Are Liverpool about to sack Arne Slot? They actually really might be after back-to-back draws against Leeds United and Fulham.
Is he floating on a slow barge towards the sack?
That’s more than enough at a time like this to at least have a look at who the top 10 in the current betting to replace him might be, according to Oddschecker.
10=) Various folk including Diego Simeone, Ange Postecoglou, John Heitinga, Fabian Hurzeler, Unai Emery, Zinedine Zidane, Marco Silva, Roberto De Zerbi, Xavi and Julian Nagelsmann.
8=) Enzo Maresca
Is he available? Yes. Would there be a fan revolt if Liverpool appointed him? Also yes.
8=) Simone Inzaghi
Currently at Al-Hilal but we know that Liverpool approached him when he was Inter Milan manager and they knew Jurgen Klopp was about to leave. We are not sure he would say no again.
7) Cesc Fabregas
Interesting this. We always sort of assumed he would be the next manager of Arsenal with their penchant for Spanish midfielders, but there are enough people impressed with his Como work to make him a candidate for all the big jobs.
6) Steven Gerrard
The former Liverpool captain was fourth in the betting when Klopp was leaving Liverpool. Since then, he’s endured a distinctly underwhelming time at Al-Ettifaq.
It felt like he merely had to do an adequate job at Aston Villa to stay ahead of the pack when Klopp decided to walk, but he f***ed it. Gerrard has a Premier League win percentage of 32% as a manager. A selection of top-flight coaches, all of whom were in charge for more games, who have a better record includes Javi Gracia, Howard Kendall, David Pleat, Roy Hodgson, Alan Curbishley and Dean Smith. None of them Know The Club or have the requisite DNA, mind.
4=) Jurgen Klopp
There are still several people desperately – and in most cases we suspect deliberately – misunderstanding that answer he gave on a podcast about the prospect of returning to Liverpool. What he meant when saying it was technically possible that he returns to Liverpool is that it’s unlike the absolute impossibility of him returning to England to manage anywhere else there is a universe and a timeline where a slim chance exists that he is back in the Liverpool dugout.
He did not mean he is ready, willing and able to kick that bald fraud out of his dugout this month.
Still, though. Imagine if it did happen. Which, and we cannot stress this enough, it won’t.
4=) Andoni Iraola
Choosing a bad time to go through one of his bad patches at Bournemouth, so his potential appointment would not prompt a party among Liverpool fans.
3) Oliver Glasner
It does feel like it’s probably a matter of time before someone with deeper pockets and grander ambitions wants to see what he’s made of. Probably Manchester United, though.
2) Luis Enrique
There is talk of the Spaniard being keen to leave PSG this summer and that has propelled him into this list as well as the Manchester United candidates list. It has since been dismissed, but it remains a tempting proposition and he is clearly the calibre of manager who will be attracted to the Liverpool job.
1) Xabi Alonso
Have to feel that, for now, this is a boat Liverpool have missed. There was a time, when we knew Jurgen Klopp was leaving and Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen were performing a season-long madness, that it felt like it was meant to be.
It still probably is, somewhere down the line. Real Madrid managers tend not to stick around for long no matter how successful they might be and the feelings between Alonso and Liverpool are clearly entirely mutual.
But if we are going to pretend the next Liverpool manager is something happening quite soon, then nah, it’s not going to be Xabi unfortunately.
