Mark Goldbridge: Xabi Alonso was ‘perfect’ for Liverpool job – I wouldn’t have Ruben Amorim over Erik ten Hag at Manchester United

Mark Goldbridge admits he doesn’t understand why Xabi Alonso chose to stay at Bayer Leverkusen rather than return to Liverpool.

The Manchester United fan and YouTube host has a theory as to why the Anfield favorite turned down a potential move to succeed Jurgen Klopp and offered his verdict on alternative Reds target Ruben Amorim.

“I really expected Alonso to take the Liverpool job, I was really surprised by it,” Goldbridge told talkSPORT.

“Liverpool are a young team and, although Klopp leaves at the right time for him, he probably leaves at the wrong time for the club because this could be a good team for a few years.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone to face Liverpool – unlike Man United when Sir Alex Ferguson left, because they were quite an aging team.

“I thought the Liverpool job was perfect for Alonso, to be honest, but I just think the Real Madrid job was offered to him – that’s my theory.

“Carlo Ancelotti is one more year, obviously Alonso played for Real Madrid, he’s Spanish and I think Madrid kind of told him: ‘Don’t take the job at Liverpool because if you go there you You’ll be in this job for years, so wait a year and we’ll take you.”

“The interesting thing to add about this is: what if in a year’s time Jurgen Klopp comes back to football and says, ‘I love the job at Real Madrid’? Alonso missed the boat.

“The Bayern Munich job was also there for him, and he didn’t accept it either, so I think Alonso had some sort of conversation about the Madrid job.

“I don’t really see the point in Leverkusen staying for another year. They will win the Bundesliga title this season, and maybe they can win it again next year, but we all know Bayern Munich will bounce back.

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“I think he’s waiting for Real Madrid. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.

Sporting Lisbon head coach Amorim has been touted as the new favorite to replace Klopp in the Liverpool dugout, although the 39-year-old recently rebuffed claims he has already held talks with the Premier League giants and struck a deal.

talkSPORT understands that Liverpool have been in contact with Amorim’s representatives but are yet to make direct contact with any of their targets, with the Sporting boss considered one of several possible candidates and nominations for the job.

Liverpool are focused on an in-depth search for Klopp’s successor, with Amorim a favorite.

Goldbridge says he is the ‘best of the rest’ with a shortage of world-class coaches to choose from, but admits he wouldn’t swap Amorim for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag despite continued difficulties of his beloved club under the leadership of the Dutchman.

“Liverpool have to do something and Jurgen Klopp is going to be a huge loss,” he added.

“Even as a Man United fan I respect what he did there, he has such a personality and this team will always be Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

“Whether you go from Klopp to Pep Guardiola, I would always think: ‘ooh, will this work?’, and Pep Guardiola is obviously a great manager. So they always had to go after someone and they had to be a little patient.

“It’s a big step forward for Ruben Amorim, but obviously Alonso isn’t going to go there and the market isn’t that good. Roberto De Zerbi would be a huge risk, Julian Nagelsmann probably would be too, so Amorim looks like the best of the rest and he has a style of football close to that of Liverpool with Klopp in terms of energy.

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“There’s a very good team there and it’s going to be intriguing with Liverpool next year. They could have a first year like Ange Postecoglou and challenge for the title – Tottenham have secured the Champions League but the title would be the equivalent for Liverpool.

“But, on the other hand, they could have a season like Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea where it just doesn’t work for the first year or so.

“I think Liverpool fans are smart enough to realize that they can’t expect to seamlessly leave one of the greatest managers they’ve ever had and carry on – that would almost be disrespectful to Klopp in assuming how easy it is. It’s not easy.

“I’m intrigued by how this is going to work, but I think Amorim is the right person to choose from the roster available right now.

“But I wouldn’t trade him for Ten Hag.” I wouldn’t trade Ten Hag for anyone right now.

“I think the players should go first and I think any project should last at least three years, and he only had two, so I’ll stick with what we have.”