Paul Joyce drops massive Xabi Alonso update as Arne Slot sack future takes surprise turn

ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY The former Real Madrid boss, who departed the role in January this year, is currently available as a free agent. Xabi Alonso is not on Liverpool’s managerial shortlist Alonso’s commitment to a back three is reportedly a major barrier to him taking the Liverpool job after the 2025/26 season. “Just as it stands to reason that Liverpool do not start scouting wingers when a wide man is needed, so their analysis department is always compiling an understanding of the work of different managers,” Joyce reported for The Times .

“ They would, of course, have studied Xabi Alonso during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, and he knows the club having spent five years on Merseyside as a player. The external expectation is that the Spaniard, who is out of work after his sacking by Real Madrid in January, would be next in line for the managerial role, but there is little to suggest that aligns with internal thinking. “Alonso favours a back three, for example, which is one of the reasons why Liverpool did not pursue Ruben Amorim when pressing ahead with Klopp’s successor.

” Whilst the ex-Red indeed made great use of a back three at Bayer Leverkusen, this wasn’t necessarily the case at Real Madrid. Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust In Spain, the Bundesliga-winning head coach’s starting position was more often than not a back four.

This could still morph into a situational back three, with a midfielder dropping in between the centre-backs as the fullbacks advanced. Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen formula shouldn’t hold him back If Liverpool want to back Arne Slot going into the next campaign, fine. But can we please dispense with the notion that Alonso is incapable of committing to any other system than ones that utilise a back three from start to finish?