With Xabi Alonso among the many favourites to switch Jurgen Klopp as the subsequent Liverpool supervisor, Bundesliga commentator Dan O’Hagan gave us detailed perception into the Spaniard’s credentials.
With Klopp set to step apart on the finish of the season, it will likely be unusual seeing a brand new supervisor within the dugout come August.
Alonso is the apparent title in European soccer to take the job, given the wonderful progress he has made with Bayer Leverkusen in simply 18 months, taking them to the highest of German soccer.
Sam Millne spoke to Bundesliga commentator Dan O’Hagan (@danohagan) to debate Alonso’s time as Leverkusen supervisor and what he might convey to Liverpool.
Ought to he be a candidate for the Liverpool job?
Completely. I noticed his first recreation with Leverkusen final season, after they blew Schalke away 4-0, and from day one, his model of soccer was extraordinary.
And final season, OK, it was a bit hit or miss, however this season they’ve been, for me, most likely the most effective crew in European soccer this season. They’re the one unbeaten crew throughout all the key leagues throughout three competitions.
Alonso’s model of soccer would work wherever. It’s emotional, it’s high-tempo, it’s thrilling, it’s chock filled with objectives, it’s fluid, it’s trendy.
At Liverpool, clearly, Klopp leaves monumental, enormous footwear to fill, however Alonso would possibly simply be the character, the fashion of coach, with the fashion of play, large enough to fill these monumental footwear.
How does he set his crew up?
Alonso says he doesn’t actually imagine in formations. This season has been ostensibly 3-4-3, however throughout video games that modifications three, 4, 5 occasions.
It may be a again 4, it may be again three. It’s so fluid. He has clever gamers who can adapt.
Methods beneath Alonso don’t imply an incredible deal, as a result of they’ve a lot of the ball they dictate the sport anyway, so the system nearly turns into irrelevant as a result of they management the sport’s tempo.
At Leverkusen there’s no set construction, it’s all very, very laissez-faire.
How fast has his progress been?
He took over, they had been within the backside two, they completed within the European locations final season, so throughout the season there was progress. However that was by no means a backside two squad he took over.
However what they’ve finished this season is that they’ve actually constructed on the foundations he laid within the earlier season, and from the get-go this season, it has simply been unbelievable.
The quantity of objectives, the sorts of objectives, the place the objectives come from. What he’s finished this season, he’s bought the 2 vast gamers, so Alex Grimaldo on the left, Jeremie Frimpong on the fitting, and their objectives and assists output is simply unbelievable for wing-backs.
He’s recognized areas that he might enhance in the summertime they usually have finished. They’ve gone from, I’d say, an underachieving, high-quality squad to, this season, with out query, the most effective crew in Germany.
Any issues?
My one query mark can be Alonso isn’t but the true deal or the completed article as a result of, don’t neglect, it’s solely his second season in control of a senior first crew in a high division.
Earlier than this he was with Actual Sociedad’s B crew for a few years within the third and second division in Spain, earlier than that he was with the under-14s at Actual Madrid.
So, my one misgiving can be that he perhaps simply wants another yr or two extra years at Leverkusen to maybe win trophies and to get that beneath his belt.
Is he a specialist tactician or is he a man-manager, too?
I feel lately, large gamers at large golf equipment, they respect individuals who’ve bought the medals and Alonso, you possibly can’t deny, has bought each medal within the ebook.
They’ll after all have seen him play, as a result of his profession wasn’t that way back, so the gamers shall be properly conscious of who and what Alonso is and what he’s achieved as a participant, so the respect shall be there from day one.
I feel definitely the gamers would adapt to him and take to him from day one due to his achievements, and likewise the truth that he lets his gamers play.
He provides these gamers on the sphere loads of autonomy and accountability. I feel Leverkusen gamers take pleasure in enjoying for Alonso and I don’t see that being any totally different wherever else.
• Thanks once more to Dan O’Hagan for his perception on Xabi Alonso. Comply with Dan on Twitter @danohagan.
