On Friday morning, Liverpool announced via club media that Jürgen Klopp has decided to step down as manager at the end of the season.
The announcement came as a bit of a shock given Liverpool’s performance this season, however it is a decision which has supposedly been crossing Klopp’s mind over the last couple of months.
Given their status in both English football as well as in the global game, the news is obviously one which is receiving a lot of attention at the minute. Klopp’s tenure as manager can be described as nothing less than incredible, leading the team from October 2015 and having a very impressive 60.7% win percentage with the club according to Opta.
There have already been plenty of rumours of who will be next in the hot seat, with former-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso the overwhelming favourite. Alonso would be taking a similar path to Klopp if making the move, as he currently manages Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.
But what if, for their next appointment, Liverpool didn’t go for a true ‘household’ name. That would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons. We ask the question, what if they went into the EFL to find their next great manager?
With that in mind, here are three young EFL managers on the up, who Liverpool could consider…
Kieran McKenna – Ipswich Town
From an EFL standpoint, this has got to be one of the most obvious choices. It would be understatement to say McKenna has just had a successful tenure with Ipswich. Having taken his side up from League One via automatic promotion last season, the Tractor Boys have excelled with the step up in class to the Championship.
Currently sat in second in the league, sandwiched between the three relegated teams from the Premier League last season, Leicester, Southampton and Leeds, it is easy to see just how good of a job the former Manchester-United assistant has done. He’s got his side punching far above their weight on a budget which is dwarfed by the teams around them.
McKenna certainly deserves a job in the top flight at some point, and it might come sooner than some will think.
Russell Martin – Southampton
Although his recent achievements may not be quite as impressive as that of Mckenna’s, Martin is one of the brightest young managers in the game at the minute. He has continued to progress as a manager with every step up that he has taken, first from MK Dons to Swansea and then from Swansea to Southampton.
There is an argument that the Saints are playing the best football in the EFL currently and that is reflected in their recent results. Martin’s side are unbeaten in their last 21 games in all competitions, winning 15 of those. After a somewhat slow start to the season, they are in reach of both Ipswich and Leicester above them.
It’s looking ever the more likely that Martin may guide Southampton back to the Premier League this season and he is no doubt be a manager that quite a few teams will be monitoring.
Steven Schumacher – Stoke City
Although Schumacher may have only recently landed a new job in the Championship, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see him step up to the Premier League in the future. Stoke are an ambitious club yet have struggled all season and find themselves 19th in the Championship.
Since joining the Potters, the former Plymouth Argyle manager has picked up a more than respectable two wins and three draws from his six league matches in charge. That turnaround in fortunes has seen his side put a bit more breathing room between themselves and the relegation zone.
During his time with Plymouth, Schumacher would actually beat McKenna’s Ipswich Town to the League One title. Although the Pilgrims may have not been as successful this season they were still punching above their weight in the mid-table places when the former Bradford player left.
At just 39, Schumacher looks to have quite the managerial career ahead of him.
