If Xabi Alonso takes over at Liverpool, he may inherit a player like him. Any potential successor to Jurgen Klopp will face the same question. It’s always interesting when a very good player becomes a very good manager. How does your role and style as a player affect your character as a coach? The sample size is not large because many of the best managers of that generation did not perform at a particularly high level.
Jose Mourinho is a good example. Juergen Klopp is a bit harsh on the mix. Because only a select few can have such a long career as a top professional footballer. But he did it at the age of two. The Bundesliga was a world apart from his success as manager at Liverpool. Klopp once admitted that he always feels good about being a manager, given that he is “the bridge to the fourth tier and the boss of the top division”. But it wouldn’t be fair if Xabi Alonso was named Liverpool’s successor.Throughout his long and successful career, Alonso has proven that he has the best feet and the best football brain to match. He had the knack of seeing passes others couldn’t and making them in a way others couldn’t.
This management is not always a blessing. Alonso’s Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard has far greater talent but has yet to translate it convincingly into coaching. Perhaps some of that is because his players are frustrated that they can’t do what he can do. But Alonso seems to have avoided this particular pitfall so far. He even seems to be using it to his advantage. He actively participates in Bayer Leverkusen’s training sessions, showing the players what he wants and how he wants it.
The results so far speak for themselves.If he goes to Liverpool, there will be at least one player who can easily meet his requirements. Another man with a rare ability to match his vision: Trent Alexander-Arnold has many aspects of Alonso.These similarities only emerged last year when Alexander-Arnold switched roles. Few could compare to Alonso, who bombed down the right flank and broke the assist record with a fierce drive past defenders.But these deliveries were only one aspect of his incredible impact. Alexander-Arnold can spread the ball around the pitch to some extent with no problems hitting the target due to the distance the ball has to travel. With Alonso twice heading the ball and scoring from the halfway line, it’s clear he shares the trend.
Currently, Alexander-Arnold is often more effective in a defensive position in games. Makes him look like Alonso at times. This is especially true when you look at the Spanish version of him that has come out of his Liverpool days. He often worked in depth, devoting extra time and space to weaving the tapestry on site.
Both players love the perfect angled ball to open up the defense. Check out some highlights: Nine of Alonso’s ten clips could be Alexander-Arnold.But for Alonso, making Alexander-Arnold Liverpool’s most important player was not out of the question. Directors sometimes create their own images. Look at Rodri’s reputation under Pep Guardiola, who was the best defensive midfielder at the time. But whoever is the next Liverpool , the number 66 will undoubtedly play a big part. . .
