Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has suggested that a former Premier League manager who won the Champions League during his time in England will be a perfect fit for the Liverpool manager role when Jurgen Klopp leaves the club at the end of the season.
Jamie Carragher does not believe that the current front-runner, Feyenoord’s Arme Slot, has what it takes to replicate what Klopp did at the club.
According to the former player, who is now a pundit, Jurgen Klopp is leaving behind shoes that Arne Slot may struggle to fill, which is why he has suggested a manager who has what it takes.
According to Mail Sport, an approach has already been made for Arne Slot to take over at Liverpool at the end of the season.
Arne Slot himself is enthused about the opportunity to take over from Jurgen Klopp, as he was reported to have said on Thursday, “It is no secret that I would like to go to Liverpool. Now I am waiting for the clubs to reach an agreement. I have every confidence in that.”
It is increasingly likely that Arne Slot will take over at Liverpool next season.
After Klopp announced that he would leave at the end of the season, there was a clear favourite to take over in former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who has led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title.
Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the job at Anfield when he confirmed his stay at Leverkusen, leaving Liverpool to look elsewhere for a successor for Jurgen Klopp.
After considering the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim, Liverpool have now appeared to have settled on Arne Slot, but Jamie Carragher believes he may not be the man for the job, instead opting for a former Premier League manager.
Writing in the Telegraph, Jamie Carragher kicked against Liverpool’s imminent appointment of Arne Slot, who he thinks would struggle to fill Jurgen Klopp’s shoes at the club.
“The bad news is the man most capable of overseeing the next step for this Liverpool team is leaving,” Jamie Carragher wrote. ‘If Klopp was in charge next season, Liverpool would move forward and challenge again at home and in Europe. With Slot, that absolute belief will give way to hope.”
Arne Slot is not a bad manager, something Carragher acknowledged, but for him, he does not make the cut to succeed at Liverpool.
“That’s not intended in any way as a criticism of the incoming Dutchman. Once Klopp announced he was going and Xabi Alonso ruled himself out, Liverpool’s options were limited. No matter how brilliant Slot is – and no-one wins a league title or leads a side to a European final without serious credentials – the next coach was always going to be highly regarded, but not one to necessarily get pulses racing,” Carragher continued.
The former Liverpool defender-turned-pundit added, “There is no-one available to replicate Klopp’s aura, authority and natural connection with the supporters – that “X-factor” which is so elusive. Since the Slot news broke, I have heard and read many perspectives suggesting that the choice makes sense tactically and how the data regarding Feynoord’s style makes him a natural fit.”
So, which former Premier League manager does Jamie Carragher believe could do the job at Liverpool?
He led Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021. He currently manages Bavarian giants, Bayern Munich, and is also on his way out of the club, after having a difficult time at the club, leading to Bayern’s inability to defend their Bundesliga crown.
Well, no prizes for the right guess!
So, you guessed right. Thomas Tuchel!
Jamie Carragher thinks the former Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel can do a better job at sustaining the levels at Liverpool than Arne Slot.
Despite his current struggles, Carragher feels Thomas Tuchel is a quality manager who is capable of recovering from his current setbacks.
Jamie Carragher wrote, “I would have given more thorough consideration to a coach like Thomas Tuchel who took on and beat Pep Guardiola in the ultimate test – a Champions League final. Tuchel followed Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund and did well. It has not worked out at Bayern Munich this season, but you only have to look at Carlo Ancelotti and Unai Emery to recognise how top coaches recover from setbacks.”
So, will Jamie Carragher get his wish, or would Liverpool go ahead with their plan to appoint Arne Slot?