Who Do Liverpool Fans See as the Long-Term Successor to Jurgen Klopp?
Despite proclaiming to be the "normal one" at his first press conference at Anfield in October 2015, Jurgen Klopp has developed a special relationship with Liverpool fans.
The German may not have lifted a trophy since his arrival, but he's won plenty of hearts. After taking over an underperforming squad that lacked direction, Klopp has given the Reds a much-needed identity.
His bond is not just with the club; the former Borussia Dortmund boss has also embraced life on Merseyside, right down to taking part in the quiz at his local pub.
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The relationship has endured the odd rocky moment of late, with hefty away losses to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur major disappointments, yet nearly the entire fanbase remains firmly behind the man at the helm.
Klopp's in it for the long haul, too. According to BBC Sport, the German signed a six-year contract extension in the summer of 2016. "We are very much at the beginning of our journey," he said at the time.
Eventually, though, this journey will come to an end. While Liverpool are likely not looking for a new manager, there will be a time when they have to find someone to take over.
Who could it be? Bleacher Report posed that exact question on Twitter, asking the fans for their opinions on who could be Klopp's long-term successor.
The Living Legend: Steven Gerrard
Not all great players go on to become great coaches, albeit Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish showed it is possible to succeed in both roles (even at the same time, as he was player-manager during his first stint in charge).
Despite knowing the risks, Steven Gerrard appears on course for a managerial role at some stage. After hanging up his boots in late 2016, he initially returned to Liverpool as an academy coach before being appointed as under-18s manager for the 2017/18 season.
Klopp embraced Gerrard's return to the club he served with such distinction on the field—and explained how he's happy to teach the former club captain how to do his job.
"I told him when I leave, or the club sack me, I don't care of course who'll be my successor, but I'd love that he'd be it," Klopp said in an interview with Henry Winter of The Times in May (h/t the Telegraph).
He continued: "I'll do everything I can to make sure he gets all the information he needs. Because when you join a club you have a big responsibility for the future, and the future of this club needs legends like Steven Gerrard in decisive positions."
The early signs in Gerrard's coaching career have been promising. His prospects are unbeaten in the Premier League after six games, and they've also won two out of three matches in the UEFA Youth League.
But will Stevie G be ready to take charge by the time Klopp departs? Much of that will be down to timing. Liverpool were once known for promoting from within—the famous Anfield boot room would be rekindled if Gerrard ever steps out of the shadows to become the main man.
There is a risk an unsuccessful spell in charge could blemish his legacy, but the 37-year-old never shirked a challenge on the pitch and is unlikely to resist any opportunity to manage his boyhood club.
The Apprentice: Pep Lijnders
Like Gerrard, Pep Lijnders is part of the coaching staff at Anfield.
The Dutchman was already at the club when Klopp took over, and although Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz also arrived to assist the new man in charge, Lijnders remained on the scene.
As first-team development coach, his main role is to focus on the pathway for the club's brightest young stars to progress through into the main squad. However, he is also a key cog in the backroom team, as Klopp told Chris Shaw of Liverpool's official website:
"I love his mood, I love his attitude, I love already how smart he is, but still really open to learning.
"So for us, it's perfect, especially then with his fluent English, he's a big help for Zeljko especially in the sessions. They have a fantastic relationship, actually.
"I'm really happy that the club decided before I came in that he has to stay. I had no idea who he is, where he's coming from, but it's an interesting life already that he had, with being that long at Porto and all that stuff. Fantastic guy and an even better manager in the future."
According to Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo, Lijnders has rejected interest from "several clubs" over managerial roles to continue his apprenticeship on Merseyside.
Still only 34, the former Reds under-18 coach has time on his side. Speculation on social media suggests Lijnders is being groomed to take charge at some stage down the line, yet his appointment would be a major gamble considering his CV.
The BFF: David Wagner
The king is dead. Long live the king!
Klopp and David Wagner met in 1991, when they were both players at Mainz. They struck up a friendship during their time at the club, one that has stood the test of time despite the pair going their separate ways.
Having served as best man at Klopp's wedding, Wagner was tipped to become part of his compatriot's coaching staff at Liverpool. Instead, however, he decided to go it alone and agreed to become Huddersfield Town manager in November 2015.
"David's football philosophy is directly in line with that of the club; he fits for what we need," Terriers chairman Dean Hoyle told David Threlfall-Sykes of the club's official website.
It was a gamble, for sure. Huddersfield were languishing in 18th place in the Championship when Wagner arrived. Astonishingly, two-and-a-half years later, they were celebrating promotion to the Premier League.
They're coping just fine with the step up this season, too, raising their manager's stock even higher. While Wagner failed to get the better of Klopp in their first competitive meeting (Liverpool beat Huddersfield 3-1 at Anfield in October), he did end the game with a kiss on the cheek from his mate.
As an ex-Borussia Dortmund coach, Wagner knows all about gegenpressing and heavy-metal football. While it wouldn't quite be a case of promoting from within, the Reds would be getting more of the same if they picked another German to take over the top job.
However, with Klopp seemingly going nowhere for a while yet, Wagner may be tempted to move elsewhere before Liverpool are looking for a manager again.
The Big Name from Abroad: Diego Simeone
According to Sky Sports News, Diego Simeone could be working in Merseyside in the near future.
The Argentinian coach is reportedly Everton owner Farhad Moshiri's top target for the vacancy at Goodison Park. While his ambition should be admired, Atletico Madrid's manager may be out of the Toffees' reach—for now, at least.
Spanish online newspaper El Confidencial reported Simeone was taking English lessons in February 2016 (h/t Tom Olver from Metro), all with a view to becoming Chelsea's next manager.
At that time, his future in La Liga was unclear. However, Simeone has since signed a two-year contract extension with his employers, meaning he is tied to Los Rojiblancos until 2020.
Make it all the way to the end of that new deal, and he would have been at the helm for nine years—an astonishingly long stint at a club that used to have a revolving-door policy when it came to managers.
Like Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, Simeone has built his managerial reputation on rebuilding a big club. He has enjoyed plenty of success, both domestically and in European competitions, and he knows how to handle the pressure at the highest level.
El Cholo would set about plugging the holes in Liverpool's leaky defence, while he also knows how to punch above his weight when coming up against football superpowers.
The English Alternative: Eddie Howe
A young manager from the United Kingdom, with a focus on playing attacking football, makes a name for himself in the Premier League before being offered the chance to make the step up with a move to Liverpool.
Sound familiar? It should because the Reds went down that route with Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman may be best remembered for some of his quotes to the media (did you have to call Joe Allen "the Welsh Xavi," Brendan?), but he did come close to steering the club to the title in the 2013/14 campaign.
At 39, Bournemouth boss Howe is the same age as Rodgers was when the latter left Swansea City to take charge at Liverpool in the summer of 2012.
It would be difficult to lure Howe away from the Cherries, a club he represented as a player before injury cut short his career. As their manager, he kept them in the Football League in his first spell and, after a forgettable time with Burnley, returned in October 2012 to start a stunning rise through the divisions.
The Englishman oversaw promotions from all three tiers of the Football League, as Bournemouth—just six years on from nearly going out of business—made it all the way to the Premier League in 2015.
Howe has kept them afloat since. They have maintained their top-flight status for two seasons, a serious achievement for a club with comfortably the smallest ground in the English top flight.
The Cherries manager, however, may be ready for a bigger challenge. His transfer business may raise a red flag (after all, he did buy Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith for sizeable fees from Liverpool), but someone will soon offer him the opportunity to progress his managerial career at a club with more financial muscle.
Could he be in charge of the Reds one day? Perhaps, considering managerial jobs are often about timing. Right now, though, Howe looks a long shot.
Rob Lancaster is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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