Prospective new Liverpool managers have been told they would be ‘putting their head in a guillotine’ by replacing Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp announced last month that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a brilliant nine-year spell in charge of the Reds.
During his time at Anfield, Klopp has won the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, as well as the Club World Cup, the European Super Cup and the Community Shield.
Club legend to replace Klopp?
His departure will leave a huge void at Anfield, and potential replacements have been warned of the challenge they will have on their hands.
“It’s such a hard situation because any manager that goes in next is essentially putting their head in a guillotine,” Glen Johnson told Betfred.
🇩🇪✨ Jonathan Tah's 90th minute winner for Bayer Leverkusen… 30 games unbeaten and counting this season for Xabi Alonso's side! 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/Zkw3sTQkNP
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 7, 2024
“If they maintain the same level of success, people will say, ‘as you should do because you’ve inherited a great team in a good moment’, so they almost expect it, so you’re potentially setting yourself up to fail.
“For this reason, I think this will put a lot of the big names off. It’s almost like the next manager will have to come in and take one for the team.”
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Former Liverpool player Xabi Alonso is among the front-runners with the bookies to replace Klopp, with the Spaniard’s reputation on the rise as a result of Bayer Leverkusen’s form this season.
Alonso’s Leverkusen currently lead the Bundesliga standings after 20 games and are yet to taste defeat in the league.
However, Johnson has warned Liverpool fans expecting Alonso to instantly replicate that success if he replaces Klopp to temper their expectations.
He added: “Being an ex-legend of the club and fans’ favourite will mean that Xabi’s given time, which doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to be successful.
“But I think the fans will have more patience with him and give him more leeway than they would with a manager that doesn’t already have an affiliation with the club. So from that side of it, I think it could be a good option.”
