Liverpool’s biggest post-Klopp questions: Replacements, Salah, more

It's news that Liverpool and their supporters never wanted to hear, but Jurgen Klopp is leaving his post as manager at the end of this season after 8 and a half years in charge at Anfield.

The 56-year-old, who took over from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, restored Liverpool to greatness during his time at the club by winning the Premier League and Champions League. His departure will leave a huge void, no matter who lands the successor position. But while Klopp's departure is the biggest problem facing Liverpool's American owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), since purchasing the club in October 2010, it is not the only problem they will face. In the coming months.

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The ripple effect of Klopp's decision to step down will be felt on and off the Anfield pitch and there is no easy solution for FSG. So while replacing the coach of the most successful club of the modern era is a major challenge in itself, the reality is that Klopp's departure will create a long list of questions that will need to be answered if the new coach has a chance to succeed.

The next manager

This is the key decision, and Liverpool's ability to bounce back from Klopp's departure hinges on choosing the right candidate to replace a man who has become synonymous with the club's style of play and success in recent years.

Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso has already become the bookmakers' favorite, and it's easy to see why. The 42-year-old is a Liverpool great, having played in the team that won the Champions League in 2005, and he has spoken repeatedly about his connection with the club and its supporters. However, the same goes for Steven Gerrard, although no one is tipping him for the job at the moment as his promising start to his managerial career at Rangers took a nosedive at Aston Villa, and he is now in Saudi Arabia with Al Ettifaq.

Alonso is the man of the moment as Bayer Leverkusen are four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and remain unbeaten in the league this season. Leverkusen play bold, attacking football, their style seemingly matching Liverpool's philosophy. But football is rarely as simple as the obvious choice to get the big job, and after less than two full seasons in charge of the first team, Alonso may be seen as not being ready for Liverpool, nor by himself nor by the club.

Regardless of the candidates, all have obvious strengths and weaknesses. If not Alonso, players like Graham Potter (who made his name at Brighton), Julian Nagelsmann (once considered the next big player) or Roberto De Zerbi (who stands out in the Premier League) would be- Are they really capable of replacing Klopp? And as for pillars like José Mourinho, Julen Lopetegui and Antonio Conte, they all have as many negative points as positive points.

Although Alonso may seem like a simple choice, it is not. Liverpool need to consider all angles and get it right.

Liverpool firmly rejected Al Ittihad's £150m bid for Mohamed Salah last summer, but if the Saudi Pro League side returns this year it will be a much tougher decision for the club.

Salah turns 32 in June and enters the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield. His performances this season show that he remains Liverpool's star player, but the club have always been smart when it comes to deciding when a player's age becomes a risk in terms of investing in their future.

From a business perspective, getting rid of Salah for a huge fee this summer would be a good move. This would give the club the funds needed to strengthen the squad, while avoiding the risk of Salah leaving as a free agent in 2025. The alternative would be to give Salah a new contract and hope he remains a strength as powerful at 34 or 35 years old as he. it's right now.

Yet while the financial reasons for parting ways with Salah appear strong, it would leave a huge hole at the club if Klopp and Salah walk through the exit door in the same summer. The new manager will also need to be involved in the decision-making process: would he want to start the rebuild now, or keep Salah and then deal with the prospect of him becoming a free agent next year?

There is no easy answer to this question. Salah has played an absolutely central role in Klopp's success, but this summer an important decision must be made regarding his future.

Who comes first: the manager or the sports director?

It was such an important day at Liverpool that many might have missed the club's announcement, an hour after Klopp's announcement, that sporting director Jorg Schmadtke was leaving at the end of this month. But while Klopp's departure is the most important, Schmadtke's departure means Liverpool begin searching for a new manager without a sporting director or director of football at Anfield.

Schmadtke, who only arrived at the club last summer, is the third person to fill the role in the past two years, with Michael Edwards and his successor, Julian Ward, leaving in quick succession. Edwards played a central role in the decision to recruit Klopp in 2015 and, usually, a sporting director/director of football would lead the search for a new manager and report to the owners and CEO.

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Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan said on Friday the club would embark on a search for a new manager away from the spotlight, but was short on detail when it came to who would be responsible for identifying the next manager.

Perhaps Liverpool will wait until the summer, with Hogan and FSG taking charge of the recruitment process, but with the manager leaving and the sporting director leaving next week, Liverpool must now plan for a crucial summer without the two most important figures when it comes to identifying players.

It's been 11 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left as Manchester United manager after almost 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, and they are still struggling to overcome the upheaval caused by his departure. Klopp has been at Liverpool for a fraction of Ferguson's time at United, but he has been an equally transformative figure and handling his exit better than United handled Ferguson's is a responsibility that will weigh heavily on FSG.

When Ferguson left, his top aides left with him, which meant there were simply too many dramatic changes happening at once. Successor David Moyes brought in his own staff, and United's new look headed into a tailspin. Meanwhile, Klopp and his trusted colleagues – assistant managers Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, as well as elite development coach Vitor Matos, are all leaving this summer, so the Liverpool team will not only find a new manager , but also new coaches.

Some clubs handle change better than others – Chelsea and Real Madrid have enjoyed repeated success in recent years despite regular turnover of managers and coaches – but Klopp has been at Liverpool so long that it will be a big challenge for its players. to adapt to a completely new configuration.

United bungled Ferguson's succession and are still paying the price more than a decade later; Liverpool must make sure they understand their arch-rival's mistakes and do everything possible to avoid a repeat at Anfield.

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Is it time for FSG to sell?

FSG sold a minority stake in the club to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity in September, ending speculation that they were looking to sell the club. But after buying the club for just £300million in 2010, FSG are expected to make a significant profit on their initial investment, with Liverpool's valuation increasing tenfold in the years since.

Klopp's departure inevitably marks the end of an incredibly successful era at Liverpool and the future has yet to be mapped out. But with the arrival of a new coach and star players such as Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker all in their 30s and likely to need replacing in the short to medium term, that future will not be cheap.

This will require major investment in the squad to ensure Liverpool remain competitive; Will FSG stay the course?

FSG chairman Mike Gordon said in September that their commitment to the club “remains as strong as ever”, but Klopp's departure is a big moment that will require a lot of reflection. For FSG, they will need to determine if the cost of the stay is affordable.