28 Jan 2026 12:11:25
Before Alonso did it, the last non Bayern manager to win the Bundesliga was Klopp over a decade ago. Whilst Klopp won it back-to-back, XA won it going unbeaten. Two very remarkable achievements.
I really could care less what happened at Madrid, XA is currently the most sensible option. Give him the job!
{Ed025's Note - im not sure about XA you know Niger, yes he did very well at Leverkusen but was that a one off just like Ranieri done at Leicester?, sometimes a bis fish will do ok in in a small pond but when he went to Madrid he struggled with all the big ego,s in the dressing room, let me tell you there are a lot of big ego,s at Liverpool as well mate, now im not saying he will fail, just that people are seeing him as the second coming...be careful what you wish for..
28 Jan 2026 12:37:16
But Ed025, yes what he did was incredible but he still made champions league spots the next year. This was a team in the relegation zone when he took over the year before winning the league.
I think Madrid is a poison job to take. Too many egos, too many issues with leadership. Alonso's record was far from bad at Madrid. And they were top before Vincius threw his toys out the pram during that Atleti game and led a revolt against Alonso. I think he was the wrong type of manager at Madrid, given the players don't want a change in culture. I honestly think Klopp would not fair well at Madrid too.
Now will be the second coming? I don't know but I'm confident at the very least he's better than Slot and will get the players more fit and more enjoyable to watch! Out of all the options, he's one of the better ones available. It's him, Enrqiue or Iraola for me. Not sure who else there is.
I think given we still have a lot of players who played for Klopp and dealt with the hard training, it may be less of an issue than Madrid.
{Ed025's Note - all as im saying Taurus is that whoever takes over it will be a gamble mate, sometimes a guy just fits and sometimes they dont thats all..
28 Jan 2026 12:45:14
Ed25, he finished second the following season. And the season before he won the league, he took them from relegation zone to finish sixth.
I think that's real progress. If the Madrid players were to cooperate with him, I am quite sure he would have been reasonably successful there as well.
I can understand where you are coming from actually and by no means am I suggesting he will be a guaranteed success if he joins. However, in my opinion, he is presently the most sensible option if we are looking at making a change and we actually should because Slot seems to have lost it.
{Ed025's Note - im not taking anything away from what he achieved in Germany Niger..he done very well, but this is the Bundesliga we are talking about where a lot of the teams dont get in our Championship mate, Slot has to go of course but all im saying is that he had a great squad at Real and never really achieved the required level...yes there is a lot of massive Ego,s there but Liverpool are hardly a team of shrinking violets..
28 Jan 2026 12:50:14
Hallelujah Ed025 ?.
28 Jan 2026 12:54:34
Comparing the ego's at Liverpool to Real is a bit much Ed, they've got all the biggest diva's in football on the one team. Throw in the fact that the players know Perez will back them when they start kicking up a fuss and you've got the perfect recipe for a managerial nightmare. The chain of command is backwards in Madrid. That's not how it works at Anfield. I think it's pretty clear that quite a few players don't agree with Slot's approach, and outside of Salah's statements, nobody's really said a word, there's been no arguments on the pitch or sideline tantrums, no reports of players complaining to the hierarchy.
Whilst I understand most top tier footballers do have egos on some level, as it is difficult to reach that sort of level without one, the situation in Madrid is pretty unique, I don't think anybody would agree that it's echoed at Anfield.
{Ed025's Note - you are kidding yourself if you think there are no Diva,s in that Liverpool dressing room Chewy, i expect to see your two highest earners to be appearing on Ru Pauls Drag Race shortly after retirement mate.. :)
28 Jan 2026 12:56:57
Ed25 My counter argument would be Liverpool may have some big Ego player with these same big players worked their butts off for the manager and the club because it was demanded of them and I had respect for the club in the badge.
Something is simply a mess with Arnie whereas we assume xabi would bring that intensity and demand respect. And real Madrid? What can you say? The players in Perez have run the club. Those egos are beyond coaching! Love your work man.
{Ed025's Note - im not saying that XA wont do a good job Pete, just that its not set in stone and he will inherit a lot of the problems that Slot is dealing with now mate, he could well be the man to turn things around but as with all appointments we just dont know..
28 Jan 2026 12:58:21
Ed025 I don't agree with the one season statement at Leverkusen he joined mid season think they was bottom 3 and got them into Europe second season they nearly win everything and only lose one game all season.
3rd season finished 2nd and playing champions league football for the first time in I don't know how long is a good season.
As for Madrid I really don't get why top managers would want to go work under the conditions of that club. Apart from the wages they get what probably not that much better than most other top jobs.
Everything about that clubs is totally rotten from the guy that runs it to the players and even the fans.
{Ed025's Note - look Grino im no Real Madrid fan mate and i agree its a very toxic club, as i say he done very well at Leverkusen all power to him, but the Prem and Liverpool with their expectations is a very different animal..
28 Jan 2026 13:01:33
Weren't they called Neverkusen before Xabi delivered the title?
Including the great side that included Lucio, Ballack, Neuville and Berbatov!
You're a tough taskmaster Ed25 lol.
{Ed025's Note - i have to be StEA, you used to call us Neverton and look at us now...the best team on Merseyside mate.. :)
28 Jan 2026 13:18:14
Agreed Ed. I'm hoping this might go well. A person better connected with the city of Liverpool than slot is a good start at the very least. I remember a year or so back, seeing a story of how he's raising his kids to support Liverpool.
{Ed025's Note - he is certainly in the mix i would expect Taurus, he knows the league and the club which cant be ignored mate, i just think you may have to temper your expectations if he does get the job because i dont think its a quick fix like a lot of people think..
28 Jan 2026 13:33:08
I think the definition of management of egos at madrid and at liverpool is quite different. We've seen madrid over the years, its really not the same ego management, if you will.
Theres no guarantee XA will perform if appointed, but let's be honest who, is available and is attainable that WILL? I am keen on XA, and im hoping he has learned lessons over his achievements and failures and is willing to adapt.
The last manager that had somewhat a winning and then decided to change it and then refuse to change again despite failures was brendan rodgers. It had the same slow possession game vibe.
28 Jan 2026 14:11:36
Any manager is a gamble for all sorts of reasons. Look at Carlo Ancelotti for Everton, world class manager and everyone is buzzing. Madrid come knocking and he does one. Next thing you're in a manager spiral that gets out of control.
There's always a bit of a leap of faith with every appointment. But if you never stick your head above the trenches you will never know. Or you go with longevity and stick with what you have and hope things get better.
{Ed025's Note - very true Janmo..
28 Jan 2026 14:46:32
I'd agree Ed on Alonso. I'd expect he will improve us, even without any signings, but equally I think there's still a big transition to be worked through and we may not have CL next season to attract players.
I think we need a minimum two defenders for the first team, not just the squad, maybe a goalie as Ali looks injured to me, a starting centre mid, a left winger to replace Cody, and a right winger to replace Frimpong and Mo.
I'd have Frimpong, Connor, Jones, Cody as squad options off the bench not starters, and sell Macca, and Mo and Konate will be gone.
{Ed025's Note - yeah Hugo, i know you bought some very big names in summer but i still think there is more needed especially in defence, you will always attract big names though even if you dont get CL because of the stature and history of the club mate..
28 Jan 2026 15:36:43
Ru Paul's Drag Race Ed025 ? ?.
28 Jan 2026 16:30:19
Ed025, and yet if Alonso decided to go to Everton, he'd be called the new Kendall. Madrid ego's are a little different to everyone else's ego. remember when Vini Jr never got the Balon doʻr they all up in arms n look at the Barcelona game, all crying n wouldn't congratulate them, that's what Alonso had to deal with.
{Ed025's Note - im not saying it was an easy gig at Madrid Strom but he knew before he went there what the set up was, he would not be welcome at Everton mate..we tried that with the Fat Spanish Waiter mate....and look how that turned out.. :)
28 Jan 2026 16:53:39
I never said there wasn't ayn diva's Ed, in fact I did actually state that I'm aware pretty much every top tier footballer has an ego of some sort. My point was that the situation at Real was the issue, not just the diva's.
The problem is that Perez backs the players, not the manager so the chain of command is tuned on its head. Players have regular access to Perez if needed and their comments carry massive weight. Their childish behaviour is tolerated by the club, when they throw tantrums the manager is questioned, not the player, Perez puts the players first and the whole system undermines any authority the manager should have. This is the root of the problem at Madrid.
I've no doubt theirs a few divas in our own dressing room but we have an established hierarchy and the club does not entertain nonsense from players who think they can undermine it.
28 Jan 2026 16:59:12
It worries me that 025 knows Ru Paul's Drag Race, were you a fan of the show there 025?.
{Ed025's Note - im not you know Hughesy, but i would watch it if Mo and Virgil were on it in A-line dresses and sling back high heels mate.. :)
28 Jan 2026 17:18:22
Ed25, there are no guaranties and I understand your point BUT you have to look at his whole tenure at Leverkusen. That was Alonso's first managerial job and he took them from a relegation battle into the Europa league within the half season or so he was there. Comparing him to Ranieri is just strange cos Ranieri has been managing for 35 years. Man coached Maradona at Napoli in 1991 so the comparison is flawed, already.
Then, Alonso went up a couple of levels with that team and had an undefeated domestic season, something even Bayern could never accomplish in their illustrious season. And had it not been a stellar perf. from Atalanta and a MOTM perf. of the ages from your boy Lookman, Xabi wins a treble going undefeated. Absolutely unprecedented. Ranieri didn't do any of that, btw.
So IMO, what Alonso achieved in just 18 months of being a manager of a club was out of this world. Whatever happened at RM is of NO relevance to me esp. if you consider how things went for him which ironically, are the exact same things that happened when Rafa went there and that DR got rid of him too.
Again, there are no guaranties of anything BUT let's be clear about Alonso's time at Leverkusen compared to at RM where btw, other top managers have also bit the dust, courtesy of their fans and/ or the players. That gig ain't easy by a long shot. Just my opinion.
{Ed025's Note - i compared him with Ranieri because he also took a team out of obscurity to title winners where it seemed he had no chance Oli, he done great at leverkusen without doubt but without the weight of expectation, a lot of teams in that league give you the points because the standard is so poor imo, but thats taking nothing away from Xabi,s achievement, i think the job at Liverpool could end up being a rebuild mate and people who think he will just come in and wave a magic wand could be disappointed..
28 Jan 2026 17:46:09
I have to agree with you Ed and thanks for bringing a bit of realism to the discussion.
I'm a huge Alonso fan from his playing days with us and if/ when he gets the job, I hope that he'll succeed.
But as you say, there are no guarantees.
{Ed025's Note - there really aren,t Cantremember mate..
28 Jan 2026 17:54:37
Enrique would be my choice. Doubt we can get him. Expect him to end up at the blue side of Manchester.
28 Jan 2026 18:21:41
Glad you're on this thread Ed025.
Perfectly put.
Xabi may wave a magic wand, by God I hope he does. But he may not, he will have to deal with plenty of egos. Not just Mo and Salah but Isak refused to train at Newcastle until he got his way. He will have to get used to the pace of the premier league and the weight of expectation. Being a former player is not the same as being a manager.
He will not have it easy and I just don't like people building him up like he's some sort of messiah. He will need time, he will need to adapt, he will need good staff. Dot expect a Leverkusen effect.
{Ed025's Note - he could be the answer Ron but there are quite a few problems to be solved i feel mate, not just the players but the relationships with the likes of Hughes and co and the recruitment and fitness teams, i dont want to be the prophet of doom but some just think its a case of switching a light on and it will all be sweetness and light, things may improve short term probably but there is lot of things to sort out imo..
28 Jan 2026 20:22:13
I agree with your concerns @25, but I think that XA will be allowed a fair bit of latitude in trying to put things right - more so than perhaps any other potential manager.
I am interested in what the title of the role will be. Klopp had more control over player ins and outs as Manager, whilst Slot being Head Coach seems to have had less influence in transfers. If the role is the former then perhaps Hughes will be leaving too, or, at least, have his responsibilities changed.
Possibly interesting times ahead.
{Ed025's Note - very interesting WDW..