LIVERPOOL ‘SENT RUBEN AMORIM WARNING’ AS PUNDIT IDENTIFIES MAIN ‘ISSUE’ ABOUT REPLACING JURGEN KLOPP
Premier League giants Liverpool have been ‘sent a warning’ about replacing Jurgen Klopp with Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim.
Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager as Klopp announced in January that this season would be his last in charge of the Premier League giants.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso was initially the favourite to replace Klopp but he has announced that he will be sticking with the Bundesliga champions for at least one more season.
Would Amorim suit Liverpool?
Amorim has since emerged as the new frontrunner to replace Klopp. The 39-year-old has done a great job while he’s been in charge of Sporting Lisbon and they are on track to win the Primeira Liga title this season.
His attack-minded philosophy would suit Liverpool but the task of replacing Klopp would be tough for most managers in the world. In a recent interview, Steve McManaman has ‘sent a warning’ to his former club about Amorim, who will face one main ‘issue’ at Anfield if he joins the Premier League outfit.
“He’s got a very good reputation in Portugal. He delivered the title to Sporting and they’re fighting for it again this year. Sporting is a huge club, but Liverpool are a different level,” McManaman said during an interview with The Mirror.
“We all know it’s going to be a difficult job for whoever comes in but the number-crunchers, the data specialists, they’ll be doing their homework behind the scenes.”
He added: “Liverpool are in a really great place. I think practically everybody other than Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Virgil [van Dijk] are locked down. I don’t necessarily think the hard part will be the team; that’s going to be around for a while. It’s everything else: [replacing] the charisma of Jurgen, his sense of humour, how he got the people of Liverpool, that’s going to be the hard job.
“I know Ruben speaks very good English, which is a great help straight away. But everything else, the whole package to emulate Jurgen, is very difficult for anyone I think.”
McManaman has also argued that Michael Edwards’ return to Liverpool as FSG’s CEO of football will ensure they won’t decline after Klopp leaves.
“That’s important because as we all know, it’s all about how the club move forward. Mikel Arteta will eventually leave Arsenal, Pep will eventually leave City. These clubs will know it way in advance and then it’s all about the process of bringing that new manager in,” McManaman continued.
“I think the fact that Liverpool have brought Michael [Edwards] back is great. They’re talking about buying other football teams as well and having a football model type. So it’s very exciting times, even if it will be a difficult process.”
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