Danny Murphy appears to be clinging to the hope that Liverpool will replace Jurgen Klopp with a manager who’s seemed to rule himself out of the running for the Anfield job.
Ever since long-time favourite Xabi Alonso reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen in late March, Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon has assumed the mantle of apparent frontrunner to get the Merseyside gig.
However, speaking on the Ben Heath Podcast, the former Reds midfielder explained that he’d still like to see the Spaniard being handed the reins, due to his previous ties with LFC and his Zen-like touchline demeanour.
FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
Murphy said: “Alonso is the standout for me. Not that there won’t be guys out there who’ve got a bigger body of work and would be better in that respect, but fans love him. His connection with the club is key, he knows what the club is about, and the importance of that relationship with the fans, so you’re a step ahead.
“He plays good football – a little bit different, granted, but still good football. I actually like that his demeanour is different from Klopp, because if you try and bring someone in who’s like Klopp, it’s not going to work.
“He’s calm and quite humble. He’s more chilled. He seems like more of a thinker, someone who stands back and just watches. He’s not Arteta, he’s not Guardiola, he doesn’t bounce around like a Duracell bunny all the time.”
Plenty of Liverpool fans would probably have loved to see Alonso getting the job until his recent declaration of ongoing loyalty to Leverkusen, so unfortunately he now seems to be off the table as a viable successor to Klopp this year.
However, there’s nothing to say that the 42-year-old won’t be Liverpool manager further down the line, should his stock continue to rise off the back of an exceptional season at the BayArena.
You can view Murphy’s comments on Alonso below (from 1:41:20), via Ben Heath Podcast on YouTube: