13 Feb 2024 11:44:54
Personal opinion,

We don't end up with Alonso, I think he either stays an extra season and joins Real Madrid after Ancelotti or Bayern pull the trigger on Tuchel and bring him in.

From what I've seen of his Leverkusen team, I would love it to be Alonso, I just can't see it when he will practically have the choice of any club in the world and there's much easier jobs than Liverpool.

1.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 12:19:29
I literally thought the same thing about Klopp though so fingers crossed.

2.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 12:20:17
To be fair, I think he'd be afforded more time at Liverpool than the likes of Real Madrid. However I don't think he'll end up here to be honest, not yet anyway.

3.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 12:30:14
Not saying he is 100% nailed on to join, as nothing is guaranteed in football. But I think he would find it extremely difficult to turn us down. Regarding why he would want to come to us - you might want to have a little search on YouTube. Type Alonso interviews Liverpool and you will find quite a fair few of him on different platforms from 6-4 years back talking about his love for Liverpool, that it’s his second home, and that he wants to manage us one day.

One, I don’t see him managing another German side straight after his stint with Leverkusen. How I see it, is that Madrid have Ancelotti until 2026. Therefore, it’s now or never for us. FSG have to move heaven and earth to get him here for this summer, or face missing out on him altogether.

4.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 13:00:29
Gunn10, the thing is that Alonso on multiple occasions (one that i know of in 2018) has openly said that he would jump at the chance to manage LFC. So the question for me is that has things changed since then, in his mind? Is the move too early? Does he want to bide his time at Leverkusen b4 making the big jump? These are things I'm most interested to see cos Xabi is a very intelligent person, let alone a great footballing mind.

Like his namesake (with the 1786 tag, lol) has said, I think with all the stuff mentioned in my first statements above (and if they are still true) and if we offer him the job, I don't think he turns us down should we offer it to me (not 100%, btw) like many of us want.

5.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 13:07:44
In terms of us getting Alonso in the timing of everything has worked out perfectly for us. Carlo's doing another 2 years at Madrid and in fairness even if it came down to a choice between us and Bayern he'd choose us everytime. don't see why people think he wouldnt.

6.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 15:25:52
No manager in the world would turn down Liverpool to stay at Leverkusen, no disrespect to Leverkusen, but just no.

7.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 15:26:25
Not sure why any up and coming young manager would pick RM to be honest except for the £s. I can only think of Ancelotti who has been given a decent opportunity there in recent years and would also guess that the relative decline of Barcelona has made him safer than he normally might have been.

8.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 15:53:08
1985mikey1985 you say that but at the end of the day, it's up to Alonso to decide if this is the right move for him at this particular moment in time cos as you know, timing is everything.

At the same time and I agree with you here, Xabi (if he still has dreams of managing us) may feel that this opportunity should it happen, may never come along again anytime soon so your point is also valid, as well. It is very possible to see both side, tbh.

9.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 17:03:00
If it’s a straight toss up between Liverpool and Madrid he will end up in Spain.
Compared to the other super clubs, we don’t really put enough money into the Transfer Market to compete.

What Jurgan has done, only he could do. That’s why he’s the best.

10.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 18:03:40
Klopp will be available for the 2026 season maybe he replaces ancelotti
And we play klopps Madrid in the 2026 European cup final.

11.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 18:21:09
my general advice to everyone is to not allow your perception of reality be shaped by the daily media updates. Either way, you'll end up disappointed, hopeful, excited, disappointed again, hopeful over and over again.

My feeling from the beginning is that the ideal timing for Xabi to us would have been with a few more first team seasons under his belt. But as we say with players, if you're good enough then you're old (experienced) enough.

If it's the right opportunity at the right time for him I guess is up to him and I can't read his mind. So will just be watching to see where it all lands!

12.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 18:22:17
Obviously, there are some clubs in the world that are ‘different gravy’ - you are not just managing a football team, you need to manage a history, a heritage, or perhaps a legend. As I say there aren’t many really. In the ‘Top 5’ leagues there are maybe half a dozen or so - us, United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus perhaps.

The reason Klopp is so very, very good is that he ‘gets’ Liverpool (Rafa did too, imho) . It’s about tapping into the community and understanding the people in the area and what the club means to them - the manager needs to become a Scouser. The same argument applies to the other clubs - anybody wanting success has to become a part of the community not just the manager of the club.

I think the big point for Xabi - accepting the majority of opinions (certainly on this board) that it is a choice between us and Real Madrid - is does he want the challenge of trying to improve us to a level above the other top teams in a very competitive league, including City, or does he want an almost certain guarantee of success with Real Madrid.

From what he has said in the past I think he ‘gets’ Liverpool - the people, the place and the context of the club so I think his heart may lean towards us but I’m not as certain about his head - maybe he has other targets before coming to Liverpool.

Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.

I’d love to see Xabi back with us but I’d be happy with Nagelsmann if we don’t get Xabi.

13.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 20:25:08
"If it's the right opportunity at the right time for him I guess is up to him and I can't read his mind. So will just be watching to see where it all lands! "

This is my overall point, @Faith. Not arsed about all the media nonsense cos frankly, they no absolutely nothing about anything. My thing like you, is that it is down to Xabi and what he wants to do. Shoot, we don't even know if we have spoken to him or even whether we are looking his way, anyway. I hope we get him BUT that's just me; I have no control over the universe and neither does anyone else esp. the ITK's in the media.

14.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 21:54:14
Nay, nay and thrice nay to Nagelsman.

15.) 13 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 22:00:02
Alonso seems a good fit for LFC but my worry is the German league is not the premier league and is Alonso ready for us the pressure Jurgen has been under has been unbelievable so much so he has put his life first. So will Alonso be ready for the pressure that is Liverpool FC.

16.) 14 Feb 2024
13 Feb 2024 23:29:05
I think he is smart enough to know that he will get the time at Liverpool to grow in to the manager that he (and everyone else) hopes he can become. If he doesn’t win the league here for his first two seasons, he won’t be sacked. He won’t get that luxury in Munich or Madrid. I do think he will come here, and I do think he will do well, but I hope both him and the club/ fans have a long term dream and not something that will be over at the first hiccup or job offer from Madrid.

17.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 06:38:57
Let's not forget one of the best managers in the world is about to become available. I also reckon Pep will move on from City soon enough. He has nothing more to win there. Wouldn't suprise me to see Klopp at Bayern or Real Madrid and Pep at PSG or back to Barca. No reason Alonso joining us would be a stop gap. That said it is hubris to think he 'couldnt' say no to us over Leverkusen. Bit disrespectful to them to assume that and whilst I hope it's true Alonso seems a gent.

18.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 09:01:43
Iwillbered, that logic no longer holds water IMO cos where did Klopp come from or where did he coach at and was very successful? The same Bundesliga that you say is not the PL.

Also where did Nagelsmann (who I don't want, like StEtienneAmen) coach at? This same Bundesliga so for me, that's a non issue. Xabi is doing exactly what Klopp did and chanllenging not just Bayern, but also Dortmund and RBL.

Remember that Leverkusen has NEVER won the Bundesliga and were Xabi to achieve that, he would have done better than Klopp did based on the fact that Bayer has never won the title. IMO, Xabi is the next big thing in management and if he is our guy the same way we thought Klopp was our guy years ago, we need to do whatever it takes to get him And at that point, it will be up to Alonso to decide cos regardless of what we want, Xabi has the biggest say in this.

19.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 10:49:08
My guess is Alonso wouldn't be too worried about Real right now as that job could be his few years down the track.

Of course this is a pure guess so take it with a grain of salt, but he's really young and has a whole career ahead of him. no need to go for the "top" job so early. I say "top" because I imagine for a Spanish manager, RM or Barcelona would be considered their top job.

My guess is that he'd be more inclined to either take the Liverpool job or decide it's best for him to stay with Leverkusen for another year or two.

See what happens.

20.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 11:01:33
Is leverkusen to Liverpool a smaller jump than leverlusen to Real Madrid? If we’re trying to convince ourselves that Xabi would choose us the perhaps that is a factor.

I think for sure, that under FSG he would be given time to achieve said goals. If that means less pressure I dunno but I think he’d have a better opportunity to deliver with us versus what may be more instant expectations under Real.

21.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 11:56:44
He ha said before his heart is with Liverpool - will he manage us? No-one can say for certain but we are certainly a very attractive choice

One of the posters said Guardiola might go soon, I could see that too, particularly as the FFP case reaches its conclusion and likewise could see him at PSG with the huge transfer budget and their aspirations of winning a European title

Not sure what Klopp will do, he could well take a year off - the Germany job is always one we have all thought he would go on to do but who knows if and when he would do that

It's an interesting time and I hope we definitely get it right - like the transition between Shankly, Paisley rather than when Souness took over form Dalglish - as a club though we are in a good place, both on and off the pitch so should be an attractive option.

22.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 12:55:08
Given his experience at both Liverpool and Real Madrid as a player, it's very conceivable that he would want tomanage both clubs. Just a question of which comes first, to me. And I think Liverpool would come first. Simply because I would expect Real Madrid to expect him to really prove himself at another top club, first.

23.) 14 Feb 2024
14 Feb 2024 18:21:32
Not a bad shout there, ArAy1969.