01 March 2024 , 11:58
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Rafael Benitez has urged caution around Xabi Alonso being linked to the Liverpool job.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso is the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp this summer but ex-Reds boss Benitez believes there is too much of a rush around appointing current flavours of the month to big jobs because of social media.
Alonso has steered Leverkusen, who travel to neighbours Koln on Sunday afternoon, to the top of the Bundesliga table - with an eight point lead over Bayern Munich.
And as a result of his recent success the Basque former midfielder is being talked up as the next man in at Anfield after Klopp’s decision to depart at the conclusion of this campaign following nine years in charge. The Bavarians are cutting ties with Thomas Tuchel in the summer, meaning Alonso has also been linked with that upcoming vacancy.
However, Benitez has warned against there being too much too soon for Alonso. “He’s a big name, good professional, good lad, clever, doing really well so I understand why [Alonso is being linked with Liverpool],” the now Celta Vigo boss said. “[But] imagine Steven Gerrard was around and doing well. Then it would be: ‘Gerrard!’ With social media everything is going too fast so that people don’t see the big picture.”
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But in an interview with the Guardian, Benitez also hailed Alonso’s tactical acumen dating back to when he was a player at Anfield.
“He was clever and analysed,” Benitez said before recalling the 2005 Champions League quarter-final against Juventus. “When you explain things to some players, you have to repeat. Xabi was one who learned quickly.
“They had Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero up front with Pavel Nedved between the lines. We had to play with three centre-backs. I changed to play 5-3-1-1, with Milan Baros up front, Igor Biscan and Antonio Núñez [in midfield] with Xabi in the middle.
Xabi Alonso is being eyed by both Liverpool and Bayern Munich (Getty Images)“I told Xabi: ‘Stay in the middle! Don’t move!’ Because he couldn’t run. ‘Núñez will run! Warnock will run! You stay there! Be sure you protect the centre-backs from Nedved.” Alonso played the role perfectly and Liverpool drew 0-0. Tactically we did everything really well but the [key] thing was to recover Xabi quickly to make sure he could play as holding midfielder.”
Benitez also named the one player from that era he would have tipped to go into management - only for the defender in question to become a pundit who instead is getting in the heads of Premier League head coaches.
The ex-Newcastle manager added: “If you ask who was most likely to be a coach, Jamie Carragher was the one among the English players with an appetite for tactical information.”
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