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Liverpool were ridiculed after transfer saga but £60m snub has been blessing in disguise

LiverpoolEcho.co.uk - 16 hours 40 min ago
Liverpool did make a major summer play for Romeo Lavia, whose move to Chelsea has been wrecked by injury
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Liverpool were ridiculed after transfer saga but £60m snub has been blessing in disguise

icLiverpool.co.uk - 16 hours 40 min ago
Liverpool did make a major summer play for Romeo Lavia, whose move to Chelsea has been wrecked by injury
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Appointing a Liverpool manager: A guide to the dos and don’ts

the Athletic - 17 hours 9 min ago

To understand how Liverpool are going about hiring their next manager, it’s worth reviewing how they appointed the current one almost nine years ago. 

Ian Ayre, who was the club’s chief executive, made first contact with targets.

Two of those conversations produced interviews, the first with Carlo Ancelotti and the second with Jurgen Klopp. Both men flew to the United States, where Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are based, following dialogue instigated by Ayre. 

Klopp’s agent Marc Kosicke was wary of pranksters, which resulted in a video call to ensure the person at the other end of the line was genuine. From there, the process of getting a deal done for Klopp was relatively straightforward. Kosicke told Ayre his client was interested and a meeting was arranged with FSG in New York City at the offices of law firm, Slaughter and May.

That setting sounded ideal to Klopp, believing it lowered the chances of him getting recognised — though things didn’t turn out that way.

In Munich at the start of his trip, he was stopped by flight attendants who wanted a photograph; when he got out of his car in Midtown Manhattan, he was spotted by a German exchange student who asked for a selfie; then, at his hotel, a tourist from Mainz — the German city where Klopp first entered management with Mainz 05 in 2001 after a decade playing for the club and spent a further seven years in the dugout — wanted to talk to him, as did as a group of holidaying Turkish football fans.

Still though, nobody made the link between Klopp and the decision-makers at FSG, who had travelled from the U.S. cities of Boston and Los Angeles to consider the options in front of them.

The opinion of Michael Edwards was considered, a person whose significance at the club had been marked by a promotion to technical director barely six weeks earlier, but the final call was ultimately made by the owners. From then on, FSG president Mike Gordon was largely the point of contact for Kosicke and Klopp. 

Klopp with Liverpool’s then managing director Ayre, left, and chairman Tom Werner on his appointment in 2015 (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

The story is a reminder that Liverpool are entering new territory, as the club sources Klopp’s replacement.

Maybe football gets too hung up on job titles, but the role of sporting director didn’t exist when Klopp succeeded Brendan Rodgers at Anfield in October 2015. It is perhaps more significant, however, that any comparable position did not carry the same level of responsibilities.

Things are different at Liverpool now, as the club head into a new era with Edwards effectively replacing Gordon as the FSG man closest to ground level and Richard Hughes, the new sporting director arriving from fellow Premier League side Bournemouth, leading the managerial search.

FSG wants more decisions to be made on Merseyside and when each prospective candidate sits in front of Liverpool officials, it will be Edwards and Hughes especially they will need to impress – a departure from how things have been done in the past.

While many of the people involved in each of these decisions had served Liverpool for a number of years, thus gaining an understanding of the special demands imposed on any manager, Hughes’ very first call, operating in unfamiliar territory after nearly a decade at Bournemouth, could prove to be his biggest.

So what are some of the dos and don’ts of how to hire a Liverpool manager?

Don’t be blinded by process

If recent history teaches us anything, it is that there is no one ‘right’ way to appoint a Liverpool manager. 

Before Klopp, Rodgers was recruited ahead of the 2012-13 season on the strength of a presentation he gave to FSG, which involved a 180-page dossier.

Before Rodgers, FSG leaned on Kenny Dalglish to re-establish a sense of identity that had been lost under Roy Hodgson, who was hired in summer 2010 by a combination of Ayre, managing director Christian Purslow and temporary chairman Martin Broughton during a period where the club were up for sale and their owners, American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett, were unable to agree on pretty much anything.

Before Hodgson, Rafa Benitez got the nod in 2004 because chief executive Rick Parry and owner David Moores believed he could do at Liverpool what he’d achieved at Spain’s Valencia, where he had steered a team on a much lower budget than Real Madrid and Barcelona to two domestic titles.

Before Benitez, in 1998, Gerard Houllier was recommended by secretary Peter Robinson, who thought Liverpool needed to embrace European methods to move forward, which seemed like a giant leap at the time, seeing each of the club’s previous five managers could be viewed in some way as an “in-house” choice, given already established associations.

Embrace Europe – but without breaking the bank

While Edwards has never recruited a manager, Hughes has experience from as recently as last summer, when he brought Andoni Iraola to Bournemouth after making the surprise decision to part with Gary O’Neil, who had stepped up from an assistant role following the August 2022 sacking of Scott Parker, less than four months after he’d delivered promotion, and kept them in the Premier League.

At Madrid’s Rayo Vallecano, Iraola had taken an unfashionable club into European competition — a feat those running Bournemouth might like to achieve too at some point. The same thought process should be applied to Liverpool, as it was under Klopp, when he arrived with a track record of winning titles at Borussia Dortmund ahead of rivals with much greater resources while also going far in Europe.

To a large degree, the remit for the Liverpool manager has never changed: show you are streetwise enough to balance ambitions domestically and abroad and you’ll be fine.

There was an exception to this rule – Hodgson, who arrived at Anfield fresh from reaching the Europa League final against the odds with Fulham. The west Londoners, however, finished 12th in that same 2009-10 season, after coming seventh under Hodgson the year before. Neither of those league positions would ever be received positively at Liverpool. 

Hodgson’s six months is the shortest reign of any manager in Liverpool’s history. Though he failed because of results, albeit at a difficult time as the club’s financial problems illustrated, he also failed because of what he said, and quite often, what he did not.

Hodgson took Fulham to the 2009-10 Europa League final (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)Misfits are welcome

It would be tempting to conclude that Liverpool managers need to be great communicators but neither Benitez, nor Bob Paisley before him in the 1970s and 1980s, fall into that category. They were awkward, but such personality traits were overlooked because of their achievements.

It is often said – certainly since the days of Bill Shankly (1959-74) – that any Liverpool manager does not just represent the club but the city. It is a civic duty, and anyone taking the job must, at least, have some appreciation for what the place has been through.

Anyone who has spent time in Benitez’s company will tell you he falls to the right politically, but it is more accurate anyway to say Liverpool is a city in opposition to the establishment rather than left-leaning.

A misfit like Benitez, who was perceived as being a misunderstood character, managed to fit in.

Benitez was loved by Liverpool fans (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)Tactics

For Hughes, there are also tactics to consider. Or more accurately, the style of the team any managerial appointment would bring. 

Match-going Liverpool fans have rarely cared that much about this sort of thing, so long as the team won. It has become more of a talking point, however, over the last decade, with the voices of a global fanbase becoming more prominent.

Everyone wants to see gegenpressing and tiki-taka, preferably both at the same time. For Hughes, the only consideration should be this: can the incoming manager get a tune out of the majority of the players he is inheriting? 

Most are young enough, talented enough and smart enough to understand what it takes to transition from a Klopp demand, to say, a Xabi Alonso demand — which might involve more touches of the ball.

Sentiment doesn’t guarantee success

A decision to appoint Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso might also involve sentiment, given that he was a part of the Benitez midfield that won the Champions League in 2005, which helped him become a hugely popular figure at Liverpool. 

That is not a bad thing, with fans probably more inclined to give a returning hero some leeway if results do not click immediately, but even at a club as conscious of their history as Liverpool, it should not be considered a guarantee of success.

Graeme Souness’ illustrious history as a player with Liverpool did not help him deliver the required amount of silverware as manager in the early 1990s and while Roy Evans engineered a revival, it was still not enough to win the title. Dalglish’s comeback after Hodgson departed in January 2011 lifted fans’ spirits, and he won the League Cup 13 months later, but Liverpool ended that 2011-12 season in eighth place, their lowest league finish since 1993-94.

Souness’ Liverpool return did not end well (Daniel Smith/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Alonso would still seem an obvious choice, mainly because he has transformed an underachieving Leverkusen team into one that is likely to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 straight titles in Germany’s Bundesliga, and one which has not suffered in Europe due to their domestic pursuit.

Even if it is not Alonso – whose sample size of work is small, as he has only managed at a senior level for 17 months – in the dugout come August, Hughes would be well advised to remember that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

If not Xabi Alonso then who? Analysing Liverpool's Plan B managerial options

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Categories: LFC NEWS

Appointing a Liverpool manager: A guide to the dos and don’ts

theAthletic.com - 17 hours 9 min ago
Lessons from history in how to hire the perfect coach for Anfield (and why it's not straightforward)
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I played with Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho at Fulham but now I'm at Bootle - I know I can get back to the top

LiverpoolEcho.co.uk - 17 hours 40 min ago
Interview with Fulham's former Liverpool-born starlet Sonny Hilton, who is aiming to work his way back up the football pyramid after a dazzling youth career
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I played with Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho at Fulham but now I'm at Bootle - I know I can get back to the top

icLiverpool.co.uk - 17 hours 40 min ago
Interview with Fulham's former Liverpool-born starlet Sonny Hilton, who is aiming to work his way back up the football pyramid after a dazzling youth career
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Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal injuries that could have big say in Premier League title race

LiverpoolEcho.co.uk - 19 hours 40 min ago
The Premier League's top three return to action this weekend with more injury worries to contend with after a costly international break
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Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal injuries that could have big say in Premier League title race

icLiverpool.co.uk - 19 hours 40 min ago
The Premier League's top three return to action this weekend with more injury worries to contend with after a costly international break
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Virgil van Dijk reality becomes obvious as three Liverpool players being left behind

LiverpoolEcho.co.uk - 21 hours 40 min ago
How Liverpool's players have been rated by the ECHO so far this season with Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo all causing a stir
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Virgil van Dijk reality becomes obvious as three Liverpool players being left behind

icLiverpool.co.uk - 21 hours 40 min ago
How Liverpool's players have been rated by the ECHO so far this season with Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo all causing a stir
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LFC Globe

LFC Globe - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 23:51
LFC Globe http://www.lfcglobe.co.uk/ Liverpool FC News Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:10:04 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-LFC_globe_symbol_red-32x32.png LFC Globe http://www.lfcglobe.co.uk/ 32 32 Inside Anfield: A Closer Look at Liverpool FC Players https://lfcglobe.co.uk/inside-anfield-a-closer-look-at-liverpool-fc-players/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/inside-anfield-a-closer-look-at-liverpool-fc-players/#disqus_thread Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:10:01 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105248 The 2024 squad consists of experience­d stars and fresh faces. Their te­am's talent is varied and impressive­. This page provides details about the­ Liverpool players for the 2024 se­ason. You'll find information on their skills, roles, and strategie­s. Liverpool Fan's Love for Betting on Red Liverpool are not only a te­am - it's a passion […]

This article (Inside Anfield: A Closer Look at Liverpool FC Players) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/inside-anfield-a-closer-look-at-liverpool-fc-players/feed/ 0 Who Would You Rather Want As Manager Of Liverpool: Steven Gerrard Or Xabi Alonso? https://lfcglobe.co.uk/who-would-you-rather-want-as-manager-of-liverpool-steven-gerrard-or-xabi-alonso/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/who-would-you-rather-want-as-manager-of-liverpool-steven-gerrard-or-xabi-alonso/#disqus_thread Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:50:10 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105241 Given both players are Liverpool legends, it's certainly a tough question to ask but nevertheless, it's one that is an interesting one to ask. Despite their almost identical ages with Steven Gerrard being 43 years old and Xabi Alonso 42 years of age, they are no doubt at different stages of their managerial careers. With […]

This article (Who Would You Rather Want As Manager Of Liverpool: Steven Gerrard Or Xabi Alonso?) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/who-would-you-rather-want-as-manager-of-liverpool-steven-gerrard-or-xabi-alonso/feed/ 0 Are Liverpool In Danger Of Being Surpassed By Newcastle United? https://lfcglobe.co.uk/are-liverpool-in-danger-of-being-surpassed-by-newcastle-united/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/are-liverpool-in-danger-of-being-surpassed-by-newcastle-united/#disqus_thread Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:31:18 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105237 This is a question some fans may have an issue with considering Newcastle have not yet won any trophies since being taken over by Public Investment Fund - the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. However, their quick ascent to the top four of the Premier League has occurred much faster than many thought it […]

This article (Are Liverpool In Danger Of Being Surpassed By Newcastle United?) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/are-liverpool-in-danger-of-being-surpassed-by-newcastle-united/feed/ 0 Is Andy Robertson’s Time At Liverpool Numbered? https://lfcglobe.co.uk/is-andy-robertsons-time-at-liverpool-numbered/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/is-andy-robertsons-time-at-liverpool-numbered/#disqus_thread Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:29:42 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105230 Andy Robertson is a player that Liverpool fans have always been able to rely on. Since arriving at the club in 2017 from Hull City, he's played over 30 games in all competitions in every season he's sported a Liverpool kit. He's less than 25 games away from reaching 300 appearances for Liverpool in just […]

This article (Is Andy Robertson’s Time At Liverpool Numbered?) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/is-andy-robertsons-time-at-liverpool-numbered/feed/ 0 Reds Cup Run Dry: Liverpool Falls in Extra Time To United https://lfcglobe.co.uk/reds-cup-run-dry-liverpool-falls-in-extra-time-to-united/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/reds-cup-run-dry-liverpool-falls-in-extra-time-to-united/#disqus_thread Wed, 20 Mar 2024 20:47:32 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105223 Manchester United scored in the final moments of extra time to defeat Liverpool in an agonizing fashion 4-3 and knock the Reds out of the FA Cup. Liverpool had the lead at two different points in the match and were just three minutes away from advancing, but they could not hold the lead as Amad […]

This article (Reds Cup Run Dry: Liverpool Falls in Extra Time To United) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/reds-cup-run-dry-liverpool-falls-in-extra-time-to-united/feed/ 0 Confirmed Lineups Manchester United vs Liverpool (FA Cup) https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-manchester-united-vs-liverpool-fa-cup/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-manchester-united-vs-liverpool-fa-cup/#disqus_thread Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:04:32 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105216 Liverpool have made three changes in the Starting XI. Ryan Gravenberch is restored to the bench after an injury, while the captain Virgil van Djjk and Alexis MacAllister return to the starting lineup. Manchester United have plenty of firepower in their lineup as well with names like Rashford and McTominay on the pitch. Manchester United […]

This article (Confirmed Lineups Manchester United vs Liverpool (FA Cup)) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-manchester-united-vs-liverpool-fa-cup/feed/ 0 Liverpool Look For Luck In Saint Patrick's Day Tie With United https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-look-for-luck-in-saint-patricks-day-tie-with-united/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-look-for-luck-in-saint-patricks-day-tie-with-united/#disqus_thread Sun, 17 Mar 2024 13:48:34 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105212 Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United meet in the 5th Round of the FA Cup on Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th) at Old Trafford. A win would be the 300th of Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool career and take the boss one step closer to lifting another trophy in his Liverpool swansong. Quotable Klopp It doesn't […]

This article (Liverpool Look For Luck In Saint Patrick's Day Tie With United) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-look-for-luck-in-saint-patricks-day-tie-with-united/feed/ 0 Liverpool Put Six Past Sparta: Advance To Europa Quarter Finals https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-put-six-past-sparta-advance-to-europa-quarter-finals/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-put-six-past-sparta-advance-to-europa-quarter-finals/#disqus_thread Sat, 16 Mar 2024 19:22:25 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105207 Liverpool probably did not need to score past Sparta Prague to advance to the Europa League quarterfinals as they were already up 5-1 on aggregate, but they did anyway. By the time the referee blew his whistle for full-time, the Reds had scored six times in a 6-1 victory, which was more than enough to […]

This article (Liverpool Put Six Past Sparta: Advance To Europa Quarter Finals) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-put-six-past-sparta-advance-to-europa-quarter-finals/feed/ 0 Confirmed Lineups: Liverpool vs Sparta Prague https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-liverpool-vs-sparta-prague/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-liverpool-vs-sparta-prague/#disqus_thread Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:44:13 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105199 Liverpool aren't holding anything back with this lineup vs. Sparta Prague. Mohamed Salah gets the start alongside Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo. Andy Robertson returns to the defence, so the Reds should have little trouble building on a 5-1 aggregate lead. Liverpool Starters Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Núñez, Salah, Gakpo, Robertson, Clark, Quansah, Bradley Substitutes: […]

This article (Confirmed Lineups: Liverpool vs Sparta Prague) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/confirmed-lineups-liverpool-vs-sparta-prague/feed/ 0 Liverpool vs. Sparta Prague: The Reds Continue Their Europa League Journey in Prague https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-vs-sparta-prague-the-reds-continue-their-europa-league-journey-in-prague/ https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-vs-sparta-prague-the-reds-continue-their-europa-league-journey-in-prague/#disqus_thread Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:18:57 +0000 https://lfcglobe.co.uk/?p=105195 Liverpool have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League as they host Czech champions Sparta Prague in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie on Thursday (March 14). The Reds enjoyed a stunning 5-1 victory in the Czech Republic last week in the first leg in what was an impressive performance […]

This article (Liverpool vs. Sparta Prague: The Reds Continue Their Europa League Journey in Prague) was originally published on LFC Globe. Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Liverpool FC news.

]]> https://lfcglobe.co.uk/liverpool-vs-sparta-prague-the-reds-continue-their-europa-league-journey-in-prague/feed/ 0

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De Zerbi's Anfield audition: Are Liverpool daring enough to hire him?

Liverpool FC on Sky Sports - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 17:00

The style with which Roberto De Zerbi has established Brighton in the top half of the Premier League table, this season and last, demands that the 44-year-old coach be considered for the biggest jobs. This weekend, live on Super Sunday, he takes the stage for what could be his Anfield audition.

Pep Guardiola has called De Zerbi "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years" because of his brand of football. The three-time Champions League-winning coach said: "There is no team playing the way they play. It is unique."

With De Zerbi, there is an unusual trajectory in his career path though. Big clubs haven't come knocking. Yet.

When Sam Allardyce and Sean Dyche took unfashionable teams into the upper reaches of the Premier League, the concern was that their approach would not be ambitious enough for the very best.

Live Super Sunday

Sunday 31st March 1:00pm Sky Sports Main Event Sky Sports Main Event

In De Zerbi's case, could it be too ambitious for cautious owners?

The good news for Brighton is that those are the whispers following reports that he is under consideration for the soon-to-be vacant role at Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp departs. Xabi Alonso has less coaching experience but it is De Zerbi whose fascinating football is seen as a risk.

In full flow, his teams find angles that others do not, triangles all over the pitch, controlling the rhythm in possession and pressing man-to-man out of it. At its very best, watching his Brighton side can feel like watching the future of the sport, evolution in action. Brighton put down the feather dusters used under Graham Potter and replaced them with battering rams under De Zerbi.

xxx

When Brighton are hot, they are hot.

From January 2023 to the end of last season, Brighton led the way for expected goals (51.3) in the Premier League, bettering Manchester City's tally of 46.18 for the same period. No team had more shots (605) or shots on target (228) than the scintillating Seagulls. It took them to Europe for the first time.

De Zerbi's courageous and exciting attacking style does lend itself to his defence being exposed but even if including their expected goals against record, their overall expected goals difference (expected goals - expected goals against) of 21.6 ranked them second only to Pep Guardiola's team during that period last season. Brighton's process was frighteningly impressive.

De Zerbi speaking on his future in February...

"When I listen that the big teams are interested in me, it is an honour and makes me proud My focus is the work day by day. About the future, I'm going to speak with the owner and the club because I want to compete in the best way I can. I want to understand their plan and then it is not a problem to work in a big, big team. I would like, in my career, to compete to win the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Champions League."

Perhaps there are parallels here with Marcelo Bielsa, the celebrated Argentine coach who has inspired so many but been overlooked for Europe's biggest jobs. He too is regarded as a maverick who changed the way coaches think with his interpretation of the game.

De Zerbi's own vertical approach focuses more on possession than pressing but it is similarly eye-catching when it works and alarming when it does not. Naturally, surrendering the ball in your own defensive third of the pitch is more likely to result in conceding.

The dark side of De Zerbi's football has been more of the narrative this campaign, where Brighton have struggled with their added workload of European football. Tired minds are leading to more mistakes.

Brighton have made eight errors leading to goals this season, the joint-most by any team in the Premier League along with bottom club Sheffield United. No team have faced more shots from individual errors either (18). That commitment to playing out from the back comes at a price.

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De Zerbi's admirers would argue, with some justification, that the risky football it is worth it.

When Brighton play through the opposition, it is both beautiful and brilliantly effective. However, the facts are this: Brighton are having a mediocre season. De Zerbi's stock has fallen.

Out of all cup competitions and work still to do to nab a European qualification spot in the Premier League, De Zerbi's intense style and himself admitting the club weren't ready for European football has led to Brighton's squad being decimated by injuries at various points of the season.

Brighton will be without Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March at Anfield on Sunday, while Joao Pedro - pictured at training on Wednesday to boost hopes of a return - has been out with a hamstring injury. No club would be expected to thrive shorn of a starting front three.

There will always be doubts whether a coach can adapt to the demands of a bigger job. Klopp and Xavi Hernandez are walking away from Liverpool and Barcelona respectively in the summer, citing their energy levels. The pressures are vast.

De Zerbi has an aura though - one you associate with top managers. He plays off emotions on the touchline. And he treats his players like family. When he talks, you can see that determination. He makes you want to follow.

As Sky Sports' Melissa Reddy writes in her in-depth column about who could replace Klopp, "De Zerbi's ability to innovate and communicate unique concepts to his players, who absorb it so quickly and effectively, is a core weapon."

Roberto De Zerbi

The spotlight at Liverpool tests character, the profile of player challenges man-management. These are factors worthy of consideration. The odd thing about the De Zerbi conundrum for football's risk-averse super clubs is that they know the football that he plays is beautiful.

They just have not yet seen anyone try it - and win.

De Zerbi has a chance to impress the decision makers on Sunday.

His Anfield audition awaits.

Liverpool's next six fixtures

March 31: Brighton (H), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 2pm

April 4: Sheffield United (H), Premier League, kick-off 7:30pm

April 7: Manchester United (A), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 3:30pm

April 11: Atalanta (H), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

April 14: Crystal Palace (H), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 2pm

April 18: Atalanta (A), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

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