Liverpool fans will have to work double-shift at the weekend as attention turns to finding Jurgen Klopp’s successor. Of course, Liverpool is in the spotlight, but Bayer Leverkusen’s fate is also clearly revealed. Xabi Alonso has impressed since returning to Germany, turning Leverkusen from relegation contenders to title favorites in just one year.
The win over Bayern Munich was undoubtedly his highlight, leaving the Bundesliga winners humiliated as their dominance looked to be under genuine threat. You will see a lot of comments about Leverkusen’s performance. There is a reason for this. Jamie Carragher takes the lead on this and looks at what it would mean if Alonso does indeed follow in Klopp’s footsteps.
But while most of the focus was on his tactics and how his team would fare against Bayern, it was also interesting to watch Alonso from the sidelines. Ultimately, Klopp’s influence goes beyond the pitch. The “Liverpool” manager was most energetic during the game. As usual, the audience gets to hear the Germans talking, shouting, gesticulating, making strange facial expressions, etc. It doesn’t matter when United score, Klopp rarely celebrates his goals.
However, he seems calmer than his experience with Alonso. The former midfielder’s players were stunned to see Jeremy Frimpong’s goal seal a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich. The Spaniard simply kept his cool and waited for the chance to pick up the defender after his team-mate went down. Moreover, the Leverkusen coach does not seem to want to celebrate the victory in front of his fans at full-time.
Instead, Alonso invited all the backroom staff and then slowly rushed to the players. If Alonso had taken the Anfield job, we would have seen Klopp’s last shot. Anyway, other clubs are starting to “steal” the idea, so maybe it’s better to move on, right Curtis? But Alonso seems to have taken a leaf out of Klopp’s book.
The Leverkusen player gathered his entire squad and coaching staff to line up in front of the fans and recalled an unforgettable night in front of the Kop against Barcelona. It was first used after a 2-2 draw with West Brom in December 2015. The sight of Liverpool players joining hands to welcome the Kop has been a source of laughter for years, even as trophies began to defend. The constant mockery on social media was strangely quiet.
