Perfect viewing De Zerby. The Italian can replace Klopp at Liverpool

Former Shakhtar head coach Roberto De Zerbi is becoming an increasingly popular figure in the English Premier League. The 43-year-old Italian arrived to work with Brighton only in September last year, when the ex-coach of the Seagulls Graham Potter accepted an invitation from Chelsea, and already managed to show his best side. In 2023, Brighton played five matches in which they won four wins with one draw, and the goal difference was 16:5. In other words, on average, De Zerby's wards scored three goals per game against their opponents, and only conceded one at a time.

The most vivid memories of recent weeks, if we talk about Brighton, are, of course, the two victories of the Seagulls over the giants of English football Liverpool. First, De Zerby's team knocked out the Reds in a league match - 3:0, and then ruthlessly eliminated the opponent from the path in the FA Cup - 2:1. If we add to this a 3:3 draw, which was recorded on October 1 last year at Anfield as part of the confrontation between Liverpool and Brighton in the 9th round of the Premier League, moreover, in De Zerby's debut match in this tournament, then it turns out that that the Italian coach, along with Zinedine Zidane, has the best statistics of games against the Reds with Jurgen Klopp at the head.

The German Liverpool coach must have experienced the effect of deja vu for two weeks. When on January 14 the "Reds" unexpectedly burnt away in a match against Brighton (0:3), everyone only discussed the excellent game of the De Zerby team, confirmed by excellent statistics. "The Seagulls" in that match controlled the ball much more (62% vs. 38%), shot on goal more often (14:6) and hit the target (9:2), and also showed an excellent transition from defense to attack with the help of short passes . Liverpool was not ready to oppose anything to this, and something similar happened to Klopp's team two weeks later - on January 29, the Merseysiders lost again (1: 2), leaving the FA Cup, and again they controlled the ball less, hit on goal less often and not as intense as the opponent, they pressed...

Jurgen Klopp, in his second fight of the year against Brighton, looked like an annoyed stepfather who is desperately and struggling to get his naughty stepson back on track. The German mentor tried his best to prove that the crushing defeat to Brighton in the championship was an accident, and Klopp needed the Cup victory like air to shut up the irrepressible critics who popped up from all sides in various British media.

“I didn’t turn into a bad coach overnight. I've probably never been as good a coach as they say I am, but I'm not as bad as they say now. Last season was incredibly intense, we fought for four trophies. If we didn’t have so many injured, then in the Premier League we would have 4-5 more points. I am sure that we will fight to the end for a place in the Champions League, this is not a brilliant, but quite a normal season, ”Klopp said, as if making it clear that he was incredibly tired of everything that was happening around him in recent weeks and months.

Jurgen, now in his eighth year with Liverpool, seems to simply want to convince everyone around him that he deserves to remain in his position in the future, even if the club changes hands. At the moment, absolutely nothing threatens Klopp’s positions, and at least until the end of the season, he will probably retain his post, and with it the opportunity to rehabilitate himself for a far from brilliant start to the season.

Right now, Liverpool are already 10 points away from fourth place - the so-called "Champions League zone" ... In addition, Klopp's team has already been eliminated from both domestic cups, and in the Champions League playoffs, the Reds will have to fight against Madrid Real Madrid, which will certainly be considered by bookmakers as a favorite in both matches. If on March 15 Liverpool stop their way to the most prestigious club competition in Europe, then even Klopp's most obvious sympathizers will be forced to admit that the 2022/23 season turned out to be another period of lost opportunities in the history of the Reds.

Obviously, already in the summer, Liverpool, especially if it acquires a new owner, will try to update the squad by inviting young and talented performers. As far back as last summer, there was serious talk about Jude Bellingham, but the Reds did not have enough consent from the owners for a solid investment to carry out this deal. If in the summer of 2023 the Liverpool bosses (current or new) still decide to transfer players of Bellingham's caliber, then they need to be sure that it is still worth continuing to invest in Klopp's project, and not look for German replacement.

Jurgen has undoubtedly earned the right to another chance, but whether such a decision would be the best for both himself and the club is becoming more and more uncertain. It is no coincidence that Andy Robertson looked as unhappy after Brighton as his mentor, saying that despite all the work done, after the World Cup, Liverpool, obviously, really only looks worse.

In a situation where Liverpool have to look for a new mentor, the choice of club bosses may well fall on Roberto De Zerbi. The ex-coach of Shakhtar got a great chance to "show off the goods", and in head-to-head matches against the "Reds" the view turned out to be perfect for the Italian. When, after a match against your team, the opponent’s mentor declares that it was the worst game for his wards, it’s hard to imagine a better description in the resume.

It is also striking that after the matches with Brighton in English expert circles, there was only talk about Liverpool's hegenpressing - more precisely, about how much De Zerby's wards looked better than Klopp's team in this aspect. In addition, the Italian has already proved to everyone that he is imbued with an incredible rebellious spirit and moral conscience. When the war in Ukraine began, De Zerby, who had an offer to quickly leave the country, refused to leave exactly until all Shakhtar legionnaires and members of their families were safely evacuated.

Once at Brighton, De Zerby unleashed new talent in a team that most felt had already played to their limits under Graham Potter. One of the most striking examples is the 25-year-old Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma, who, under the previous mentor, has never been announced in the starting lineup during the current season in the Premier League, but under De Zerbi has already scored four goals in the last six fights. 18-year-old centre-forward Evan Ferguson also got his real shot at Brighton under De Zerby and now has 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games to his credit.

In terms of likely continuity, it's important that De Zerby's teams have the same kind of gangster spirit that Liverpool had in their heyday under Klopp. Yes, the style may differ slightly due to various circumstances, but the Italian coach has proven that he can successfully convert his ideas into success not only in a short period at Brighton, but also while working with Shakhtar and, of course, Sassuolo ".

Sometimes, in order to quickly improve the state of affairs, it is not at all necessary to destroy what the whole team has been working on for so long and scrupulously for a number of years. Sometimes it’s enough just a fresh look from the outside, which helps to see what others are simply not able to notice, and De Zerby, perhaps, could provide this to Liverpool.

Although it is hardly worth writing off Jurgen Klopp right now. The German has a reputation as a modern top manager for good reason, and he is still able to change the course of events even when they look frankly unhappy. But in the event that the leadership of Liverpool nevertheless decides to change the coach, the current Brighton coach potentially looks almost an ideal candidate for the role of the German successor.

Alexey SLIVCHENKO