Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and Phil Thompson believes that his ideal replacement is already at the club.
Liverpool former captain Phil Thompson feels Pep Lijnders is the best person to succeed Jurgen Klopp. According to Thompson, Lijnders might make a smooth transition to the captaincy position next season.
The Reds are looking for a new manager after Klopp revealed on January 26 that he would stand down after the season. The club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, have brought back former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards to help with the choice, although they are keeping their ideas private.
Former Liverpool midfielder and current manager of Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso, is currently the favourite due to his impressive work at his club. But the German team is keen to hold on to him.
Lijnders, who will also be leaving with Klopp at the end of the season, has said he’s not in the running to replace him. However, Phil Thompson would like to see him stay and step up.
Thompson said to talkSPORT:
“I don’t think he’d have too many objectors, Liverpool fans, if they know enough about the club and the people behind the scenes and the back-up staff for Jurgen.”
“Pep Lijnders is a fantastic coach and if you watch him on the training ground, he is full of it, full of energy and ideas. I would have no problems with him being it.”
“Whatever he does, if he goes with Klopp or on his own, I will wish him all the best but if he was offered the job I would like to think Pep would have considered it at least.”
Klopp agrees with Thompson as well and admits that Pep is definitely the most influential guy in this club in the last years and considers his job in the past years as “absolutely exceptional.”
Pep’s take on Phil Thompson’s claim
Although, according to Phil and Klopp, Lijnders is a worthy candidate to manage Liverpool, Pep himself appears to want to be a manager somewhere else, as he thinks he is not right to fill in Klopp’s shoes.
“Nobody will replace Jurgen. I was clear, to be honest, when we had the talk a long time ago for me it was clear and it made it easier for me, we agreed to finish this project together and it is the right way to do it.”
-Pep Lijnders
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Ajax had put Lijnders on their shortlist for their next manager, alongside Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag. Lijnders is excited to manage and he is finding the right club for him.
