Replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool ‘too much too soon’ for ‘class act’ Xabi Alonso, says Joe Cole
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ByOli Gent
Updated 17/02/2024 at 13:21 GMT
TNT Sports expert Joe Cole believes that it could be too much too soon for Xabi Alonso to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool when the German leaves Anfield at the end of this season. Alonso, the Bayer Leverkusen head coach, has been heavily linked with the upcoming vacancy since Klopp announced that he would depart Merseyside at the end of the current campaign.
'Too much too soon' for Alonso to take Liverpool job, says Cole
Xabi Alonso has been heavily linked with the managerial vacancy at Liverpool at the end of the season, but Joe Cole thinks it might be "too much too soon" for him to take the reins.
Alonso, the Bayer Leverkusen head coach, has taken die Werkself to the top of the Bundesliga, five points clear of dominant force Bayern Munich.
The Spaniard, who made 143 appearances for Liverpool during his playing days, masterminded a 3-0 victory over Bayern last weekend as Leverkusen stamped their authority on this season’s title race in the German top flight.
The hotseat at the BayArena is Alonso’s first managerial post in senior football, having previously held coaching positions in Real Madrid’s ‘Castilla’ academy and with Real Sociedad’s B team.
Now, with his incredible turnaround of Leverkusen’s fortunes, taking the club from second-bottom to table-toppers in a year and a half, Alonso has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Klopp in the Liverpool dugout next term.
Klopp had praised the job that Alonso had done in North Rhine-Westphalia in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s visit to Brentford, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Peter Crouch, who played with Alonso during his time at Liverpool - where he played 132 times - called his former team-mate “a class act” who had a managerial understanding of the game, even when he was on the pitch as a player.
“[Klopp’s comments about Alonso] have to be [him giving him his endorsement],” Crouch said.
“He’s doing a fantastic job, but for Jurgen to come out and praise someone in that manner. He’s answered the question; he’s so honest, and that’s what we love about Jurgen Klopp.
“I played with Xabi Alonso and he was an absolute class act. You could tell then that he saw things like a manager, even when he was on the pitch.
"The job he’s done in Leverkusen has been absolutely fantastic. If he can see that over the line, it’ll be an amazing story to come back and it’ll be a job too big for him to turn down.”
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Joe Cole, however, doesn’t quite believe that the former midfielder is ready for the responsibility that comes with replacing such a “legend of the club”.
“Whether he likes it or not, [Klopp] is going to be involved [in the new manager search],” Cole, who made 42 appearances for the Anfield outfit, said.
“Comments like that do seem like he’s given his tip of approval. The next person coming into this job - it’s very, very difficult. I liken it to when Alex Ferguson left Manchester United. David Moyes, a proven, top manager, found it very difficult.
“For Xabi, if he does get offered it at some point, I think it’d be too much too soon for his development as a manager. I do think he’s a top manager, but I think it’s a more difficult job than people give it credit for, in replacing Jurgen Klopp.”
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Honigstein feels Alonso will be ‘very tempted’ to replace Klopp at Liverpool
Crouch agreed that taking over the reins from Klopp would be a tricky task for anyone.
“It is an incredibly difficult job, whoever takes over,” Crouch explained.
“[Klopp] is an absolute legend of the club and what I’d like them to do is consult Jurgen Klopp. He’s earned the right to be consulted on who the next manager is.”
Cole added: “In any other business or management, there’ll be succession planning. You’re asking them to step into Jurgen Klopp’s shoes.
“Who else would you ask? Who do you think is the man to take this club [forward]? You know the character of this place, the staff. Who do you think? That’ll be the main source of information that I’d be looking for.”
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