I think Emery was previously a target for FSG before he left Spain (Pre Brendan?). If true, then if he is no longer under consideration for the post it is only because his record since then has not been strong enough.
His spell at Arsenal didn’t particularly stand out, and the players didn’t appear to take to his style of coaching which is why I think he moved on. And as @Limiescouse has been saying his current Villa side are probably much better quality than has previously been credited so while it is great he is getting a tune out of them, but what more can he do?
I think Emery would be an OK choice, but I don’t particularly see him winning things or pushing for the title.
We aren’t going to be satisfied, or even relieved, with anyone who is going to fill the shoes of Klopp. At least in the short term. Right now we are clutching at different individuals and simply hoping that things will work out. There are no objective parameters to be convinced that Amorim, Alonso, Nagelsmann, or Emery can match even their present success at Liverpool. That’s partly due to the irrational difficulty of the job and partly due to how high Klopp has raised the bar even in such adversity.
The thing which assures me the most is that we have a system in place that doesn’t go for random choices or even the flavor of the month. There will be lots of groundwork, and whoever is appointed will be the best possible option. As Klopp rides into the sunset, let’s not dread about the night but rather dream about a new dawn.
If it helps cheer you up then I’ve got concerns about Amorim. I guess we all have deep down but most of us are just looking on the bright side given it’s almost certain he’s coming. Winning a league in any country is not to be sniffed at but it’s not on the same scale of achievement as Rafa winning La Liga with Valencia or Klopp winning the Bundesliga with Dortmund. The Portuguese league just isn’t that good and the bigger concern for me is that he hasn’t had Sporting punching above their weight in Europe which is where the top coaches really prove themselves. Also it’s debatable whether he’ll have the gravitas to walk into a dressing room full of world class players and get immediate buy in to what he wants them to do given his limited CV. There is a danger that some of the senior players may feel a bit underwhelmed by his appointment.
Not that I have many alternative suggestions as the pool to pick from isn’t great but Emery is not a ridiculous shout. He walked into a toxic dressing room at Arsenal and wasn’t given a chance. Arteta only really got going there once he’d got rid of all the troublemakers. Emery’s got a great track record in Europe and trying to underplay what he’s achieving at Villa is just daft. If he gets them into the CL he will obviously be massively overachieving.
Either it’s all a smokescreen, and Amorim is the clear No.1 target, or there could be some surprise names i.e, Xavi from Barcelona (who I’ve mentioned before, and he does interest me), or Emery (maybe once upon a time around the Rafa/Dalglish/Rodgers time, but not anymore).
I’ve been trying to come to grips with that. That Palace loss felt at times like that Palace loss in Stevie’s last home game (if I remember correctly). I couldn’t wait for that season to end and, right now, I can’t wait for this one to end after the hellish last ten days.
I’ve been banging on the drum of change of style for a while but never the change of manager. Klopp is just something special, something you’d tearfully tell your kids or grandkids about. That’s why every loss seems seismic - the petrol-funded, state-owned cheaters have tilted the playing field and he’d have had at least three more PL titles in every other PL era. Maybe it’s the curse of this club, I don’t know…
I’m a bit sad that he could never complete the transition of his Liverpool to an organised, possession-based side that plays a bit more boring but with ultimately more control. Alcantara’s transfer and his development of Jones and Elliott suggested that he was looking to do it but with Nunez and Diaz on board, it seems as though this side is neither here, nor there in terms of coherent playing style.
You can clearly see the outline of a new Klopp team in this side, but that is not something we will ever see come to fruition. If Klopp circa 2019 energy was staying for the next four years, I’d be genuinely excited.
The thing that really excites me about Amorim, having followed the getting to know him content across the fan groups, is that once you get past the tactical differences, he seems to have a lot of the traits that made Klopp such a perfect fit for Liverpool.
He isn’t a chequebook manager. He looks to improve and develop players and will use the academy.
He is a really strong communicator. He can get players to buy into his vision and get his idea across to players, fans etc.
He has been a cultural leader at Sporting, and done a similar job to that which Klopp did for us. He took a club that was living in the shadow of more successful rivals that was falling out with itself and had not clear plan, and brought everyone together.
He has fronted the expectations of an emotional fanbase, harnessed it and got everyone onside.
He has the reputation of an excellent man manager.
He is charismatic and he seems very easy to get on with.
With much respect, because I really rate him as a manager, I would be gutted if it turned out to be Emery. He is great tactically, he can get an underdog to punch about its weight, and he seems a nice guy, but I just don’t think he has the intangible qualities to be a Liverpool Manager.
Xavi is an interesting one now it seems to be an absolute sure thing that he will be leaving. The league title he won with Barca was built on an incredibly good defensive record and he’s on the verge of getting them to the semis of the CL, which is a pretty good achievement considering the huge amount of injuries he’s had to contend with this season and the amount of minutes that have been handed to teenagers.
I think the question would be if we have the profile of player that he would require (especially in midfield) or would it require another sizeable overhaul with a few surprise exits on the cards.
I think Xavi would be happy to work with what we have. The only thing with him is that he probably wouldn’t view it as a long-term gig. Guillem Balague wrote this about Xavi in February:
Xavi is also finding life requires other priorities from him. He was never going to be a manager for a decade. His family request his time and attention and, in recent times, they have been his biggest obsession.
His kids will be 8 and 6 this year, so whether he’d fancy moving them abroad will be pivotal too.
Sounds like he has the personality/intangible qualities alright. We just don’t know enough about ability to manage at our level yet. Biggest achievement was winning Primera liga. Whereas Emery has loads of trophies in Spain and France and demonstrating he can do a job in PL
He can do a job in the PL, but it’s performing consistently in the league that I think digging deeper into the analytics will be able to shed some light upon, information which we won’t see.
Obviously his highest rank finishes were with PSG, winning the league, and being runner up. Understandably, his other league finishes are due to the sizes of the club, resources, competitors. He’s a good cup manager.
I feel like he’d be a very steady pair of hands, and I guess it’d be interesting to see what he could do with our recruitment team behind him.
From not wanting him, I’ve sorta talked myself into thinking he’d be okay, but there’s still something about him that doesn’t have me fully convinced.
Everyone is talking like Emery would just ditch Villa and come running to us. Wouldn’t they put up a fight? Doesn’t he have a contract?
Can’t see it being a simple matter of us clicking our fingers.
That’s the same with pretty much most managers discussed or linked with us.
Sure, Villa (or other club) could put up a fight, and Emery (or other manager) might decide it’s not the right opportunity for him, as he’s building something i.e. Alonso. At the same time, our pulling power as one of the most storied clubs in world football, with a recent record for challenging and winning stuff, as well as improving off-pitch facilities and activities, could force a manager to think this is worth taking on, and consequently resign from their club.
That’s at the heart of my reservations about Emery. Winning a one-horse race at PSG notwithstanding, I’d argue this Villa season might be his single most impressive league campaign. With the talent and comparative league status, I would not expect him to have won titles in La Liga. But he seems to be much more able to get his teams to win one match in a cup format than to deliver a consistently high level over the grind of a full season - a particular concern with the PL’s December-January crunch.
Without knowing anything much about any of the candidates I’d say the onus is very much on the owners to at least try to hire someone with similar philosophies and even tactics to Klopp.
Starting cold, even with a good squad is going to be enormously difficult even moreso when you look at the chasm Klopp’s departure will bring.
Reading this, I understand why fsg would be looking at him. Whether he’d have the shoulders and gravitas among the players to bring everyone on the same page is an entirely other story. You know how hard it is to manage this club, it could easily crush him under its massive weight if things start to go wrong at some point.
Also, his lack of success in Europe worries me for a potential LFC manager.
Don’t think the two are really comparable. Alonso winning the league by miles with potential to string a few titles together and compete in CL. If Emery reaches top 4 with Villa that’s likely to be the peak.
Can’t see how he wouldn’t jump at the chance to manage us. Despite last few weeks we still have a brilliant young squad (and the world’s best fans!)
. There’s more charisma in a custard cream