Jurgen Klopp, the great general who has led Liverpool since 2015, will retire at the end of the season.
He has won numerous titles, including the Premier League and Champions League, with the destructive power of his front three and both backs, and a solid defence with top-notch centre-backs and goalkeepers.
Replacing a great manager is a heavy responsibility for anyone. Manchester United and Arsenal have failed to appoint replacements after long-term administrations, with the former still not back to its former strength.
And Liverpool face a similar challenge, pushing hard for Feyenoord’s Arne Slott amidst promising young leaders such as Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim.
Enschede-born goalkeeper Sander Westerveld, who also played for Liverpool and the Dutch national team during his playing days, was team-mates with the manager.
He looked forward to his former colleague taking charge at Anfield and touched on the content of the conversation he had with him.
“I spoke to him this morning and he just said it is not a secret that Liverpool wants him but that he could not say anything. I hope it will happen.”
“The job he has done at Feyenoord makes him the perfect fit for Liverpool. He arrived there from AZ Alkmaar. AZ had finished higher up the league than Feyenoord but he still went there because he liked the challenge and he thought the coach was not taking all of the potential out of the team.”
“Liverpool have a lot of potential in the squad, and we don’t have the money that Manchester City have to spend, so I think he will get all the potential out of the players.”
“He plays in the same style as Jürgen Klopp: sexy football, forward pressing and the percentage of ball recoveries in the opposition half is the highest in Holland. When he loses the ball, he wants the ball back in three seconds.”
The Times