Liverpool have two-man shortlist to replace Jurgen Klopp is Xabi Alonso is unavailable
Xabi Alonso remains the firm favourite as Jurgen Klopp’s successor but Liverpool have Ruben Amorim and Julian Nagelsmann as alternatives. Alonso’s success with his current club Bayer Leverkusen is attracting interest from numerous top clubs including his former clubs.
Bayern Munich have sacked Thomas Tuchel, planning to use their usual tactics of poaching personnel from their domestic rivals. Xabi has three options joining Bayern, staying at Leverkusen or joining his favourite and former club Liverpool.
The 42-year-old is currently enjoying an unbeaten season with Die Werkself, dominating on all fronts with impeccable cohesiveness and tactics. Alonso joined the German club when they fell into the relegation zone during the early stage of last season.
He used a counter-attacking approach to help the club finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League competition. The Spaniard and Leverkusen’s management used the summer transfer window to make several shrewd signings according to Xabi’s vision.
Leverkusen have played with a mixture of counter-pressing and possessional play philosophy combined with a direct approach in the attacking phases. Alonso has used numerous tactics according to his opposition while preferring a 3-4-2-1 formation which could take several forms.
The Telegraph reported that Liverpool have alternatives to Xabi in Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim and former Bayern manager Nagelsmann. While Alonso remains the firm favourite, the Reds have strong options in both Amorim and Nagelsmann.
Amorim’s Sporting are currently joint-top in Liga Portugal alongside Benfica with 55 points while they have a game in hand. The Portuguese use a 5-2-3 formation using the counter-possession philosophy from the front to regain possession of the ball immediately.
Amorim uses a balanced approach to possession and does not just rely on possessional play, using a direct approach. Nevertheless, his team prefers to build from the backline, using his ball-playing centre-back to distribute possession and start transitions.
The 39-year-old uses two controlling midfielders alongside a defensive midfielder to maintain control and allow attackers to create and score. He uses two wingers to stretch the play alongside a second striker and the main forward.
While both alternatives are formidable options for the Reds, Alonso remains the only desirable candidate for Liverpool fans. The strong bond he already has with the Kopites plays a crucial role apart from his current accomplishments.
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