ESPN pundit claims 58-year-old manager is as close to Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool will be able to find

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As Liverpool continue their search for a new manager, many have accepted that a new appointment will be a step down.

In truth, there isn’t really any way that the Reds could bring in anyone better than Jurgen Klopp. The one manager who you’d put on a par with him is Pep Guardiola, but even then, would he fit Liverpool better than Jurgen? Unlikely.

It isn’t just Klopp’s tactical acumen and quality as a football coach which have made him such a natural fit for this club. More than that, the German has utterly embraced everything that comes with being part of Liverpool Football Club.

As Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder said today, Klopp has completely aligned with each and every aspect of what the club stands for. He gets the people and the city and shares many of the values they and it hold dear.

As Liverpool prepare to lose him, many on the outside won’t understand that this isn’t just about replacing a manager, it’s about finding a new icon. It’s an impossible job – and one the players themselves are said to be worried about. There will never be another Klopp.

Liverpool told perfect Jurgen Klopp 2.0

Despite his thankless task, new sporting director Richard Hughes has a number of candidates to assess for the Liverpool job. Nobody will replace Klopp in spirit, but they can at least try and do it on the touchline.

And in that spirit, Hughes and the Reds have now been told the ideal person to step into Jurgen’s shoes.

Unfortunately though, as ESPN FC pundit Shaka Hislop explains, he isn’t someone who’ll be joining anytime soon.

“Listen, in terms of fit, I think [Ange] Postecoglou is as close to Jurgen Klopp as you will get,” says the former Newcastle United goalkeeper.

“Both in terms of how his teams play and his personality, how he manages the players, the fans which is a big part of Jurgen Klopp’s appeal, certainly to Liverpool fans.

“While I say all that, I don’t think that anybody is looking forward to picking up the phone to Daniel Levy to try to convince him to let go of Postecoglou. I think that’s a pretty short conversation that ultimately you’ll be frustrated in. No, you have to cast your net a whole lot wider.”

Could Liverpool get Ange Postecoglou

Some might, but we don’t necessarily disagree with Hislop here. Obviously, Postecoglou is not really even close to being the manager Klopp is. At 58, he’s already older than Jurgen and has likely peaked as a coach already.

Having said that, the Tottenham Hotspur boss does share some of the personality traits of his Liverpool counterpart. Postecoglou certainly knows how to bring a club, its players and fans together.

As a boyhood Liverpool fan, the Australian would also have some semblance of what the club means to its supporters. On paper, Ange already gets it. That goes a long way. Hislop isn’t the only one to see it.

In terms of playing style, he’s also an attractive option. Known for his relentless attacking football, it would be a philosophy you could see going down well at Anfield. Maybe Liverpool don’t really need a Klopp 2.0 though, they’re never going to match up to the big man anyway. This is a nice idea, but it’s never going to happen.