If fans are still awaiting a major breakthrough in the story, Liverpool cannot be accused of not sticking to their word when it comes to sourcing Jurgen Klopp’s replacement.
The consistent word from those on the inside of Anfield, since that bombshell announcement in late January, was that it was more important to restructure the powerbase accordingly before the task of finding a new manager was properly undertaken.
If general wisdom dictates that it is the sporting director’s job of interviewing and appointing a manager then Liverpool actually needed one of those before getting on with the task at hand. The Reds have been without one in place since Jorg Schmadtke waved goodbye at the end of January.
The appointment of Michael Edwards by Fenway Sports Group as their ‘CEO of Football’ was the first major building brick in place a few weeks back with the one-time sporting director once more in situ with a broader, and, by his admission, a more exciting remit.
An FSG employee rather than a Liverpool FC one, it’s important to make such a distinction, even if supporters will naturally feel more at ease at having their vaunted former transfer negotiator back on board.
The technicalities, specifics and details around Edwards’s newly-created position will not be of real, tangible concern to the vast majority of supporters but his return does at least provide assurances that there will be a steady hand and a proven track record guiding the club through such an uncertain period in a post-Klopp world.
The arrival of Richard Hughes is the second part of the plan with the Bournemouth talent-spotter set to officially start on June 1. It’s unrealistic to believe that the former Scotland and Portsmouth midfielder will not be quietly going about unofficial Liverpool business before that date, however, given there is still so much to sort off the pitch right now.
Hughes comes highly recommended by Edwards, having worked together at Portsmouth and with an extensive contacts book across Spain and an apparent love of Italian football, his expertise and knowledge opens the club up to potentially exciting new avenues to explore when it comes to improving the squad in the coming months and years.
Mark Burchill, Bournemouth’s chief scout, will also join the club by order of Hughes. The Scot will not hold the same title once he arrives on Merseyside but the highly-regarded Cherries chief will come in to support the man in possession of that role at Liverpool, Barry Hunter, and Dave Fallows, the club’s head of recruitment. Little is known about the day-to-day movements of that particular duo but they have been hugely influential behind the scenes for years at both Melwood and the AXA Training Centre.
“Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter joined Liverpool the year after me and they have been integral in building a world-class scouting department,” wrote Edwards in his open letter of 2021, when it was confirmed he would be leaving.
“For those who don’t know Barry – and there can’t be many – he was a hard-hitting Northern Irish centre-back who has a contacts book that reads like a who’s who of football.
“He is always on the go and could put away more food than the average male elephant. Dave is simply Google, I’ve never known anyone with a memory like his or an ability to think outside of the box when innovative solutions are required.”
Sporting boss Ruben Armorim remains the name most regularly linked with Klopp’s job, with certain sections of the media in Portugal this week even going as far as saying there are several within the Liverpool dressing room who have given their blessing to the appointment of the 39-year-old. With Luis Diaz sharing the same agent as Amorim, it might not require Hercule Poirot to get to the source of that information.
People at Liverpool have continued to insist, however, that they remain at the vetting stage and no concrete decision has been made as they continue to pour over every detail in an effort to ensure there is no hangover from Klopp’s exit.
Anfield sources have told the ECHO that a left-field appointment has not been ruled out if Edwards believes it is a coach who can lead the team to a new era of success and while Amorim’s name has featured most prominently since Xabi Alonso confirmed he would be staying at newly-crowned Bunesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, it is claimed the process is not that far down the line.
Instead, Liverpool are getting on with building the framework they hope will allow them to get their biggest call in years spot on. The reappointment of David Woodfine, who will resume at the club with the job title of assistant sporting director, further reinforces what will be a new-look backroom team from the summer onwards.
Woodfine had left the Reds at the end of last season, stepping down as director of loan pathways after nine years at the club. His return bolsters a backroom team that has been without a permanent sporting director since Julian Ward walked away last year. Schmadtke’s one-year agreement was cut short after Klopp announced he would be leaving and the German was always viewed as a stop-gap fix.
Pedro Marques, the current technical director at Benfica, is also expected to be appointed to a senior role within FSG to reportedly help the search for another team for the American owners’ stable.
