Xabi Alonso is without a shadow of a doubt everyone’s favourite candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Even scratching below the surface it’s easy to see why.
Alonso was always a popular figure at Anfield. He was adored by the club’s supporters. Even after leaving the Reds to join Real Madrid his relations with the club never soured. Which cannot be said for everyone who left during that period of turmoil.
On top of that, he’s always been perceived as an intelligent player on the pitch – someone who reads the game well. His journey into management hasn’t been a surprise. It just seemed like a natural progression. He’s done well building his career up. From coaching at Real Madrid’s academy to moving to Real Sociedad’s B team and then Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso’s achievements this season
Obviously, it’s this season that his managerial achievements have really grabbed the headlines. It was already impressive what Alonso had done to transform Leverkusen from fighting for relegation to qualifying for Europe last season.
However, this season, his achievements are unparalleled. Not even Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have been able to achieve what Alonso’s Leverkusen side has done this season. Alonso is the only manager in Europe’s top five leagues who is currently unbeaten in all competitions this season. Both Klopp’s Liverpool and Guardiola’s Manchester City have lost multiple games already this season.
Meanwhile, Alonso’s Leverkusen side have gone 30 games without a defeat now. And they are only two games away from breaking a German record of going 32 matches unbeaten.
That’s an incredible feat achieved by Alonso. The numbers simply do not lie. He would be the most sensible option for Liverpool. His record this season has just shown why.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
