In a poll of over two thousand Liverpool supporters, Steven Gerrard is the clear favorite to succeed exiting manager Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.
When the German revealed that he would be ending his nine-year tenure at Anfield this summer, it sent shockwaves around the sport. Now, speculation over who would be assigned to step into his shoes is growing.
A number of managers have been linked with the big job at Anfield. Former midfielder Xabi Alonso, who played for Liverpool for five years between 2004 and 2009, is listed as the bookies’ favourite.
Other name to be linked with the job is Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian manager has admirers all around Europe with Barcelona, Manchester United also keeping an eye on him.
At this moment, Alonso is the overwhelming favourite. Because of his early success with Bayer Leverkusen, he has also become one of the most sought-after managers in football. Leverkusen, led by Alonso, are now two points ahead of defending champion Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga standings.
Nevertheless, supporters still rank the 42-year-old as their second choice to succeed Klopp.
A staggering 41% of 2,039 Liverpool supporters surveyed by LiveScore Bet stated they wanted Gerrard to lead the team into the new era.
Gerrard, who is the manager of Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq, is a possibly the most loved Liverpool player of all time, along with Kenny Dalglish.
Before his unfortunate tenure with Aston Villa lasted less than a year, the 43-year-old guided Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade, ending Celtic’s pursuit for a record 10 domestic titles in a row.
In the survey, respondents were also asked which traits they would most want to see in the next Liverpool manager. Tactics, expertise and flexibility were ranked as the most crucial, closely followed by major trophy winning experience and the capacity to identify and develop young talent.
Here’s the top 10 candidates to replace Klopp, as voted for by Liverpool fans:
Steven Gerrard – 41%
Xabi Alonso – 18%
Zinedine Zidane – 8%
Graham Potter – 6%
Ange Postecoglou – 5%
Roberto De Zerbi – 5%
Ruben Amorim – 4%
Julian Nagelsmann – 4%
Hansi Flick – 3%
Luis Enrique – 2%
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