Sports
Liverpool could hire the “best young manager in Europe”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot‘s future at Anfield has come into question after his team dropped points in their 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Dutchman, who won the title in his first season, has lost ten of his 23 matches in all competitions, including six in the top-flight, this term.
On top of that, Mohamed Salah has claimed that his relationship with the manager has broken down after being on the bench for the third straight game against Leeds.
The Salah situation and the poor results this season have put pressure on the former Feyenoord tactician, with the club reportedly looking at potential replacements.
Liverpool have admiration for national team manager
Dave OCKOP reports that Steven Gerrard has been sounded out as a potential interim to come in and steady the ship if FSG decide to part ways with Slot in the coming days or weeks.
The report claims that Liverpool are also admirers of Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann, previously of Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim.
It adds that the 38-year-old manager is expected to lead his country to the World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico next summer, though, which means that he will not be available immediately.
Dave OCKOP suggests that the German tactician may be available after the World Cup, though, which is where Gerrard stepping in as an interim option could make sense.
If Liverpool were to eventually bring Nagelsmann in as their long-term replacement for Slot, he would be the perfect appointment to get the best out of Florian Wirtz.
Why Nagelsmann would be perfect for Wirtz
To say that Wirtz has not lived up to expectations in a Liverpool shirt so far would probably be an understatement, as he has yet to deliver a single goal or assist in the Premier League, per Sofascore.
The Reds splashed out £116m to sign the attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, and he has racked up no goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.
Slot has simply been unable to get the best out of the huge-money signing, who produced 16 goals and 14 assists for Leverkusen last term (Sofascore), but Nagelsmann could come in to get him flying at Anfield.
Wirtz’s form for Germany at international level is proof that he could shine for the Reds if Nagelsmann replaces Slot in the dugout, because he has proven that he can perform in that system.
|
Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany reign |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Wirtz |
Germany rank |
|
Caps |
27 |
3rd |
|
Goals |
8 |
1st |
|
Assists |
6 |
2nd |
|
Goals + assists |
14 |
1st |
As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool attacking midfielder has been the most impactful attacker of the manager’s reign with the national team, providing more goals and assists combined than any other player.
For further context, Wirtz scored no goals and provided three assists in his first ten caps for Germany before Nagelsmann took the job, which shows that the ex-Bayern boss can get the best out of him.
The 38-year-old boss was once described as the “best young coach in Europe” by reporter Josh Bunting in 2022, and it is still hard to argue with that assessment in the present day.
Mikel Arteta, 43, and Xabi Alonso, 44, are two of the brightest young coaches in the game, managing Arsenal and Real Madrid, yet they have won as many league titles combined (one) as Nagelsmann has, having won the Bundesliga with Bayern, and he is five and six years younger than them.
The German boss won 2.31 points per game during his time with Bayern, per Transfermarkt, whilst Slot has won 2.00 points per game across 79 matches with Liverpool to date.
This suggests that Nagelsmann could come in as an upgrade on the Dutchman as an all-round manager, whilst also being the perfect appointment to get the best out of Wirtz at Anfield.
As bad as Konate: Slot must axe 6/10 Liverpool star who made 0 tackles
Liverpool blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Leeds United at Elland Road.
Therefore, it could be a good move for FSG to bring Gerrard in as an interim appointment with a view to landing Nagelsmann next summer, if they decide that parting ways with Slot is the route that they want to go down in the coming weeks.
