Madrid bound, makes perfect sense to stay another season if madrid want him post carlo
Xabi Alonso: Bayer Leverkusen manager
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
He showed Dortmund how it is done, honestly won't forget them for bottling title races against lackluster Bayern sides in the last few years....
Leverkusen are a few brackets below a Bayern or Liverpool though, which is why it surprises me he didnt move. If he's holding out for Real i can understand that tbf and I can see why anyone would be nervous at following a Klopp at the scousers, but i was surprised he ruled himself out of a move.
As a club in regard to history, yes. As a team currently not. Also they are pretty well positioned financially due to being a part of Bayer, far better than their club size would suggest.
We can only hope!
IT´S A HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY. Alonso checks his bank balance and is relieved, still well in the eight figures.
Size barely matters. Its like Manchester United claiming to be amongst the biggest clubs on the planet. Okay great but trophies are not awarded on the basis of club size. What matters is on-pitch performance and right now on the evidence of this season Leverkusen are a better team than Bayern Munich and I don't see why they can't maintain it. The only threat to the continuity is the possibility of other clubs poaching their best players and tempting them with money but i'd say Leverkusen are well placed to weather that storm. They will be in the CL next year and they will have the funds from that plus the funds from winning the league to improve the team/replace outgoing stars. And ultimately the key point of differentiation is not the players but the manager. Who is Bayern going to hire that will do a better job than he has for Leverkusen? There's a reason they wanted him in the first place. He is the difference.
I really wanted him here, but I can't fault him for wanting to continue a fantastic project he has developed there.
Yeah, and also the guy is just 42. He could manage for +30 years if he wants to. There will be plenty of opportunities for him, if he continues to prove his quality.
I know what you're saying, but i dont agree. If Utd went in for Emery or Watkins for example, i think they'd want to move, even though Villa are currently a better side. Utd are far bigger and despite on-field performance it would still be a major pull for players/managers. We could (and likely will) miss out on top 4 but we've still more pull than a Villa. See earlier example of Kante Leicester/Chelsea.
Is Keys take really that terrible?
Yes. He's pretty clearly backing himself to take the Madrid gig after Ancelotti goes, and that's the biggest job in football.
But yeah he 'lacks cojones' for not going to fecking Liverpool right now this second.
Watkins and Kante have not made life-altering money like Alonso has. At the respective points of their careers, they´d move to United or Chelsea for the money, not the allure of the bigger club. Bigger clubs generally just pay bigger wages.
Alonso has literally won everything. World Cup, European Championships, Champions Leagues, La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB Pokal. He is having one of the great seasons in European football history as a rookie coach. I think he´s pretty good at his job and making career choices.
Based on what?
But Villa are fighting for top 4, and a big reason why that's probably a one-off season for them, is that they have to compete with United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle. Bigger clubs (except City) with more resources. If Leverkusen don't let their squad get picked apart by Bayern and big clubs from abroad, their only real title rival will likely still just be Bayern Munich next season. And they are 13 points clear of them as it stands. If Villa were leading the league by 13 points, had a squad that keep mounting serious titles challenges for the next 2-3 seasons, and they could financially compete with the biggest clubs in the league, neither Emery or Watkins would be that tempted to leave. Leverkusen are in a much more comfortable and stable position, compared to Aston Villa.
Watkins and Kante have not made life-altering money like Alonso has. At the respective points of their careers, they´d move to United or Chelsea for the money, not the allure of the bigger club. Bigger clubs generally just pay bigger wages.
Alonso has literally won everything. World Cup, European Championships, Champions Leagues, La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB Pokal. He is having one of the great seasons in European football history as a rookie coach. I think he´s pretty good at his job and making career choices.
This too. Alonso likely doesn't have financial motivation to take a bigger job, or at least it's a much smaller one.
For me, staying for 3-4 years, and winning 2-3 Bundesliga titles, with a potential deep CL run is actually a significantly better legacy, than bailing after two years, one title and letting my successor reap the rewards of my hard work.
Common sense, probably.
Based on him currently being able to take whatever job he fancies, and of the clubs he has ties to, that's the one he'd have to wait a year for?
Seems much more plausible than him being too scared to manage a big team, or whatever shite Keys is trying to peddle.
I'd call it a possibility. I wouldn't say it's 'clear'
Just as likely that he is too afraid to step up to a Liverpool/Bayern at this stage in his career.
Nothing wrong with that either.
Well no, he can take what jobs are available.
Just because he doesn't want to leave Leverkusen right now doesn't automatically mean he clearly wants to manage Madrid.
Oh absolutely! Nothings clear in football. I do think he’s waiting for that job but you’re right, doesn’t mean he gets it. Could have a horror season where his stock drops a tonne!
Exactly
At the very least it's faux macho bullshit to question his "cojones" for deciding to stay on and see if he can replicate this season, while also taking his team into the Champions League.
I don't disagree but I think it does show a little lack of ambition although you have to praise his loyalty at the same time.
I think it is perfectly fine to stay, but there is one risk: other clubs buying your best players. Then he will look pretty bad staying there.
I don't know. He has a chance to build on his achievement, work more with the same players, get another years experience under his belt, try himself in the Champions League, etc. There's plenty of challenges in staying as well, and he doesn't have to uproot his family for another year.
Again, if he is good enough for Real Madrid, Liverpool, etc. now, he will also be good enough for them in 1-2 years. And then the opportunities will come.
Lack of ambition? He's about to end a decade long streak of Bayern titles and has not yet played CL with his current team. If anything, staying at Leverkusen is overcinfidence verging on megalomania!
Agreed.
Planning the future of your managerial career with the Real Madrid job having the biggest influence in your decision making is not that smart IMO. A lot can change in 12-24 months, and even if you get the job, your position is never that safe, no matter how well you do.
If he fails at Madrid he can still manage Liverpool or Bayern in the future, vice versa not so much
Aye, he has forged a brilliant team there and it's quite refreshing that he wants to finish what he's started rather than jumping ship at the first opportunity.
Staying at Leverkusen may also cost him the Madrid job if he bombs next season and Bayern decides to wake up.
Watkins and Kante have not made life-altering money like Alonso has. At the respective points of their careers, they´d move to United or Chelsea for the money, not the allure of the bigger club. Bigger clubs generally just pay bigger wages.
Alonso has literally won everything. World Cup, European Championships, Champions Leagues, La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB Pokal. He is having one of the great seasons in European football history as a rookie coach. I think he´s pretty good at his job and making career choices.
Come off it, Watkins would never need to work a day in his life again if he retired tomorrow, nothing to do with life changing money.
Agree he is good at making career choices, definitely cant argue with that, my point was that i was surprised that he didnt move, not that he made the wrong choice!
Agreed.
Also, Keys is contradicting himself. He’s literally questioning the size of Alonso’s balls (which is strange in itself) while saying he’ll never get this chance again. Alonso is clearly confident his career will be long, successful and full of opportunities like those on offer now.
I actually think you have to truly back yourself to refuse offers that come too early (like Lampard to Chelsea, for example).
It has been said that Alonso really thinks over his career moves. That is actually a good sign, rather like you said Lampard, Rooney thinking because they were good players they could just be good managers. Especially the likes of Lampard who apart from Derby seemed to walk into PL jobs. I would not want to be the manager after Klopp.
It's probably a sensible move by Alonso.
Are Leverkusen a selling club? What are their finances like?
Perhaps he thinks he can convince some key players to stay for a season in the Champions League.
If it all goes to pot next season though, will the Madrid job still be available for him though?
Are Leverkusen a selling club? What are their finances like?
Perhaps he thinks he can convince some key players to stay for a season in the Champions League.
If it all goes to pot next season though, will the Madrid job still be available for him though?
Not true with Liverpool. They would not go back in for him if he chose Bayer friggin Leverkusen then Madrid over them. This ship has sailed.
What nonsense. Your club would jump at the chance to hire him however he left Madrid.
No they wouldn’t.
Ancelotti's contract is until 2026 so this is not about waiting an extra year to move to Real Madrid.
They went back in for Klopp after he rejected them in 2012 to stay at Dortmund.