Jürgen Klopp to leave at end of season

[Mel81x+]

Jurgen Klopp to step down as Liverpool manager at end of season - BBC Sport

Shocking news but he's been running full tilt and had this team at the same pace for a while now. Can only wish him well. 

Thanks for everything Jurgen. Some crazy moments for us fans.

[CaaC (John)+]

I bet Gerrard is creaming his pants now and will go and apply for the job once Klopp goes. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

I’m gutted. Whoever comes in after him has impossibly large shoes to fill.

[RandoEFC+]

People have been comparing this to Ferguson leaving United. I don't think Liverpool will screw up the post-Klopp era like Man Utd did when Ferguson retired but one can only hope .

I am surprised though. Seems to have come out of nowhere.

[Reluctant Striker]

Huge news. Before Klopp the club was basically a slightly more winning version of Spurs. Cup wins of all kinds, yes. League titles, well beyond them. It has been purely his management & coaching that made the difference. And it almost feels like more than 1 title, to have taken Man City so close however many other times. Pushing each other & the title to crazy levels.

I would be surprised if they drop Man United style. But, it needs a good appointment. And even then, does Salah decide it's time for him to call an end to his Premier League years? Any other older big names?

Xabi Alonso with assistant Gerrard?

[Danny]

Interesting to see who takes over. I imagine Pep Lijnders is keen to do it, sometimes having some internally who can step up and carry on can be a good thing.

I was looking around to see who they might have a look at and who might be the dark horse appointment no one expects.

 

Yes

Xabi Alonso - Seems to be the favourite, asked about it today and ofcourse he didn't outright deny the potential. There's still a lot of the season left to go though and if Leverkusen were to have a crash then that changes how Alonso is perceived massively. But if he wins the Bundesliga...the last coach to do that outside of Bayern Munich was Jurgen Klopp.

Hansi Flick - I think Flick could be a really good appointment, treble winner at Bayern, they played really good football and the experience of winning the Champions League goes hand in hand with the European nights and power in Europe that Anfield can offer.

Roberto De Zerbi - Probably the most likely manager in England to be approached, I think everyone else is either settled at a competitor (Pep and Arteta) or are probably too early in their careers to be thought about). I don't think a massive overhaul would be needed in terms of playing staff, but I do think that the jump from Klopp's gegenpressing to De Zerbi's low energy build up play might be more of an issue than some might think. Still in terms of playing through the middle and attacking from the wings, Liverpool have the personnel. I think De Zerbi's experience in England is what bumps him up from a maybe, and his playing style is so extreme and innovative too. Big clubs need innovation, Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho, Pep, Klopp...could be De Zerbi next.

 

Maybe

Simone Inzaghi - Inzaghi has slowly put together a really strong Inter side and I think the patience in building that side up may be something the Liverpool board would find appealing in a new manager. It would be a fairly drastic difference in style of play but with that said I think if Salah were to also leave in the Summer, they could use Darwin in the way Lukaku and Thuram have played under Inzaghi and Jota/Diaz in the Martinez role. The aerial threat that Inzaghi's team creates would also work well for someone like Trent who could play that RWB role without as much defensive responsibility with a back 3 behind him. Plus if Inter were to win the league this year and get another big run in the Champions League going then surely he'd have to be in the conversation with the above? Only worry is Inter appear to have been more of a Cup team under him previously, so he'd need that league title.

Imanol Alguacil - He's won a Copa Del Rey,  he's into the semis for it this season, top 4 finish with Sociedad last season and they topped their CL group this season going unbeaten in the same group as Inter. I think as far as you could stretch a dark horse shout, he's done a really good job and if De Zerbi is in the mix then I don't see why he shouldn't be. He would also be the 5th Basque manager in the Premier league which would be pretty crazy.

Zinedine Zidane - Stylistically different to Klopp, and his Madrid side weren't that strong in terms of winning league titles, but he has European pedigree and so do Liverpool, so does Anfield. Could make for an increase in Champions Leagues won even if they don't compete as much for titles.

Michel - I won't lie this is more wishful thinking but he's done a great job at Girona this season, if they win La Liga then why shouldn't his name be thrown into the hat?

 

Probably not

Massimiliano Allegri - Mr. Juve and he has them back competing for Serie A this season, ultimately I don't think it happens but you never know. Certainly not a name to throw away completely.

Ange Postocoglu - If Michel was wishful thinking then this would be a miracle, but Ange has done a great job at Spurs this season and his style could fit in with what Liverpool need over the next few years. If you purely looked at what Ange has done this season then I would say he could be worth a shout, but he doesn't have the history to back up a job like this. Plus Spurs are a much bigger prospect these days than they used to be with the new stadium and training ground and the project they can offer him may not be too dissimilar to what Liverpool could.

[RandoEFC+]

I expect they'll go for Alonso but it'll be interesting to see who their second choice is if they don't want him or he isn't ready to leave Leverkusen yet.

I don't know why really but I don't see De Zerbi as massively fitting in at Liverpool.

The assistant that's taken a few League Cup games on occasion has obviously been treated as a bit of an apprentice but surely you can't expect him to just step up and take on his first managerial job at Liverpool.

It would be hilarious if they went for Gerrard but they're just not going to, let's be honest, even as an assistant.

[Stan]

This reminds me of when Pellegrini announced mid-season he was leaving Man City at the end of the season, and it helped mess up their race to the title.

Probably earth-shattering news for Liverpool fans? One of those where they probably knew the day was coming, but didn't expect it to be mid-season. 

He surely goes down as one of Liverpool's greatest ever? First ever PL title, CL, growing the club in stature hugely.

Big decision as to who comes in next. My money is on De Zerbi. 

[Rucksackfranzose]

Just now, Stan said:

This reminds me of when Pellegrini announced mid-season he was leaving Man City at the end of the season, and it helped mess up their race to the title.

Probably earth-shattering news for Liverpool fans? One of those where they probably knew the day was coming, but didn't expect it to be mid-season. 

He surely goes down as one of Liverpool's greatest ever? First ever PL title, CL, growing the club in stature hugely.

Big decision as to who comes in next. My money is on De Zerbi. 

Why, though? Klopp did exactly the same at Dortmund,where he wasd about as long as in Liverpool. Although I know fans of every club, expressly include myself, suppose their club would be special from an objective point of view that's nonsense, though. Therefore it's a genuin question why you suposed Klopp would change his approach in Liverpool compared to that he had at Dortmund?

[DeadLinesman]

What a glorious time to be alive. Hopefully this is all part of the tide turning for us. New management, Klopp gone, Pep in the mud, Citeh relegated to the Bostock Northern Premier. Great days.

[Dan+]

I've a bit of a thing that any football club worth their salt should be able to sustain the hit of losing any individual, but for a very, very few exceptions. Jurgen Klopp is one of them. Irreplaceable for me. He took them from a stuttering Europa League team to one of the best Premier League sides ever and it's only due to it happening during one that's even better that it hasn't resulted in more silverware. Easily in the top five all time PL managers for me.

[Stan]

13 minutes ago, Rucksackfranzose said:

Why, though? Klopp did exactly the same at Dortmund,where he wasd about as long as in Liverpool. Although I know fans of every club, expressly include myself, suppose their club would be special from an objective point of view that's nonsense, though. Therefore it's a genuin question why you suposed Klopp would change his approach in Liverpool compared to that he had at Dortmund?

It wasn't anything to do with his time at Dortmund. I wasn't aware of that, or if this was some kind of trend/approach. Also nothing to do with feeling special either.

Just an observation. You can tell by how shocking/surprising this is across the Liverpool fanbase, let alone fans in general for the most part, that it is out of the blue.  

[Dr. Gonzo]

22 minutes ago, Stan said:

This reminds me of when Pellegrini announced mid-season he was leaving Man City at the end of the season, and it helped mess up their race to the title.

Probably earth-shattering news for Liverpool fans? One of those where they probably knew the day was coming, but didn't expect it to be mid-season. 

He surely goes down as one of Liverpool's greatest ever? First ever PL title, CL, growing the club in stature hugely.

Big decision as to who comes in next. My money is on De Zerbi. 

Yeah this is absolutely gutting news. Nobody we can replace him with can do the job he’s done with us imo.

And the timing of the announcement is totally shit, honestly.

I’d want Alonso ideally or De Zerbi, but I’m not massive on De Zerbi.

[Rucksackfranzose]

3 minutes ago, Stan said:

It wasn't anything to do with his time at Dortmund. I wasn't aware of that, or if this was some kind of trend/approach. Also nothing to do with feeling special either.

Just an observation. You can tell by how shocking/surprising this is across the Liverpool fanbase, let alone fans in general for the most part, that it is out of the blue.  

Well, he did announce he's resigning in his current mid-season at Dortmund. There was even a British journo, think from Telegraph, who gained a lot of public attention, because they reported from the presser without speaking German and not understanding what had been said. Only difference was Klopp didn't speak of taking a break at Dortmund.

[Danny]

I think it's good that Liverpool have released the information now. Considering he's already made his mind up it would naturally get leaked as they begin the process to employ a new manager.

They've just gone through a sticky Christmas/New Year period where matches start to clog up and you're relying on squad players/youth players more than you would like, and with the win over Arsenal in the FA Cup, who are giants in that competition, I think the squad is probably mentally in the best position they can be in to receive the news.

I don't think it'll be the same as Pellegrini as @Stan mentioned as the issue there was he wasn't being sacked for poor performance, they won the league the season he went, he got sacked because they wanted to upgrade to Pep which would naturally create issues within the squad.

I think this is far more likely to replicate Ferguson's departure at United, announce it early on and try to use the emotion that stirs up to win some silverware. Behind the scenes Liverpool are in a healthier position than United were when Ferguson left, but it's not the same team in charge that brought Klopp in so there's no guarantee that they'll find the same success moving forward.

The good thing for Liverpool is that they have the pick of the bunch. Real Madrid have just extended Ancelotti's contract, Barce can't afford anyone better than Xavi and Guardiola has his feet under the table at City, they are realistically the only clubs that could outbid Liverpool for any prospective manager. Not only do they have the pick of the bunch but it's also an opportunity to get one over on Man Utd who maybe looking to employ the same person.

[Mel81x+]

I feel like Salah is gone in the summer with this news although I think he was always one foot out the door within the next two seasons anyways. 

[Rick]

Devastated, to be honest. I really thought he had gotten a second wind, his energy lately seemed the highest it’s been since the title win. 
 

The best manager we have had in my life time, it’s not even close. Wish him nothing but the absolute best for the rest of his career. We know he won’t be managing in England again, he has said as much. Hopefully he takes a decent break and comes back to more success. Can’t fully process the whole thing right now, it’s came out of nowhere so I’m not doing him justice with what I’ve written. 
 

As for who is next? Has to be Alonso for me (as long as Bayer don’t go to absolute shit in the second half of the season). He’s a legend of the club and has shown himself to be more than capable. The job he has done with Leverkusen since he took over last season has been excellent. After him? Probably Di Zerbi from the names being bandied about. 

[Stan]

36 minutes ago, Danny said:

I don't think it'll be the same as Pellegrini as @Stan mentioned as the issue there was he wasn't being sacked for poor performance, they won the league the season he went,

I can 100% guarantee you that they did not win the league the season he went in 2015/16.

[Cicero]

Damn so Lampard was right. One title…

[Dan+]

Sometimes the obvious replacement is the right one. Been pretty obvious this season that Xabi Alonso is destined for the top, as an ex-player there he'd be an obvious pick. It just depends on whether he's willing to leave Leverkusen this soon because he's got a fantastic team together there.

I'm with you on De Zerbi @Dr. Gonzo I like him but I do think he's become a touch overrated.

[Danny]

23 minutes ago, Stan said:

I can 100% guarantee you that they did not win the league the season he went in 2015/16.

Haha of course. He won the fookin League Cup in 15/16. Some other team won the league then but I can't remember their name...I think they're in the lower leagues or something 

I think the issue was that the players already knew Pep was coming in so there were a lot of discussions around how this undermines Pellegrini. I don't think Klopp will be undermined by whoever is appointed. 

[Cicero]

Too early for Alonso. Unsure if he's the real deal or another Villas-Boas. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

18 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Too early for Alonso. Unsure if he's the real deal or another Villas-Boas. 

Even challenging for the Bundesliga title is more impressive for a first full season at a club than just winning the league with Porto - especially that era of Porto, imo.

[LFCMike]

2 hours ago, Rick said:

Devastated, to be honest. I really thought he had gotten a second wind, his energy lately seemed the highest it’s been since the title win. 
 

The best manager we have had in my life time, it’s not even close. Wish him nothing but the absolute best for the rest of his career. We know he won’t be managing in England again, he has said as much. Hopefully he takes a decent break and comes back to more success. Can’t fully process the whole thing right now, it’s came out of nowhere so I’m not doing him justice with what I’ve written. 
 

As for who is next? Has to be Alonso for me (as long as Bayer don’t go to absolute shit in the second half of the season). He’s a legend of the club and has shown himself to be more than capable. The job he has done with Leverkusen since he took over last season has been excellent. After him? Probably Di Zerbi from the names being bandied about. 

Yeah pretty much the same really, proper knocked me for six when I saw the notifications come through. I also thought it looked like he was re-energised and was only thinking recently he will surely stay a bit longer beyond his current deal as he's in the process of building this new team.

I suppose it almost makes sense that he's decided the end of this season is the right time though, with a younger, fresher side ready for a new manager to add bits to rather than having to make wholesale changes when they first come in. It certainly seems that way when he talks about not wanting to do it after last season and wanting to get the club back on track.

I'd have the same concerns as @Ciceroover Alonso. I know he's doing brilliant this season but he's doing it at a club where the pressure to win is nothing like what it would be taking over the Liverpool that Jurgen Klopp has built. 

 

[Rick]

47 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Too early for Alonso. Unsure if he's the real deal or another Villas-Boas. 

What he has done with them since taking over 18 months ago has been fantastic. It’s constant moving forward for them. They are four clear at the top of the Bundesliga as we speak with 15 wins and 3 draws from 18 games. If they hold their nerve and win that title, then we can safely say he has something about him. I’d rather we go for him than some of the names touted. I’d say Nagelsman would be my second choice over DiZerbi.