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Liverpool would be mad to replace Jurgen Klopp with Thomas Tuchel, according to Mark Goldbridge.
The Manchester United fan and YouTube host has pushed back on Jamie Carragher’s suggestions that Tuchel would be a better fit for the Anfield job than current favourite, Arne Slot.
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Slot is believed to be in advanced talks over a deal that will see him leave reigning Eredivise champions Feyenoord and succeed Klopp in the Liverpool dugout.
However, Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column that appointing the Dutch coach is a huge risk compared to a manager like Tuchel, who previously enjoyed success replacing Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
The Reds legend believes the former Chelsea, PSG and soon to be ex-Bayern Munich boss would be a better fit to keep Liverpool performing at the top level and competing for major trophies.
Goldbridge does not agree, though, and admits Liverpool are in a similarly impossible position as his beloved United were in when it came to finding a replacement for the great Sir Alex Ferguson.
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It’s a similar situation to Manchester United in more ways than one. You’ve got Klopp leaving like when Sir Alex left, and we got it wrong, so very wrong.
You’ve got this whole manager market which isn’t as strong as you’d want it to be when you’re replacing one of the greatest managers in your history, and then you got Slot who is maybe coming in from Eredivisie with a very good reputation, just like Erik ten Hag, but now he’s under pressure.
I thought Liverpool would go for Ruben Amorim but maybe there’s something there they’re not sure about. They obviously really wanted Xabi Alonso but he’s going to stay where he is, and therefore you're going to have to take a risk.
I can understand why they’re doing it, and I would certainly go for Slot over Thomas Tuchel.
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Why would you go after Tuchel? I think he’s overrated. Why would you go and get the guy who has been sacked by Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich? Just because of the German connection after Klopp? It just feels like a terrible idea to do that.
This is going to be very interesting to watch because it’s such a big decision and there has to be a drop off. What players are going to stay? How long is this rebuild going to take? Where are they going to end up after Klopp? It’s going to be fascinating.
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They might get lucky and they might get it right, but it’s not just the tactics of Slot or whoever comes in, it’s the persona, it’s the mentality. Klopp dominates the media, he dominates Liverpool's fandom, there’s a mutual respect there and he ‘gets’ Liverpool.
Can they get lucky twice? There has to be nervousness within the Liverpool fanbase when you’re replacing somebody of Klopp’s stature.
Don’t blame Darwin, third is about right
I look at this Liverpool team and I think, if Jurgen Klopp’s not going they’d be much better next year. They’re a good team, but it’s an inexperienced team and it’s still very early in their transition.
The way football is now, people always want to blame somebody, and blaming Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz or anyone who has missed chances when they should score is naive.
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Liverpool are not Man City and they are not Arsenal, they’re not at that level yet. I know they have been in the past, but this is a new Liverpool team Klopp was building.
I think they’ve had a really good season, the only disappointment is they’re not going to deliver Klopp what he deserves in his last year with the club.
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When you actually look at the team and where they’ve come from with their midfield rebuild, finishing third having pushed for the title until the end of April would be a really good place to build from in the summer.
But it’s the whole Klopp thing that’s led to this huge disappointment.