Liverpool are continuing to search for the right candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp.
After seeing supposed first choice Xabi Alonso decide to turn down their approaches and stay at Bayer Leverkusen, the Reds are now looking further afield.
Even when Alonso was seemingly in the running, the duo of Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi seemed likely to feature towards the top of Liverpool’s shortlist. Journalist David Ornstein has today suggested that it won’t be De Zerbi, however.
That still leaves Amorim and a number of other contenders still standing, though. Among them appear to be Italian pair Thiago Motta and Simone Inzaghi. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann is also claimed to be scoring highly on Liverpool’s data-led parameters.
Among this raft of options though, Reds legend Steve Nicol has suggested that one above all else ‘worries’ him.
Steve Nicol advises Liverpool on manager hunt
Having been a manager himself, Nicol has a better insight than most in these matters. He’s also a true Liverpool icon having won four league titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup and one European Cup across 13 years with the Reds.
The Scotsman can at times be a prickly character, but when he speaks, his colleagues on ESPN FC tend to sit and listen.
On the show early this morning, Nicol was presented with a list of potential new managers for Liverpool. Four coaches were put to him: De Zerbi, Amorim, Nagelsmann and Thomas Frank.
Having dismissed Frank as ‘not the answer,’ the 62-year-old went on to name De Zerbi as his preferred option. Nicol also extolled the virtues of Amorim before telling Liverpool to be wary of Nagelsmann.
“Nagelsmann worries me,” said the pundit. “His time in Germany, a lot of the talk was about how he changes things all the time. It’s one thing to try things, but there comes a point where you’ve got to figure out the best solutions that generally work. You can’t keep changing, and changing and changing,” he added.
“So, I would go De Zerbi, I would go Amorim, then Nagelsmann, then Thomas Frank.”
Is Julian Nagelsmann in the running
Nicol won’t be the only one worried by Nagelsmann’s potential appointment. The 36-year-old does seem to be in amongst it, despite not being a favourite.
It isn’t that the German is a bad coach. On the contrary, Nagelsmann has always been successful enough wherever he’s been, even factoring in a slightly underwhelming stint at Bayern Munich.
He could yet taste success at this summer’s Euros. His Germany team picked up good results against France and the Netherlands in the recent international break and a good tournament would raise his stock.
However, as Nicol says, Nagelsmann is a bit of a fiery character. With upheaval enough from Klopp’s departure, maybe Liverpool need someone a little more steady to steer the ship for now. Let’s wait and see what happens.
