Jurgen Klopp continues to enhance his legacy at Liverpool, with a League Cup winners' medal added to his growing collection of honors. A few more additions may find their way to an already well-stocked trophy cabinet at Anfield by the time the 2021/2022 campaign comes to a close, with further silverware up for grabs.
The German coach has overseen a remarkable period of success at Merseyside, with a carefully selected, star-studded side.
Said triumphs have earned favor with those partial to a sports bet, with one of the most decorated sides in English football history proving on an annual basis that they are a force to be reckoned, both at home and abroad. A cursory glance at the betting markets makes this clear: Liverpool are currently priced at odds of +300 for Premier League title glory and +700 for a Champions League victory. Evidently, the betting tips side with the Reds when the grandest of prizes are up for grabs.
Change, though, will come sweeping in at some stage. As things stand, Klopp is tied to a contract through to the summer of 2024. He has hinted in the not too distant past at taking in a well-earned break once his current term comes to a close.
If he really is edging his way towards the exit, with a long farewell being taken in, then thoughts need to turn towards potential successors. No decisions need to be set in stone, but it is better to plan ahead and avoid any last-minute, opportunistic scramble for whoever is available.
The powers that be at Anfield will already have a few names in mind, but are any of those capable of building on the foundations that an iconic predecessor will have put in place?
Who are the contenders?
It comes as no surprise that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is the +150 favorite to succeed Klopp when the time comes for a changing of the guard. He has cut coaching teeth at Rangers and Aston Villa while never shying away from the fact that a return to his roots holds obvious appeal.
Another familiar face to those at Anfield, in the form of one-time midfield maestro and 2005 Champions League winner, Xabi Alonso, also figures prominently on a list of Reds contenders, with the Spaniard earning plenty of plaudits with Real Sociedad’s B side.
Sandwiched between him and Gerrard in the next Liverpool manager market is Pep Lijnders, Klopp's current No.2 and a man that would ensure a seamless transition is made from this era to the next. Is he, though, a big enough name for such a demanding role?
Julian Nagelsmann may, in two years' time, decide that he is ready for a new challenge after winning all that there is to win at Bayern Munich, while Massimiliano Allegri has shown with AC Milan and Juventus in Italy that he knows how to deliver tangible success when working with big names and even bigger egos.
Current Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is another name to have been thrown into the mix, while there is a chance that Rafael Benitez could be asked to make an emotional return to his spiritual home.
The expectation is that Liverpool will look for pedigree over potential when making their next appointment, by which point that will have gone almost nine years without entering into such talks, but whoever gets the nod will know that they are stepping into the biggest of shoes with a giant of the global game.