Rafa Benitez has expressed uncertainty regarding Xabi Alonso’s suitability to take over from Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool’s manager. While acknowledging Alonso’s attraction to the position, Benitez raised concerns about his defensive strategies.
In an interview with The Athletic, Benitez acknowledged Alonso’s successful tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, praising his team’s fast-paced attacking style. However, he emphasized the need to assess Alonso’s defensive tactics, stating:
“When he took over last season, they needed to play a lot on the counter-attack. Now they have a team that is more of a protagonist, with a lot of pace, a lot of fast attacking. He is doing very good work.”
Benitez also commented on the extensive media attention surrounding Alonso, cautioning against the hype:
“There is a lot of noise around Xabi Alonso at the moment, but there are lots of other good coaches not so much in the media spotlight. Teams winning games 4-3 rarely have consistency and win titles. Those winning lots of games 1-0 have to defend well to win things.”
While Xabi Alonso remains the frontrunner for the Liverpool managerial role, Bayern Munich has emerged as a competitor amidst uncertainties surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s position.
