Xabi Alonso

[Frogfish]

Would be funny if we played them in the EL

No it wouldn't ! I feel like they are the only ones capable of stopping us in the EL.

 

[keniget]

There isn’t an obvious standout candidate. From the outside looking in, anyone is going to represent a risk.

The biggest issue - for me - in appointing a young manager like Alonso, which I don’t think has been mentioned at all is that we do not have a settled set up for him to walk in to.

We seem to have lost a lot of key personnel over the years and not replaced them. Klopp and his staff are going to leave a huge vaccum when they go.

We are going to end up with a new DoF, manager, team of coaches etc. It’s kinda crazy. And in that situation it’s easier for a manager to end up with more power than perhaps you’d want.

Younger managers who are learning and are more prone to making mistakes should ideally have a very stable set up around them and a clearly defined role that allows them to focus on coaching and doesn’t end up with them, for example, pursuing players like Joe Allen from previous stints.

 

[Fabio]

There isn’t an obvious standout candidate. From the outside looking in, anyone is going to represent a risk.

The biggest issue - for me - in appointing a young manager like Alonso, which I don’t think has been mentioned at all is that we do not have a settled set up for him to walk in to.

We seem to have lost a lot of key personnel over the years and not replaced them. Klopp and his staff are going to leave a huge vaccum when they go.

We are going to end up with a new DoF, manager, team of coaches etc. It’s kinda crazy. And in that situation it’s easier for a manager to end up with more power than perhaps you’d want.

Younger managers who are learning and are more prone to making mistakes should ideally have a very stable set up around them and a clearly defined role that allows them to focus on coaching and doesn’t end up with them, for example, pursuing players like Joe Allen from previous stints.

I understand the concerns, and I have some of them as well. The main thing for me is what you say in the first sentence. Due to that, I'd rather give this to someone at least familiar with the club and what the fans expect. I don't believe xabi will go down a "Joe Allen" route, mainly as I think he seems to have a more adventurous style. It's no coincidence that under Rodgers we had our best season when we had the mercurial, uncontrollable Suarez pulling the strings. Before and after that we reverted to possession football that the fans dislikes and half the players weren't happy to do.

Looking at the stats, Alonso seems to play in a similar style to klopp, But in a different setup (3412 rather than 433).

It may work, it may not. No matter who takes the job they've got an uphill struggle

 

[Hansern]

Whoever comes in should have the same style, approach and development traits. But cant try to copy Klopp. That isnt possible.
If Xabi comes in I see no problem with us trying a 3-4-2-1. We got the players for it and can sign a few if needed.

Whoever comes in needs to have the balls to go their own way, the understanding of the club and the acceptance of the fanbase (if possible).
Alonso has all that.

 

[keniget]

The other thing about Klopp is that I quite like that he represents a real alternative to Pep (and his acolytes) both in terms of football and personality.

I'm not sure where Xabi sits in terms all that... but he best mates with lego head, isn't he? Ugh!

All that being said, it's probably now or never with Xabi, so I'm on board.

 

[juniormember]

The other thing about Klopp is that I quite like that he represents a real alternative to Pep (and his acolytes) both in terms of football and personality.

I'm not sure where Xabi sits in terms all that... but he best mates with lego head, isn't he? Ugh!

All that being said, it's probably now or never with Xabi, so I'm on board.

Ha, not sure being best mates with another manager will have much baring on a manager's style. Fortunately we never had to suffer a Wagner-style team with Klopp.
And Alonso's had some really different, yet top class managers. And he's not thick either so he'll obviously be seeing what exactly each of our players excel at in Klopp's system.
I'm not even sure he'd play 3 at the back either. He likely adapted that formation to what was available for him.
@King Binny do you know if Alonso played 3 at the back at Sociedad B?

 

[mark1975]

According to Wyscout, Real Sociedad B have predominantly played a 4-2-3-1 under Alonso’s reign, and whilst his side most often look like this, or perhaps play with a 4-4-2 initially, out of possession, when they have the ball, their shape in front of their back line is fluid.

 

[King Binny]

Ha, not sure being best mates with another manager will have much baring on a manager's style. Fortunately we never had to suffer a Wagner-style team with Klopp.
And Alonso's had some really different, yet top class managers. And he's not thick either so he'll obviously be seeing what exactly each of our players excel at in Klopp's system.
I'm not even sure he'd play 3 at the back either. He likely adapted that formation to what was available for him.
@King Binny do you know if Alonso played 3 at the back at Sociedad B?

At Real Sociedad B, Alonso initially utilised 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 shapes. His side excelled at efficiently progressing to goal, especially through the central spaces. This came from high pressing in the opposition’s half, or aggressive midfield counter-pressing, regaining possession to then drive forward and penetrate in behind.

They were also capable of building from deeper — still with forward-thinking combinations to progress through the thirds — before capitalising on their central numbers in the opposition half.

From the 4-2-3-1, one of the double pivots would push forward and join the number 10. That gave two central players to support and link with the single centre-forward.

With a 4-3-3, Alonso had a shape that already possessed two advanced central midfielders, who would initially widen to connect with the wingers. This widening also created space for a centre-back or full-back to carry the ball forward centrally, working around the single pivot.

As the ball progressed forward, the number eights narrowed by providing runs inside. This was, in essence, a repositioning as two number 10s, forming a close, narrow trio between the lines (below). In both the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1 shapes with Sociedad B, the wingers held the width for as long as possible.

In Alonso’s first season with Bayer Leverkusen, his side recorded the second-lowest number of crosses in the Bundesliga. This indicated his preference for penetrating and progressing centrally. Alonso also shifted to a more permanent 3-4-3 shape at Leverkusen. Within this, he could either deploy two number 10s, with the width provided by the wing-backs, or a flatter front trio with the wing-backs then supporting deeper and narrower.

Either way, Alonso’s Leverkusen have been among the Bundesliga’s leading teams for dribbles and 1v1 moments in the 2023/24 season. As with his Sociedad team, they have showcased a preference and ability to drive and progress quickly through opposing lines and spaces.

Despite Leverkusen not being a crossing team, they have made use of their widest players in the front line in transition. This has especially been the case when using a flatter front-line trio in a 3-4-3, and when their central players have had limited space to continue progressing forward.

After playing a 3-4-3 in his final season with Sociedad B, Alonso has used this shape extensively at Leverkusen, albeit not immediately. His Sociedad B progressed the ball forward with speed. The front-line trio would connect through central areas, often making narrowed runs from their wider starting positions. They would also rotate, as the central forward swapped roles and positions with the wide attacker (below).

This made the wingers’ movements harder to track, predict and cover, as they rolled inside. From here, the double pivot and advancing wing-backs worked the ball into the narrow trio as efficiently as possible. The front three would be high, central and often flat.

With Leverkusen, the 3-4-3 structure mirrored that of Sociedad, with a purposeful front three combining inside. In 2022/23, that involved the likes of Moussa Diaby, Amine Adli and Callum Hudson-Odoi working around and off the shoulder of the centre-forward — Adam Hložek or Patrik Schick — with wing-backs Mitchel Bakker and Jeremie Frimpong providing overlapping support when needed. Leverkusen’s right side was particularly progressive, with Diaby’s dribbling and 1v1 threat impressive when carrying the ball forward or attacking in behind. Frimpong offered a dribbling threat at right wing-back, allowing Diaby to become a second forward on occasion.

Unlike Sociedad, Leverkusen also created a box midfield, with the two 10s dropping and combining ahead of the double pivot of Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios (below). This often overloaded the opposing central midfield, but also allowed the wing-backs to advance into higher positions — especially Frimpong on the right, who offered key passes as well as ball carries.

Moving into 2023/24, Alonso has moved to a more permanent 3-4-2-1 shape, as opposed to the flatter 3-4-3 structure. The penetrative movements and direct combinations of the front line have been replaced by more intricate sequences.

Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann have also been permanent number 10s, ahead of Palacios and Granit Xhaka as the double pivot. Frimpong has continued to attack from right wing-back, with the positive and attack-minded Álex Grimaldo on the left.

Alonso has increased his team's wide threat on both sides of the pitch while maintaining the threat and combinations around single centre-forward Victor Boniface. This adapted shape and personnel changes have allowed Leverkusen to dominate the ball for longer spells, increasing their average possession to 59 per cent after 18 games of the 2023/24 Bundesliga.

 

[mark1975]

Legend Binny, nice one

 

[localny]

Not that long again, Gerrard was doing terrific at Rangers. But his managerial limitations were found pretty quickly in the PL. it was fine margins though. He lost so many games by one goal.

If that’s the difference, I could see Xabi being that little bit better.

 

[dee]

Not that long again, Gerrard was doing terrific at Rangers. But his managerial limitations were found pretty quickly in the PL. it was fine margins though. He lost so many games by one goal.

If that’s the difference, I could see Xabi being that little bit better.

Stevie had pretty much only one serious rival when at Rangers, then the Edinburgh clubs and Aberdeen. Xabi is competing against Bayern Munich, Dortmund and RB Leipzig

 

[King Binny]

Speaking of which, though, what is Xabi's man managememt like?

De Zerbi's players speak glowingly of him. I havent read much about Alonso yet( I presume it's out there, just in German)

Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo: "Xabi Alonso is an incredible coach"

bundesliga.com: What’s it like working with Xabi Alonso?

Grimaldo: "He’s an incredible coach with a lot of passion for what he does. I really wanted to work with him given the player he was. And now seeing him as a coach, he inspires every day with his passion and ideas, how he passes them on, and he’s taking Leverkusen upwards."'

Granit Xhaka explains the difference between Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso

Amid his studies for a UEFA A license, Granit Xhaka told The PFA: "Mikel for example, he has his philosophy and that's it...

"Even to play always with a back four and never change to a back five for example, or never change like a 4-4-2 with two proper strikers. So you had this 4-3-3, with one six and two eights.

"Xabi is a little bit different. I think that Xabi can play a back four, but he can play as well a back five you know? What he wants is always two no.6s, not running everywhere or more of the time be in the position.

"But I think that if you are a coach you need your own philosophy, your own tactics, your own ideas. Of course you can always change one or two but you can't change so many things about it you know?"

Playing under Alonso 'a dream' for Leverkusen's Xhaka

"It's a dream for me to play under Xabi Alonso, he was a world-class player in the same position as me -- I played against him myself," Xhaka told Sky Germany.

"He gives me things that I can take...

"We have a great team, a great coach and a great mentality.

"We work hard daily and you can see the results on the ground."

Boniface hails Alonso, Xhaka impact

“Everybody knew him as a great player, he (Alonso) was fantastic and won everything in football. He’s really helped me a lot and tried to advise me,” Boniface said.

“He gave me the example of Didier Drogba, saying he was big and strong, and he wants the same from me. He was trying to put that type of mentality in my head because I’m the type of guy who just wants to have a good game. Even if I’m not scoring, it doesn’t matter, as long as we are winning. But he wants to try and change that mentality, for me to become a fighter. He’s a top, top coach.”

'Working with Alonso is a dream' - Wirtz hoping to model himself on new Leverkusen head coach

“Xabi is a great coach, very knowledgeable, and I feel we are now getting back on the right path.”

“You definitely notice in the dressing room that you are now working with someone who, as a player, has won many titles, something that you dream of yourself,” Wirtz said. “It isn’t the worst thing in the world to have someone you can model yourself after, who can give you tips.”

Hofmann: ‘The Talks With Simon And Xabi Impressed Me’

I loved watching him play football. When you talk to him about football now and he explains how he wants to play the game, what approach he has and where he sees you as a player then it is something special and very instructive. He gave me the feeling I can help the team with my qualities. After the talks, I realised it was the right step for me.

Jeremie Frimpong on life at Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso and the prospect of a UEFA Europa League winners' medal | UEFA Europa League

Frimpong says Alonso’s record as a player at clubs such as Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern, along with the Spanish national team, is a powerful inspiration.

Everybody knows he was a great, great player. He's won the World Cup, Champions League… a lot of trophies. So of course to have a manager like that is motivating for us players, because that's where we want to be. We want to win trophies like that, so we're lucky to have him. And he understands us as well. When he came in, everybody got motivated directly.

World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios on Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen’s title challenge and life as an Argentine in Germany

bundesliga.com: How have Leverkusen developed a new possession-based style this season?

Exequiel Palacios: “The players who came in have changed how we play and how we’ve trained. The coach has had quite a bit of time with more practice and has brought in a lot of passing into training, lots of possession, one or two touches. I think if you train it all week, then it comes out in games. I think every player is fulfilling what the coach is asking of him. Together, each of us is contributing their little bit, and it’s working out very well.”

bundesliga.com: Do you feel any extra pressure given your coach Xabi Alonso also played in your position?

Palacios: “Not pressure. Like I said, I’m someone who’s ready to listen to every piece of advice, every lesson. Obviously, it’s a bonus to have a coach who played in my position, who had a great career. I’m ready to listen to him at any moment, for every move, pass or play to keep learning.”

bundesliga.com: Is Alonso obsessed with tactics?

Palacios: “Yes, he’s a coach who’s obsessed. He always wants more. You see in every training session that if he sees you’re switched off or relaxed, he quickly tries to switch you on so you focus on what’s going on in training. I think he’s a coach with a lot of potential. He’s only just started but I think he has a big future as a coach, and he’s making everyone aware of that here.”

Lukas Hradecky: Leverkusen’s shot stopper feels like the club is his family

In your day-to-day work with him, how do you see the fact that Xabi Alonso was a world-class footballer?

“With his passion, everything we do needs to be at a good level, and he persistently reminds us that we need to deliver in every training session, every training drill. You can see that even now he sometimes plays with us, and he’s still world-class. That’s the kind of aura that woke the players up.”

Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba hoping for country’s first Africa Cup title after years of near misses

Decisive in defense with his speed and strength, Tapsoba also excels going forward, with his precise passing and buildup play especially valued by Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.

“Every day he tells us the best defense is the best attack,” Tapsoba said of Alonso, for whom he has played nearly every competitive game this season.

Odilon Kossounou on Xabi Alonso's masterplan, Bayer Leverkusen's title chances, facing Harry Kane and more

bundesliga.com: How are you managing to perform at such a consistently high level?

Kossounou: "I would say I have worked hard in a number of areas this season. And the system that the coach has introduced suits me very well. I am able to contribute both in an attacking sense and also in a defensive sense. I have also worked a lot on my positioning with the coach. Other attributes were there already, but we worked a lot on my positioning on the pitch. Overall, the system is one I feel very comfortable in. So that has enabled me to show my qualities on the pitch."

 

[King Binny]

As the football world digests the bombshell news of Jurgen Klopp’s departure, the debate has intensified on who should step into the German’s big shoes.

Former Liverpool star John Arne Riise believes his ex-teammate and current Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso fits the bill perfectly.

Klopp stunned the football world on Jan 26 when he announced that he would be stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of this campaign, adding that he was running out of energy going amid his ninth season at Anfield.

Riise, who is in Singapore for the announcement of the April 20-21 StarHub Football Festival, told The Straits Times on Jan 29 that Liverpool need a “hungry manager, someone who wants to improve and someone who knows the club”.

“Xabi Alonso has been a player at the club, he knows the club, he knows the fans,” added the 43-year-old Norwegian. “He knows what is expected when it comes to results.

“At Liverpool... expectations are high and you need to have a good relationship with the fans. And he has that, so my pick will be him. He is hungry, he is young and he has already proven he is a good manager.”

Riise, a former left-back, knows what it takes to succeed on Merseyside.

He spent seven seasons at Liverpool, making more than 250 appearances from 2001 to 2008, during which he won the 2005 Champions League and 2006 FA Cup with Alonso.

The Spaniard is in his first role in senior management after being appointed as Leverkusen coach in October 2022.

He took over a team who were mired in the relegation zone and led them to a sixth-placed finish. This season, his Leverkusen side have set the Bundesliga alight. They are perched atop the table, two points above defending champions Bayern Munich, after staying unbeaten in 19 matches.

Alonso, who has played down speculation linking him to the Anfield hot seat, has also earned admirers for his work, with his team playing an exciting, attacking brand of football.

Riise is not surprised by his former teammate’s rise, adding that it was apparent from their days in the locker room that Alonso had an affinity with the tactical board.

“You could see it in the way he plays football, his character, how he trains. He is tactically smart, he is always looking around, he’s always taking in everything people said, he reads the game very well and he can change a play during a game. And that’s how you have to be as a manager,” said Riise.

Alonso has also honed his tactical acumen, having played under serial winners Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti (both Real Madrid) and Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich), which puts him in good stead for a top coaching appointment, added Riise.

Riise himself had also coached. He was most recently in charge of top-tier Norwegian women’s side Avaldsnes IL from 2021 to 2023.

 

[Modo]

I don't think we have the players required for a to play in a 3-4-3 formation the way Xabi plays.
I'm not sure where Trent will fit in that line up.
I'm starting to like De Zerbi more.

 

[jan]

I wasn't prepared for a fat Riise

 

[The Nomad]

I don't think we have the players required for a to play in a 3-4-3 formation the way Xabi plays.
I'm not sure where Trent will fit in that line up.
I'm starting to like De Zerbi more.

It Xabi can adapt.. as he has done in the past.

 

[King Binny]

Dated Nov 2023
Alonso's Leverkusen harness creativity in unlikely title push

“We were not a possession team last year, we were a transition team or a counter-attacking team and that was completely different to this season,” said Alonso when asked about the way his tactics have changed since he arrived at the club. “I’m not a fundamentalist that demands we have to play a certain way or that it is the only way that I will ever let my team play.”

Raised by father and former player and manager Periko Alonso, Xabi played under Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Vicente del Bosque.

Alonso saves special praise for the Real Madrid boss, saying "in terms of man management, Carlo Ancelotti is a master."

"When you talk about how you want to convince the players or how you get the players to have a good relationship with you, Ancelotti is the master of everyone."

Calling himself "a Liverpool supporter", Alonso said he "would have loved to be coached by Jurgen Klopp" as the German "changed the self-esteem of the Liverpool supporters."

 

[King Binny]

Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen: A Deep Dive and What It Could Mean for Liverpool

Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are moulded very much in the classic Spanish style of being a possession-based side. No Bundesliga side averages more successful passes per game than Leverkusen (616) nor has more possession of the ball (average of 62.3%).

By contrast, the current Liverpool side averages 489 passes per game and averages 60% possession.

The other thing to note is long passes. Liverpool currently average 25 long passes per game, the 5th highest in the Premier League, compared to Leverkusen’s 21, which places them 16th (out of only 18 of course) in the Bundesliga.

It’s an interesting stat because Xabi Alonso was the King of long-range passing during his playing days and if he were to become Liverpool manager, he would possess the modern game’s best long passer of a football in Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Leverkusen style is very much centred around playing through congested areas and having the bravery to play into pressing traps to try and exploit space elsewhere.

The perception that playing with creative wing-backs means the ball goes wide at every opportunity is not true as Leverkusen want to create the best conditions for the wing-backs to receive. If the ball goes wide too early, opponents can comfortably shift across. Playing through the centre to lure teams into narrow positions before moving the ball wide creates more space on the wings and enables wide players to receive in more dangerous areas.

Another interesting feature of Alonso’s Leverkusen which is in stark contrast to Klopp’s Liverpool is crossing. Leverkusen average 4 accurate crosses per game which places them 16th in the Bundesliga for that particular stat. Compare that to Liverpool, renowned for the crossing capabilities of Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold particularly, who average 5 accurate crosses per game placing them joint 2nd in the Premier League.

Again, the perception that teams who play with wing-backs regularly use crosses to create chances and score goals is somewhat diminished when studying this Bayer Leverkusen side.

The Leverkusen front three is made up more of two Number 10s and a classic Number 9 however the Number 10s do have the flexibility within the positional play constraints to rotate, dropping into midfield to create overloads or switching positions with the wing-backs when they come inside.

For all of the creativity that comes from the wing-backs, the two players who have created the most chances for Bayer Leverkusen this season are the two first-choice 10s in Hofmann (48) and Wirtz (46), so their role in the team is a key component in the Leverkusen attack.

Granit Xhaka and Exequiel Palacios are the first-choice pairing in Alonso’s double pivot and are very much facilitators for everything that goes on in front of them. No two players have made more accurate passes than those pair for Leverkusen whilst they both feature in the top three in the Bundesliga for the same stat with Bayern Munich’s Min-Jae Kim wedged in between.

They are still responsible for creating chances directly with both featuring behind the two 10s and the two wing backs for chances created per 90 whilst no Leverkusen player makes more tackles or interceptions than Palacios, a key feature of their ability to win the ball back in the middle of the park.

Much like many of the top sides in modern football, Bayer Leverkusen put on a good counter press as their first action in defensive transition. They are pretty effective at this as well considering no side in Germany has regained the ball more in the final third than them (7.4 regains per 90 minutes). There’s also no team in the league that has regained the ball in the middle third more than Alonso’s side (28.3 per 90).

Leverkusen achieve this due to the close proximity with which the players are in the offensive phase ensuring they are well positioned for defensive transitions. This is another key feature of the aforementioned positional play that influences Alonso’s side as well.

What’s particularly interesting though is how low Leverkusen rank for tackles and interceptions. The fact they have more possession than anyone else naturally impacts this so does need to be possession adjusted for a true reflection but they average 8.2 tackles per game (rank 17th of 18) and 7.1 interceptions (also rank 17th of 18).

This suggests that many of their regains stem from simply forcing opponents into errors and giving the ball away.

Liverpool certainly have the profile of player already for this sort of approach considering they are the leaders for midfield regains in the Premier League.

Why Xabi Alonso wouldn't be a Klopp copy... and could Trent Alexander-Arnold be Alonso's 'Granit Xhaka'?

Unlike Klopp's favoured 4-3-3, Alonso's Leverkusen set up in a 3-4-2-1, but they don't play that way.

In possession, left-winger Alex Grimaldo often drops and the centre-backs shuffle across to make a back four and give Jeremie Frimpong licence to bomb forward.

Alonso isn't as 'heavy metal' as Klopp, he's more rhythm and blues. Leverkusen pass more and move the ball up the pitch far slower than gung-ho Liverpool.

Leverkusen allow opponents more passes than Liverpool do before they try to win the ball back (passes per defensive action), which shows a much less aggressive press.

They are no strangers to counter-pressing, though, and win the ball in the final third more often than Liverpool.

 

[Hyena]

I'm loving that he isn't married or obsessed with a single formation or tactic

 

[iseered]

A tactical slut

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo: "Xabi Alonso is an incredible coach"



Granit Xhaka explains the difference between Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso



Playing under Alonso 'a dream' for Leverkusen's Xhaka



Boniface hails Alonso, Xhaka impact


'Working with Alonso is a dream' - Wirtz hoping to model himself on new Leverkusen head coach


Hofmann: ‘The Talks With Simon And Xabi Impressed Me’



Jeremie Frimpong on life at Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso and the prospect of a UEFA Europa League winners' medal | UEFA Europa League



World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios on Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen’s title challenge and life as an Argentine in Germany


Lukas Hradecky: Leverkusen’s shot stopper feels like the club is his family


Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba hoping for country’s first Africa Cup title after years of near misses


Odilon Kossounou on Xabi Alonso's masterplan, Bayer Leverkusen's title chances, facing Harry Kane and more

Hey Binny, can you also try to find if there's similar compliments from current players/ex-players of Emery please ? Especially Xhaka. Cheers.

Because you know, handling difficult nutters like Xhaka, is no small feat.

 

[bluebell]

Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo: "Xabi Alonso is an incredible coach"



Granit Xhaka explains the difference between Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso



Playing under Alonso 'a dream' for Leverkusen's Xhaka



Boniface hails Alonso, Xhaka impact


'Working with Alonso is a dream' - Wirtz hoping to model himself on new Leverkusen head coach


Hofmann: ‘The Talks With Simon And Xabi Impressed Me’



Jeremie Frimpong on life at Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso and the prospect of a UEFA Europa League winners' medal | UEFA Europa League



World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios on Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen’s title challenge and life as an Argentine in Germany


Lukas Hradecky: Leverkusen’s shot stopper feels like the club is his family


Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba hoping for country’s first Africa Cup title after years of near misses


Odilon Kossounou on Xabi Alonso's masterplan, Bayer Leverkusen's title chances, facing Harry Kane and more

You should be a lawyer... I was more Inzaghi due to experience but Alonso looks to be the real deal

 

[bluebell]

Xabi Alonso raised Liverpool-born son as Reds fan - 15 years after Anfield exit

Xabi Alonso is still a Liverpool fan and raised his son to be a Reds supporter after he was born in the city during the Spaniard’s time at Anfield

www.dailystar.co.uk

Xabi Alonso has raised Liverpool-born son as Reds supporter – 15 years after Anfield exit​

Xabi Alonso is still a Liverpool fan and raised his son to be a Reds supporter after he was born in the city during the Spaniard’s time at Anfield

 

[doctor_mac]

It Xabi can adapt.. as he has done in the past.

Yes, and we shouldn't expect us to play like Klopp's team. We need Klopp for that. Klopp himself has adapted his strategies considerably over the years. Whoever comes in will assess the players, and adapt strategies accordingly. We just want those strategies to fit well and be successful.

 

[rurikbird]

Just want to say @King Binny you’re an absolute legend and an asset to this site.

Oh, and Xabi is going to be a boss coach. You can already see he’s less dogmatic than Arteta, having worked and excelled under such a wide variety of managers like Rafa, Ancelotti, Pep and Mourinho. And I do like the tidbit about him wanting the “double 6” at all times regardless of system - if there is one thing about Klopp’s tactics that makes me uneasy at times is how we give our #6 too much ground to cover - most of the time our pressing compensates for it, but when it breaks down, we can be played through too easily. Contrast it to Rafa for whom protecting the space in front of a back 4 (usually with 2 midfielders) was paramount - I think playing under Rafa was a formative influence for Alonso, not to mention the typical Spanish tactics of the time that also revolved around a double-pivot midfield (one purely defensive, one more of a playmaker type - Albelda/Baraja at Valencia were a classic example of such pair, or in LFC’s case Mascherano-Alonso).

If Xabi becomes our coach, I can’t wait to see how he will use Trent. That’s the one player who can rival Alonso of his playing days for long passing and we don’t know yet how he will tactically use this kind of player as he doesn’t have a great long passer in Leverkusen.

 

[Frogfish]

Yes, and we shouldn't expect us to play like Klopp's team. We need Klopp for that. Klopp himself has adapted his strategies considerably over the years. Whoever comes in will assess the players, and adapt strategies accordingly. We just want those strategies to fit well and be successful.

Well if you had read up on Xabi's tactics at BL, & bothered to read my post (with added link) to Emery's over the years, you'd have no doubts

Klopps' have undergone numerous changes (and he's also said he could employ 3-4 different formations during a single match) as all good managers adapt to different scenarios and opposition. I'm not too worried about that - so long as the tactics employed suit the majority of players currently on the books.

 

[Hyena]

No it wouldn't ! I feel like they are the only ones capable of stopping us in the EL.

I do. I want to meet them in the finals, and I want it to go to Penalties after a 3-3 draw.

 

[Modo]

How would Alonso's line up look using our players, without shoehorning players into unfamiliar positions?

GK: Ali

LCB: Gomez?
CB: Van Dijk
RCB: Konate

RWB: Bradley
LWB: Robbo? (Is he really a LWB?)

CM: Trent
CM: Macca

AM: Szobo
AM: Elliott (Is Jones an AM or is Macca an AM and Jones is moved to the CM position)

CF: Nunez (What happens to Gakpo, Jota, Diaz?)

Yeah...I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I'd rather get a manager who can work with what we have.

 

[Hyena]

How would Alonso's line up look using our players, without shoehorning players into unfamiliar positions?

GK: Ali

LCB: Gomez?
CB: Van Dijk
RCB: Konate

RWB: Bradley
LWB: Robbo? (Is he really a LWB?)

CM: Trent
CM: Macca

AM: Szobo
AM: Elliott (Is Jones an AM or is Macca an AM and Jones is moved to the CM position)

CF: Nunez (What happens to Gakpo, Jota, Diaz?)

Yeah...I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I'd rather get a manager who can work with what we have.

I suspect it will not look very different from this

GK: Ali

LB: Gomez / Robbo
CB: Van Dijk
CB: Konate
RB: Trent

CM: Curtis
CM: Macca
CM: Szobo

RW: Salah / Kubo
LW: Jota
CF: Nunez

There you go.

 

[bluebell]

How would Alonso's line up look using our players, without shoehorning players into unfamiliar positions?

GK: Ali

LCB: Gomez?
CB: Van Dijk
RCB: Konate

RWB: Bradley
LWB: Robbo? (Is he really a LWB?)

CM: Trent
CM: Macca

AM: Szobo
AM: Elliott (Is Jones an AM or is Macca an AM and Jones is moved to the CM position)

CF: Nunez (What happens to Gakpo, Jota, Diaz?)

Yeah...I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I'd rather get a manager who can work with what we have.

I think he will look at the personnel at his disposal and then find a system.... The guy has played under Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, Manuel Pellegrini, Vicente del Bosque so has lots of systems and tactics he can draw upon.
Klopp was self taught, Xabi has had the privilege of working under the best coaches the world has seen.
He will also bring his own talent through.