One reliable journalist has claimed that Liverpool have ‘two leading candidates’ when it comes to appointing their next manager.

The Reds are continuing to seek out the right successor to Jurgen Klopp, although some pundits have claimed that Michael Edwards and co have internally made up their mind already.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Mark Ogden hinted that the Anfield hierarchy have narrowed down their search to a couple of names who’ve been linked heavily with the role in recent weeks, with one of those appearing to have a narrow advantage.

He outlined: “What I’ve been told is that Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi are the two leading candidates. There were some suggestions last week that De Zerbi had kind of fallen down the list a little bit.

“I’m told that isn’t the case, but Amorim is the guy that probably shades the preference in the sense that he’s managing a big club already. He’s won a title and it looks like he’s gonna win another title, so his pedigree in the sense of managing a big club is established.

“De Zerbi hasn’t quite done that yet, and I think that would be a little bit of a hesitation. Can he handle the intensity of managing Liverpool? I suppose he could, but the benefit that De Zerbi has is that he knows the Premier League. He’s managed in the Premier League for a season and a half.”

As Ogden has highlighted, Amorim’s title-winning pedigree in Portugal could give him the edge over De Zerbi when it comes to Liverpool making their final decision on their next manager.

There are still hurdles to clear in terms of stumping up for his release clause and persuading him to take the job if indeed he’s their preferred candidate, but hopefully the Anfield hierarchy will end up getting whoever their first-choice option might be.

You can view Ogden’s comments in full below, via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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Xabi Alonso remains the preferred option of many Liverpool supporters to take over from Jurgen Klopp than Anfield, although one journalist has championed an alternative who ‘ticks more boxes’ for the Reds than the Spaniard.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Mark Ogden made the case for Roberto De Zerbi, with a graphic on the programme citing the Brighton boss as joint-fourth favourite to replace the 56-year-old in L4.

The journalist stated: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Roberto De Zerbi. I think De Zerbi ticks more boxes for Liverpool than Alonso does, apart from the fact that Alonso is a club legend… I think De Zerbi is a really good shout for Liverpool, even though he’s probably second favourite right now behind Xabi Alonso.”

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The Italian has done a fine job at the Amex Stadium, building upon the good work of predecessor Graham Potter by qualifying the Seagulls for Europe for the first time in their history and guiding them to the last 16 of the Europa League.

There’s a school of thought that the 44-year-old’s bombastic touchline nature and style of play is more aligned to Klopp and Liverpool than Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen, although it’s impossible to ignore the Spaniard’s exceptional performance in his current post.

His side still haven’t lost a single game all season and look set to win the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title in style, ending the 11-year monopoly of Bayern Munich, while his status as a former Reds player also helps to make him a hugely popular option.

Alonso is certainly the outstanding candidate at the moment, although there are far worse alternatives than De Zerbi.

You can view Ogden’s comments below (from 1:26), via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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One journalist has claimed that Michael Edwards could ‘pull a rabbit out of the hat’ when it comes to appointing the next Liverpool manager.

The Reds are still on the lookout for Jurgen Klopp’s successor to take over in the summer, with Xabi Alonso a leading candidate from the start.

However, speaking on ESPN FC, Mark Ogden believes that LFC’s new CEO of Football will spring a ‘surprise’ in the managerial search, much like he did by overseeing signings such as Andy Robertson and Gini Wijnaldum on ‘low fees’.

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The journalist said: “Michael Edwards going back is a really significant move because I think there could be a surprise. Alonso is obviously the fans’ favourite and he ticks all the right boxes, but I think Michael Edwards is going to go for something different.”

He added of the Liverpool chief: “I’ve been told he’s one of the most connected people in the game. He knows the players and the coaches who are coming through. He could pick up the phone to this guy or that guy.

“He knows six months before everybody else who the players and the coaches are, which is why I think that he’ll pull a rabbit out of the hat with the new coach and it’ll be a surprise.”

As Ogden rightly pointed out, Edwards boasts an exceptional knowledge of people within football and doesn’t always pursue the low-hanging fruit in the market, fully trusting his judgement when it comes to identifying transfer targets who mightn’t be ‘marquee’ names.

The same could materialise in Liverpool’s manager search, even if some fans may feel that anyone other than Alonso at this moment in time would be an anti-climax.

If the club’s CEO of Football has the same sharp eye for the right coach in the same way that he’s so often had with bringing players to Anfield, we’ve every faith that whichever appointment is ultimately made will be an astute one.

You can view Ogden’s comments below (from 1:10), via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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ESPN writer Mark Ogden has talked up Liverpool’s chances of mounting a genuine challenge for the Premier League title this season, but warned that they need to make the most of Mo Salah while he’s still at the club.

With 10 matches played, the Reds are just three point off leaders Tottenham, and the Egyptian has risen to the fore as usual by scoring eight times in the top flight already this term (WhoScored).

His remarkably consistent return on the scoreboard shows exactly why the Anfield hierarchy gave no consideration whatsoever to a £150m transfer from Saudi Arabia at the start of September (The Guardian), although interest from the Middle East is expected to crop up again over the coming months.

In a piece for ESPN assessing each club’s Premier League season so far, Ogden wrote that a relatively kind fixture list between now and mid-December could see Liverpool ‘in an even better position than they are now’.

He added: “Liverpool look to have their mojo back and they are well-equipped to mount a serious title challenge. And with Saudi Arabian interest in Salah expected to return next summer, there is a good chance this could be the forward’s final year at Anfield, so Liverpool need to capitalise on the Egypt international’s goal threat as much as possible.”

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With five of Liverpool’s next six league games against teams currently placed 10th or lower, including two in the relegation zone, there certainly seems to be an ideal opportunity to capitalise ahead of the visits of Manchester United and Arsenal to Anfield just before Christmas.

Should Salah continue to score at the phenomenal rate he’s shown over the past few months – and indeed right throughout his Reds career – there’s every chance that Jurgen Klopp’s side could be in the thick of a title race for the long haul this season.

We’re doing our best not to contemplate life after the Egyptian, but Ogden makes a fair point in saying that LFC need to make the most of the 31-year-old’s mercurial penalty box prowess while he remains a Red.

Liverpool have other forwards who are well able to rack up sizeable scoring tallies of their own, but Salah is such a rare specimen that it’ll be near-impossible for whoever comes in after him to replicate the same numbers in front of goal.

For as long as our number 11 is at Anfield, Klopp’s men always look capable of contending for major prizes.  Let’s hope there’ll be more silverware for the legendary winger while he’s still weaving his magic on Merseyside.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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