The games are ticking down until Jurgen Klopp says his final goodbyes to Liverpool and puts an end to quite an incredible managerial career at Anfield.
Whether the Champions League-winning boss was going to leave at the end of this season or in a few years, the next man coming in was always going to face an uphill task.
The name of Xabi Alonso has been thrown about quite a lot and someone who is seen as a main contender to replace the German in the Liverpool dugout.
Sources have told HITC Football that the high-flying Bayer Leverkusen boss is high on Liverpool’s list of managerial targets.
But Jay Bothroyd thinks that Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is a better option and even stated that only Manchester City play better football in the Premier League than the Europa League side, as he told The Football Show on Sky Sports.
The Italian is working with a lot of young players at the Amex Stadium and with unknown talents that get transformed into gems.
Given that the Reds haven’t exactly purchased ready-made players for Jurgen Klopp over the years, then it’s a box that Roberto De Zerbi can tick, along with the type of football his team play.
Roberto De Zerbi as Liverpool manager
“I would probably pick De Zerbi,” said Bothroyd. “That’s because, both of them share similar values, as in they want high press, it’s based on hard work. They bring through youth players.
“I think he would probably fit the bill a lot more than other managers. I don’t want to be disrespectful and call any players at Brighton average. But he gets the most out of players we don’t normally talk about often. The less high-profile ones.
“Apart from Man City, I think, when they are on form, Brighton play the best football in the Premier League, apart from Man City. I love the way he plays. I think De Zerbi suits Liverpool.
“With De Zerbi, he is a young manager and he has values. He has similar values to Klopp – the only other one would be Xabi Alonso. But again, it’s inexperience. The fans will love him. He is a cult hero. He has a fantastic record in Germany. He hasn’t managed in England. That’s the only reason why I said De Zerbi ahead of Xabi Alonso. He understands it a lot more than Xabi Alonso.”
Not falling into the Manchester United and Arsenal trap
Those two clubs parted ways with their legendary coaches after a long time and then found life very, very difficult.
Manchester United are still struggling and probably find themselves further away from the Premier League title race than ever before.
That’s a road Liverpool simply have to avoid and that’s why it’s paramount that the Klopp replacement works because if it doesn’t then fans will start to panic.
One poor appointment could lead to another, on top of poor recruitment, and the next thing you know, everything is going wrong.
But if Liverpool get it right, then they are flying and are ready to go again for the next decade.
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