Liverpool next manager: Edin Terzic has what it takes says former Reds star

Ever since the news of Jurgen Klopp's departure at the end of the season became public knowledge, the whole world and his dog have had an opinion of who should fill the soon-to-be-vacant hotseat.

While Xabi Alonso is the leading contender, there have been a host of other coaches linked from Roberto De Zerbi to Ruben Amorim.

Former Reds goalkeeper David James has now thrown another name into the mix: that of current Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic.

When asked by GGRecon who he thought should replace Klopp, James said: "I’ve already said that Edin Terzic, who I know personally, should be in the mix because of his Borussia Dortmund links, which is obviously similar to Jürgen Klopp."

Two spells at Dortmund for Terzic

The 41-year-old German, currently in his second spell with Dortmund, boasts a commendable track record, averaging two points per game in his initial tenure (during which he clinched the DFB-Pokal title in 2021), then 1.95 points per game during his current spell.

The first time around, he acted as interim manager until the end of the 2020–21 season after the sacking of Lucien Favre. He was then reappointed manager on a permanent basis after Marco Rose's departure at the end of the 2021–22 season.

“I believe Edin Terzic is a good option, and I really like him as a person, but I’m really sure that Liverpool would have a list of three or four candidates,” James added.

Renowned for his tactical versatility, Terzic's managerial style is similar to that of Klopp's, with an emphasis on relentless pressing and flank-based attacks.

"I know that Ange Postecoglou is a name that’s being mooted at the moment, but there could also be another potential replacement out there that nobody’s talking about," said James, in reference to Terzic, a one-time West Ham United assistant manager under Slaven Bilic.

Tough task to replace Klopp - James

Whether Terzic, or someone else, James believes that Liverpool have a tough task in replacing Klopp.

"The thing we have to understand with Liverpool is that Jürgen has shown how to handle the media in a way that doesn’t sensationalise anything. He’s so down to earth, honest and he doesn’t glorify anything, so the qualities he continues to display are qualities that a lot of other managers don’t have. I believe that Jürgen has a special skill," he said.

"For Liverpool, finding somebody who’s good with a football team is one thing, but finding someone as skilled as Jürgen with the media is another thing."

This is one area James feels that current favourite for the job, Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso, could struggle with.

James said: "He’s doing amazing things at the moment, but he’s only been a first-team manager for 18 months and he’s not got the longevity that Jürgen Klopp had before moving to Liverpool. Tactically he may be fantastic, but Liverpool may be unsure about whether he can deal with the media side of the job."

“I think that Liverpool would have had a succession plan for Jürgen, that would have started two or three years ago. As surprising as Jurgen’s announcement was for us all, I believe Liverpool would have already had something in place and whether Xabi was in that conversation from a couple of years ago is difficult to say."