The Blues have been in a state of flux for years, but they took a sharp downturn after Thomas Tuchel's exit – Liverpool must learn from their mistakes
Liverpool are no strangers to being in the wilderness in the modern era. Indeed, that's where Jurgen Klopp found them when he was appointed manager in October 2015, before expertly guiding them out of the woods and back to the highest echelons of the game.
Almost nine years later, the German is preparing to bow out on his own terms following an announcement that flummoxed the football world, and the Reds now find themselves at a crucial juncture as they look to avoid tumbling back to square one.
Wednesday's opponents Chelsea are the embodiment of what a club should not do when it finds itself facing such a period of upheaval, with the Blues still mired in transition under Mauricio Pochettino having gone from Champions League winners to mid-table in the space of two years since revered head coach Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties.
With the two giants of the English game preparing to go head to head amid contrasting fortunes, there are lessons Liverpool can learn from their struggling guests as they begin preparations for the post-Klopp era.
GettyTime to think
It goes without saying, but Liverpool's decision-makers must find the right replacement for Klopp at the first time of asking to avoid this transition becoming messy.
Just days after Tuchel's sacking in September 2021, Chelsea had zoned in on then-Brighton boss Graham Potter, and there is the impression that – regardless of the ensuing underwhelming results – not enough consideration was given to whether he was the best fit culturally to thrive at Stamford Bridge, with the Englishman never truly endearing himself to the fanbase in the way that Tuchel, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte had been able to before him.
Klopp, of course, has been the perfect fit at Anfield, with his former club Borussia Dortmund closely aligned with the culture and values of their English counterparts, even sharing a club anthem in 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. That makes the task of replacing him all the more difficult.
Time, at least, is on the board's side. Speaking on Klopp's exit, Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon said: "It is testament to Jurgen’s unstinting professionalism and ongoing commitment to the best interests of Liverpool that his decision was arrived at in a way which allows for business as usual to be maintained for the remainder of his tenure while simultaneously creating an opportunity for us to prepare for the future.
"Our priority now is to continue the due diligence behind the scenes which will allow our football operations department to adapt to a future without Jurgen. As ever, these ambitions will be pursued in the best interests of the club and its supporters."
AdvertisementGetty/GOALRight man for the job?
But which candidate will smoothen the transition the most? Inevitably, Xabi Alonso has emerged as the supporters' choice given his legendary status at Anfield and unprecedented exploits with Bayer Leverkusen, with the Werkself incredibly still unbeaten this season as February rolls around.
But is he actually the in-vogue, Potter-esque option? While the chiselled Spaniard might represent the ideal replacement on paper, his patient, possession-based tactical approach would necessitate a significant shift from the famous energy and intensity of Klopp's 'gegenpressing'. Culturally, though, his fit is undeniable.
Meanwhile, his former team-mate Steven Gerrard has seen his candidacy for the role fall by the wayside following his struggles at Aston Villa, and subsequently in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.
Then there are more left-field options, such as Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann, who is expected to leave his role as Germany manager in the summer. It is perhaps here that Liverpool need to look most closely; young, passionate and dynamic coaches who are tactically aligned with Klopp and could pick up the mantle seamlessly.
GettyPotential mass exodus
Klopp's announcement has prompted fears that his exit will be the catalyst for a number of his most trusted lieutenants to call time on their Liverpool careers, and club captain Virgil van Dijk has done little to allay concerns that he will be chief among them.
Speaking in a press conference, the towering Dutch centre-back said: “Will I be part of the new era? That's a big question. I don't know. Eighteen months left? That's correct. Good maths. I don't know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace not only the manager but the whole staff and there are so many things that will change. I'm very curious which direction that will go in, but when that will be announced we will see our situation.
"I can't say much about it. It will be the end of Jurgen Klopp's era and I am still part of it – that's why I don't like to talk about it. That is my main focus. We will see at the end of the season, hopefully we will have the success we all dream of and by then probably there will be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see."
Talismanic attacker Mohamed Salah, who is believed to have been unsettled for some time, is another who may see this as the ideal moment to part ways, while the likes of Andy Robertson and Joel Matip might have the same train of thought – stripping the squad of goals, quality and experience, and resulting in a lack of continuity for whoever takes the reins.
GettyNeed for shrewdness
Of course, Chelsea have very recent experience of a mass exodus as their co-sporting directors Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstanley executed a clear-out of the squad following the harrowing 2022-23 campaign, with Pochettino inheriting the squad they eventually cobbled together.
Some 26 players departed either permanently, on loan or at the end of their own temporary spells at Stamford Bridge. That mass departure was countered by the big-money captures of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer, among others, pushing the club's spending under the Boehly-Clearlake ownership beyond £1 billion ($1.3bn). That upheaval has predictably left Chelsea in a state of flux, and Pochettino has been left to pick up the pieces, with many key areas of the squad somehow overlooked.
Should Liverpool find themselves in a situation where multiple players are either pushing for a transfer or unsettled in the aftermath of Klopp's seismic exit, they will need to be resolute if there are still years to run on their contract, and shrewd if they have to find replacements.