1. Jurgen Klopp 1/3
THE ODDS-ON favourite for the job, Klopp has experience resurrecting a once-great club back to the top — he won two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund and got them to the final of the Champions League, after they had been on the verge of bankruptcy and struggling domestically for a few years prior to his appointment.
2. Carlo Ancelotti 9/4
Liverpool recently played down links to Ancelotti but the out-of-work Italian is rumoured to be on a three-man shortlist for the job alongside Klopp and Frank de Boer. Along with Bob Paisley, he is the only manager to have won the European Cup three times, although it’s been a while since he’s managed a club not considered to be a European super power. Since 1999, he has coached Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid — all clubs with vast resources who, unlike Liverpool, are routinely considered among the favourites to win their respective domestic leagues.
3. Frank de Boer 12/1
Has limited experience, having only managed Ajax (his current club) since 2010, but De Boer has already won four Eredivisie titles in his brief managerial career thus far and has indicated in the past that he would love to manage in the Premier League some day.
4. Walter Mazzarri 14/1
Could be an option if the prime candidates don’t work out, Mazzarri has managed a number of Italian clubs, taking Napoli as high as a second-place finish in the 2012-13 season, but the 54-year-old coach has been out of work since being sacked by Inter last year.
5. Jurgen Klinsmann 20/1
Now we’re getting into the rank outsiders, Klinsmann has plenty of experience of international football, proving a relative success with Germany and USA (his current role), but has only one season of club football to his name with Bayern Munich. And even if Liverpool did want him, which does not appear to be the case currently, the German would probably be reluctant to leave the California lifestyle behind.
6. Ronald Koeman 22/1
Another seriously unlikely appointment, Liverpool would undoubtedly be a step up even taking into account the fact that the Saints are ahead of them (on goal difference) in the table currently, but Koeman would potentially view leaving the stability of Southampton in exchange for the high expectations of Liverpool as a considerable risk.
7. Gary McAllister 25/1
A serious outsider but the former Liverpool player taking over is not an impossible scenario. McAllister, along with assistant coach Sean O’Driscoll, is expected to take temporary charge of the Reds, and should they oversee a few positive results, the board may start to seriously consider giving one or the other the permanent position. Moreover, á la Tim Sherwood at Tottenham the year before last, the powers that be could also appoint McAllister on a short-term basis if they need to wait until the summer to hire their preferred candidate.
