Next Liverpool Boss: One to Watch

Following Jurgen Klopp’s shock announcement regarding his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season, the club’s search for their next head coach is well underway. According to Neil Jones, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is the current front-runner for the role next season. However, Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim is also a name that is high up on Liverpool’s list of potential suitors.

Alonso is seemingly a favourite amongst the Liverpool supporters too, with the former midfielder holding a strong connection with the club since his departure back in 2009. However, it is entirely possible that we could be writing off a few of the other names who could end up in the dugout next season.

Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann and Bayern Munich’s Thomas Tuchel have all been linked with a move to Anfield. But today we’re going to be taking a deeper look at the credentials of Sporting Head Coach, Ruben Amorim.

Liverpool’s Dark Horse

When the news of Jurgen Klopp’s departure first broke, Ruben Amorim’s name wasn’t on anyones list of potential managers. However, reports point towards the idea that the club rate Amorim highly.

Liverpool have been active in the Portuguese transfer market over recent years, with the guidance of Julian Ward. The likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have all made moves to Merseyside from FC Porto and Benfica respectively.

The Reds could now be about to explore that market once more, but in a department that they would have never expected- the managerial department.

Amorim: A Proven Winner and European Pedigree

In his first managerial role, Amorim won the domestic league cup with Braga and even took them to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.

Amorim has since become one of the hottest prospects in the managerial world, due to his massive success at Portuguese side, Sporting Lisbon, where He took on a similar situation to what Klopp had to tackle in his first season at Liverpool.

The Portuguese head coach led Sporting to an underwhelming fourth place finish in 2020, but had managed to bring back a form of identity that had been missing from the club for a number of years prior. In his second season in charge, Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years, whilst winning the league cup once again.

In the 2021-22 season, he lifted the league cup for the third consecutive time and also guided Sporting to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Sporting would be knocked out of the competition by Manchester City, who would go on to win the competition the following season.

After a disappointing 4th place finish last season, Amorim has his side challenging for the Portuguese league title once again. Sporting currently sit 2nd in Liga Portugal, just two points behind Benfica but with a game-in-hand.

Impressive Youth Policy

One of Amorim’s standout attributes is his effective youth policy, that has been crucial to Sporting’s success over recent years. Some of Europe’s top talents have come through Sporting Lisbon’s youth system, particularly since Amorim’s appointment.

Goncalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes and Matheus Nunes all broke into Sporting’s first-team within two years of Amorim being made head coach.

This sort of attitude will go down a treat amongst the Liverpool supporters, with every fan desperate to see a run of scousers make it into the first-team. Amorim could be the man to bring these dreams to life even more than the current regime.

Amorim or Alonso?

Alonso still remains my favourite to be in the Anfield dugout next season, but Amorim could definitely be an underrated shout should the Spaniard become unavailable. Tactically and emotionally, I think Alonso just beats Amorim in those areas.

However, it’s hard to argue against Amorim’s experience and winning mentality that has catapulted him to the forefront of European management.