Xabi Alonso remains the leading candidate to replace Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool’s next boss and Carragher saw signs of him becoming a top manager.
When Xabi Alonso took over at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022, few could have predicted the impact he would make. Leverkusen was languishing second-bottom in the Bundesliga after a dismal start to the season before Alonso’s arrival but he was able to make rapid improvements to make the European places.
If last season was good, this campaign has been even better. Leverkusen is currently top of the table and on course to end Bayern Munich’s domination of German football, with Alonso’s side one of the most impressive to watch in Europe right now.
Leverkusen’s success has unsurprisingly led to links to the Liverpool job with Alonso receiving a glowing endorsement from his potential predecessor. “Xabi is doing an incredible job. How quick his team is that well tuned, for the time it’s taken, he’s put his proper stamp on it. It is absolutely exceptional,” Jürgen Klopp said this week.
Remarkably, it is Alonso’s very first senior management position after working at former clubs Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. But ex-teammate Jamie Carragher is not surprised to see the turnaround in such a short space of time.
He recalls the Spaniard arriving at Anfield under Rafael Benítez in 2005 with some tips on how Liverpool could improve. Speaking to The Redmen TV, Carragher said: “He was a thinking man’s footballer. When he signed he missed the first few games but I remember Rafa saying ‘We have got this fantastic player coming in and he has already said where he thinks the team can improve’. I was thinking ‘who the f*** does he think he is?’ 22, coming over from Spain and telling us where we are going wrong!”
Liverpool would famously win the Champions League in Alonso’s first season and although it is unclear if Benítez sought tactical advice from the Spaniard, his impact was evident. “He wasn’t someone who spoke that much on the pitch but he led by example. He trained really well and always played for the team. I don’t know too much about Xabi as a manager but knowing his character, I imagine he is cool, calm and collected.”
Klopp’s side could ultimately end his tenure with four trophies this season with Liverpool in the mix for the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, after next weekend’s Carabao Cup final. It would be the fitting finale for the German boss but Carragher believes there should have been even more silverware.
And despite the obvious disappointment that Klopp will walk away after nine years, the Sky Sports pundit is actually optimistic about the future. Carragher adds: “I love Klopp but we don’t win everything. I think the players have been so used to Jürgen for so long, that a change might be good and bring some fresh ideas.
“That would happen with whoever you bring in. I was devastated when I heard Jürgen was leaving but soon after I was excited about where this team could be taken. There is no reason why it can’t get even better.”
It is fair to say that Alonso has Carragher’s backing to become the next Liverpool manager. Some players seem destined to go on and become managers and the Spaniard was one of them, and he is doing a great job with Leverkusen right now.
Klopp’s side remains one of the best teams in Europe and he has managed to put together a new squad and system after so much success previously. If Alonso, or whoever replaces him, is able to improve on that then Liverpool fans are destined for some more incredible successes.
