Liverpool told to take lesson from Manchester United after Xabi Alonso blow

Liverpool have been warned they could suffer a similar decline to Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford.

That is the view of Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, who insists the Reds should be wary of who they appoint as their next manager.

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Jurgen Klopp announced in January that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso had been heavily linked with taking over from the German at Anfield.

However, he will remain at the Leverkusen for at least one more season, while Brighton boss Robert De Zerbi and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim are now the frontrunners for the Liverpool job.

“It is a big blow [to Liverpool not being able to recruit Alonso],” Parlour told talkSPORT.

The former midfielder then highlighted the Red Devils’ difficulties after Sir Alex retired in 2013.

United won a staggering 13 league titles during a glorious reign under the iconic Scotsman.

Since then, however, the club have gone through five different permanent managers and failed to challenge for the Premier League.

“It is difficult because you see their position at the moment; they have been challenging for trophies every single season, and it is a great job for someone,” Parlour added.

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“It will be a difficult job because we all know what happened when Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United.

“New managers came in and were struggling a little bit, and it probably will be similar with Jurgen Klopp because there is a lot of respect for the manager.

“There will be a few changes, but whoever gets the job has a very good young squad of players, and they have good experience as well.

“So it is interesting to see what happens with Liverpool. It is a blow, no doubt about that.”

The Reds’ focus, though, remains on the current season as they look to finish on a high.

Liverpool can still win a treble come the end of the campaign, and Klopp will certainly want to go out with a bang.