LIVERPOOL: MANAGER NOW ‘READY’ TO SUCCEED KLOPP WITH CHELSEA BOSS TIPPED TO ‘EXCITE’ FANS

Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is now “ready” to join Liverpool as their replacement for Jurgen Klopp, according to former Rangers coach Pedro Caixinha.

The Reds are on the lookout for a new manager after Klopp announced earlier this season that he will be stepping down at the end of the season to take a break from football.

Ruben Amorim is the favourite to be the next Liverpool manager

Xabi Alonso was the early favourite to take the job before he revealed that he will be staying at Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen next campaign.

That news saw Sporting Lisbon’s Amorim become the new favourite with a report soon after claiming he had struck a ‘verbal agreement’ to join Liverpool in the summer.

However, Amorim denied any such agreement or that an interview had even taken place with the Portuguese coach focused on the rest of the season.

Speculation has persisted that he is likely to be the top target for Liverpool and Caixinha reckons Amorim has the appropriate “maturity” to take over at Anfield.

Caixinha told Final Cut: “Ruben Amorim is ready for Liverpool and I don’t think he’s too young. He has maturity, footballing experience, knowledge and preparation. There’s been a lot of talk about his preparation, because he didn’t have a Pro Licence and he was on the bench.

“He was, if I’m not mistaken, the only national champion to then finish the UEFA Pro course and, as far as I know, he did it with the same humility and naturalness.

“He had already completed a postgraduate course. He’s a person who wants to graduate and believes in what he does. He’s very proud, incisive, but he knows that the path is there and it’s for him, and that everyone has to follow it.”

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is “concerned for anyone” who has to follow Klopp, including Amorim.

Johnson told Betfred: “I don’t know a great deal about him but resultwise, he’s clearly doing a brilliant job at Sporting Lisbon. However, I’m concerned for anyone that has to fill Jürgen Klopp’s shoes. I’m sure that Liverpool will have successful managers again in the future, but to immediately follow Jürgen is a tough job.

“Anyone who goes there now has a very uphill job to do. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s going to be a tough job.”

Mauricio Pochettino to Liverpool?

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has not been seriously linked with the Liverpool job but Johnson reckons the Argentinian “could do good things at Anfield” if given the chance.

Johnson added: “Even though I’ve said that Jürgen Klopp will be a tough act to follow, any manager that comes in will be inheriting a great squad and it will be an improvement in terms of player quality than any candidate would have had at their disposal previously.

“I know people will think that I’m absolutely mad, but Mauricio Pochettino is a big name that can go into that job and grab everyone’s attention. That would excite people despite what’s happened at Chelsea this season because I don’t believe what’s gone on there is Mauricio’s fault. You don’t become a bad manager overnight and if he inherited that Liverpool squad, then I believe he could do good things at Anfield.”

2024-04-16T14:14:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd