"A genius" - Thierry Henry lauds manager who has been linked with Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's successor
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry recently heaped praise on Inter Milan manager Simon Inzaghi, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool.
Inzaghi became Inter manager in 2021 and has done a stellar task with them, winning five cups so far. He also led them to the UEFA Champions League final last season, where they lost against Manchester City. They appear set to win the Serie A this season as they sit 16 points above second-placed Milan.
As per Tutto Sport, Liverpool are interested in Inzaghi as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp, who will leave at the end of the season. Henry recently lauded the Italian manager ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 second-leg clash at Atletico Madrid on March 13. He said on CBS Sports:
“Yes, I am [fond of his system]. They quite often say that strikers cannot be good managers. Well, it defies the logic at the moment because the way he is setting up his team is second to none. He was known as a cup coach, but now, he’s going to win the league, we know that.”
Henry spoke at length about Inzaghi's tactics with Inter Milan and how he uses a back-five system, saying:
“This is something that they didn’t do so much this year. I had to go back to a goal that they scored last year against Roma. Wing-back to wing-back – we’ve seen this before, Conte did it, they’re doing it.
"But, there’s something that I’ve never seen before. At the weekend, I never saw that before, look at the shape of their back-five.”
Henry further highlighted how the Italian manager used his centre-backs and said:
“I’ve never seen, in open play, at 0-0, away, the left centre-back crossing the ball to the right centre-back to score a goal. In my life, I’ve never seen that. This guy, Inzaghi, he’s a genius!”
Inter were eliminated from the Champions League though, losing against Atletico Madrid in Round of 16. They lost 2-1 in normal time at the Wanda Metropolitano to make it 2-2 on aggregate before losing 3-2 on penalties.
Liverpool linked with move for Xabi Alonso as Jurgen Klopp replacement
The Reds have been linked with a number of managers since Jurgen Klopp's announcement of his impending departure in the summer. This includes Simon Inzaghi, Roberto De Zerbi, and Ruben Amorim. However, Xabi Alonso appears to be Liverpool's main target (via Mirror).
Alonso has done a brilliant job as Bayer Leverkusen's manager since being appointed last season. They are unbeaten in a record 36 games across competitions this season and sit atop the Bundesliga table, 10 points above Bayern Munich.
His impressive performances and his previous playing career have seen Alonso being linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer. He made 210 appearances for the Reds, winning numerous trophies.
Liverpool recently brought back Michael Edwards in their hierarchy and are expected to sign Richard Hughes as sporting director. Hughes has a professional relationship with Alonso's agent Inaki Ibanez, which Liverpool hope can help them sign the Spaniard.