially long in recent years, so nabbing him next summer, or maybe the summer after that, wouldn’t be all that ridiculous.
Nagelsmann still has plenty to prove, but his high-press philosophy will appeal to the Reds and the speed with which he’s climbed the ladder of European football in the last few seasons suggests there won’t be many better options out there.
Xabi Alonso
If Gerrard fails to make the grade, why not consider his iconic former midfield partner Xabi Alonso?
Like Gerrard, Alonso started his managerial journey back where it all began for him as a player, taking charge of Real Sociedad’s reserve side in 2019, shortly after hanging up his boots. During his second season he earned promotion to the Segunda Division – a league they hadn’t competed in for 60 years – and watched as several of his young stars were handed debuts for the senior side.
The Spaniard’s lack of experience might make him a tough sell, but the strong connection he has with both Liverpool and the club’s fans shouldn’t be understated.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino’s stock might have fallen slightly since his underwhelming spell at PSG came to an end, but the Argentinian is still undoubtedly one of best managers around.
Despite past links to Tottenham, his talks with Chelsea this week suggest he’d be prepared to put loyalties aside should the right opportunity come along, and there won’t be many better out there than Liverpool.
Pochettino seems to thrive when given the time and space to work on a proper project, and Liverpool have a solid track record of letting their managers breathe and build. A match made in heaven, perhaps?
Jesse Marsch
It might be a little early to start considering Jesse Marsch for the top Premier League jobs, but there’s no doubting the American has bags of potential.
The intensity with which his Leeds team work and press off the ball is very Liverpool-esque and if his spells in charge of both RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg are anything to go by, he’s all about fast, free-flowing attacking football, which the Anfield crowd will love.
Hiring him so soon after his arrival in English football would admittedly be a bit of a risk, but if he can drag Leeds up the table like many are predicting, a place on Liverpool’s shortlist in the near future wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
