Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes that both Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso could be considered candidates to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. The German boss has come under plenty of pressure of late following the Reds’ disappointing start to the season, with a match against title contenders Manchester City on the horizon.
Liverpool are currently tenth in the Premier League, having won just two of their opening eight matches. Several of the Merseyside outfit’s key performers have failed to meet the mark domestically, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all being criticised by pundits and supporters.
The Reds’ 7-1 victory in the Champions League in midweek has silenced those doubting Klopp in the short-term, but if the former Borussia Dortmund can spark a reaction in the league then he could come under fire once more. The general consensus is that the 55-year-old is not at risk of being sacked, though anything can change.
If Klopp can weather the storm and remain in the dugout for the foreseeable future, Murphy believes that Alonso and Gerrard could succeed him at Anfield – as long as they have enough experience under their belts at that point. He told Fair Betting Sites, via Liverpool Echo: “I think Steven Gerrard or Xabi Alonso could manage Liverpool, absolutely, yeah. I don’t think either of them have probably done just enough yet to warrant that.
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“I don’t think there’s a Liverpool fan on the planet, irrelevant of the start of the season, that would be even thinking about a possible change with Klopp. I don’t see that at all.
“I think it’s a big couple of seasons for Stevie at Villa to show his credentials, implement his style. It’s been a little bit up and down for him at Villa. He’d probably be the first to say that, so we’ll have to wait and see.
“I think Alonso’s more in the infancy of his managerial career. So, you know, that’s a hard one to anticipate. I know he had a good first win, but in terms of their stature amongst Liverpool supporters and the legacy they’ve left, it would be silly not to think that one of them could be in the dugout at Anfield one day.”
Alonso was named as manager of Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, guiding the German side to victory in his first match at the club with a 4-0 win over Schalke, though they were beaten 3-0 by Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The former Reds midfielder is certainly a distance away from contending for a top managerial position, though Gerrard’s form at Villa recently would suggest that he is too.