Liverpool tie with Sion

A dull 0-0 game with very few highlights allowed Jurgen Klopp's side to top their Europa League group while FC Sion qualify for the knock-out rounds in their very first European tournament.

Despite a near mis-hap from Simone Mignolet in the first minute, Liverpool controlled the possession in the opening of the match and had a great chance when Brad Smith crossed the ball to Divock Origi who failed to finish. The Belgian was unmarked and coughed up a very good chance which should have been converted.

Liverpool were quite happy to give possession to FC Sion and the Swiss side were struggling to do anything with it. The game wasn't played at a particularly fast pace during the first half with both sides happy to let the other take take the initiative. Sion had a few half chances but Origi had another chance but the defender covered and blocked expertly.

Liverpool had another good chance when Adam Lallana skipped by a few Sion challenges into the box, but was starved of options and the chance petered out. The chance was created down the left by Ben Smith's overlapping runs and James Milner. This is where Liverpool could get in behind the Swiss defence but the end product was often lacking.

It was a pretty dull first half, with neither side really pressurising each other. Liverpool were already qualified while Sion only needed a point to guarantee qualification.

There was virtually nothing to report on in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the arrival of Philippe Coutinho was imminent and the Brazilian had every opportunity to conjure something up in the free number 10 role. Recovering after a four week lay off, Coutinho would want to lay down a marker for future matches.

Sion had several set pieces most of which were wasted poorly. One was a training ground routine which allowed a Sion player to remain unmarked and attempt to get a decent ball in but it came to nothing. Origi had a chance when the ball was slid through to him. With the keeper baring down on him, the Liverpool man had to try and take the ball around him but the keeper got hands and diverted in elsewhere.

Coutinho broke through the middle in between the defence and midfield, and slid Roberto Firmino through but the first touch from his fellow countryman was poor and the ball rolled harmlessly out for a goal kick. Inside the last 10 minutes. Smith once again broke down the left before hitting a teasing ball into the box. Origi failed to get any meaningful contact on the ball as the keeper clutched to it harmlessly.

It was a game with a draw written all over it and I probably should have guessed this from the standings before the match. Needless to say that it finished 0-0, but the Swiss supporters were incredible as they witnessed their side qualified for their first ever knockout round in Europe.

The Most Wanted Man in Europe

The news that Jurgen Klopp was resigning at the end of the season has shocked everyone and has left Dortmund fans significantly disappointed after he was backed by higher powers after a horrific start to the season.
 

The 47 year old has confirmed that he will take a year out, before pursuing on another adventure, most likely in England, due to the man himself admitting that he won't need to learn the language. It was a massive judgement call by the German manager, and he will now have the decision as to where he will venture in the next year. He has been linked to many English and European jobs in the past and these rumours will only intensify after his recent decision. Here are some sides that could be in with a chance of securing him as their future boss.
 

Napoli

When appointed in 2013, Rafa Benitez was expected to continue the improvements the Neopolitan club made under Walter Mazzari the four years previous. After the sale of Ezequiel Lavezzi in 2012 and Edinson Cavani in 2013, Benitez was expected to invest wisely and improve Napoli's fortunes in the Serie A. He brought talents such as Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon from Real Madrid and Dries Mertens from PSV for a combined total of €60m so far during his tenure as well as numerous other acquisitions. Benitez brought Coppa Italia glory last season as well as the Super Cup in August. Many have predicted that Benitez will be relieved of his duties in the summer if he does not show any improvement on last years 3rd place finish. Currently. they have been unable to topple Juventus at the top, who are running away with the league. Recent developments may have convinced the Neopolitan board to take a punt and attempt to bring Klopp to Naples.

Real Madrid
Although having delivered the long awaited La Decima to the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti is walking a tight rope onboard the fickle Real Madrid coach. It was reported that winning the Champions League was his saving grace last season, having been disappointing in the league with finishing behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Madristas don't take kindly to a season without silverware, and while they may look at his past exploits and ignore this season, a second season will not be accepted in the Spanish capital. Currently sitting 2 points behind Barcelona in the table and through to the semi finals of the Champions League, Ancelotti is in a healthy position, but so much can happen between now and the end of the season. I'm not sure whether Klopp would want to take on the challenge of managing Real Madrid, after all, winning trophies by playing attractive football is the only way to safe guard your job. Even at that, it's no guarantee that it will be a long term post.

Arsenal

Gooners have been calling for a Wenger replacement for the past few years. Minus the barren years, Wenger has been a terrific servant to Arsenal Football Club and I am almost certain that Klopp will be high on their list of possible successors. Arsenal will definitely need to show the same faith in Klopp that the Dortmund board did during the tough spell at the beginning of the season. If things get tough, and it will, another question would be whether the fans will keep backing the German? It was no secret that the Gunners have pursued Klopp in the past, and it really would not surprise me if the board has made an informal approach for the former Mainz and Dortmund man for the end of next season.

Manchester City
Having one the league for the second time in four years last season, many expected Pellegrini and City to kick on and try achieve some European glory. This was not the case, instead, they were dumped out in the first leg by Barcelona after, in hindsight, it looked as if Pellegrini had got his tactics wrong. City lie in fourth position, disappointing by the high standards set by the board and fans. It seems as if Pellegrini has served his time in Manchester and his time could reach an abrupt end once the season concludes. While Klopp is currently available, rumour has it that Pep Guardiola is the name mentioned at the Etihad. Still at Bayern, Pep will not leave for another season at the very least. Will City take a punt with Klopp or will they wait for Guardiola? I would probably say the latter is the most likely.

Liverpool
Last, but certainly by no means least is Liverpool. While I don't think Liverpool should part with Brendan Rodgers for any reason, it is a must to be included. Klopp would fit perfectly with Liverpool, considering the youth prospects he nurtured in Dortmund. With Liverpool having a decent number of young talent progressing through their ranks and poor results in the league may convince the American owners to part with Brendan Rodgers. Klopp isn't the only one wanted by Kopites, Rafa 'the Gaffa' Benitez is also remembered in Merseyside for his tremendous work with the side in the 2000s. Currently at Napoli, he would also be welcomed back at Anfield.

I can't assume that Klopp will have any difficulties in finding his new job, with guiding Dortmund to 2 league titles and leading them to the 2013 Champions League Final. However whether he will be as successful at his new club as he was in Germany is a completely different matter. He has confirmed that he will have a 'sabbatical' before hopefully returning to management in the summer of 2016.

Dortmund's Demise.

To be quite honest, I am astonished with the current situation at Borussia Dortmund. Sitting not-so-prettily in the relegation zone, it is safe to say that a dark cloud has shadowed over the Westfaldstadion.

Three wins in their opening four games in all competitions seemed like a solid start, one of which being a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in which they outperformed the opposition in all facets of the pitch. Since then they have only registered five victories and haven’t won since December 5th, before ending their duck yesterday. Even though things aren't hunky dory, it was still a bit of a shock to hear the players being booed off at the conclusion of their 1-0 home loss against Augsburg on Wednesday night. Regardless of this, the Powers Above have shown no evidence of removing Klopp from his managerial post.

The heights of 2013’s Champions League Final and the double winning side of 2011/2012 seem distant memory. The loss of vital players such as Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski have not helped the current situation. Much was expected of Shinji Kagawa’s return from the Theatre of Dreams, but even he was unable to prevent a disastrous start to Dortmund’s season. Similarly, the signings to replace the departures haven’t exactly set the world alight. Ciro Immobile, whom I am a big fan of, has only been able to record a measly 3 goals with a conversion rate of 12.5%. Last season Lewandowski recorded 20 goals with a significantly better rate of over 22%. Like Immobile, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has a conversion rate of just under 15%. Dortmund are missing their hitman.

Looking at the defence, it seems that confidence is the issue. If we consider that they have 4 World Cup winning defenders in their possession, it would shock us all, but considering that 3 of them failed to make a single appearance during the tournament we can now see why. Matthias Ginter and Eric Durm both are under the age of 23. Although they have potential, 2 youngsters are unlucky to be able to dig a club seeped in turmoil. Neven Subotic and Lukas Piszczeck are experienced operators so Klopp will be looking for them to aid and abed the youth within their ranks. Looking at Mats Hummels, he may well be considering his future at the German club with Manchester United reportedly interested in him.

That leads me onto another sticky situation that may face Jurgen Klopp in the future. If the unimaginable happens and 2011/2012 Bundesliga champions are relegated to the lower tier, he may well face the exodus of several pivotal players. Marco Reus has been forever linked with a move away and the reported suitors is a list the length of my arm. Pretty much every European 'giant' has been linked with the World Cup winner. As I have said previously, Mats Hummels is another sought after player. Status may begin to talk as teams could swoop in for the remaining talent in the likes of Nuri Sahin, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Ciro Immobile, however performances of late will do nothing to persuade clubs to invest in them. It will be interesting to see what happens if the side are relegated and if they don't buck up their ideas, the nightmare could become a reality.

On the bright side, they recorded a resounding 3-0 victory away to Freiburg yesterday, lifting them off the bottom of the table and also easing the pressure on Klopp. Dortmund need to take confidence fron this away result into future games, and they can certainly finish in a mid table position.

Top 10 Managers

The following managers contained in this blog are, who I think, the best managers in the world. They are not ranked in any particular order.

Carlo Ancelotti

Whoever says great players don't make great managers is lying. Carlo Ancelotti has won the league in France, Italy and England during his career and is art of a unique club of players that have won the Champions League as a player and a manager. He will be most known for his success at AC Milan from 2001-2009.  During his 8 years at the Milan club, Ancelotti won 8 trophies, most notably a 2007 Champions League victory over Liverpool. Now at Real Madrid, I expect him to be able to knock rivals Barcelona off their perch and reclaim the number 1 spot of Barcelona in the long run. A man that always instructs his team to play attacking football and forbids his team to take the foot off the gas deserves to be named in my top 10 managers.

Jose Mourinho

No top 10 managers list is complete without the self-proclaimed 'Special One'. Jose Mourinho's record speaks for itself. Arguably one of the most influencial managers in history, Mourinho has notched up no less than 20 titles and countless individual honours throughout his career. His finest hour would likely be the treble winning year of 2009/2010 at Inter Milan. At only 51 years of age, the man from Setubal is expected to gather even more titles. Personally, I will admit that he is one of the best managers in the world, even though I have a low opinion of him. Already, I would expect Mourinho to have his eyes on accumulating numerous trophies, in an attempt to surpass Sir Alex. 

                         

       

Jurgen Klopp

Nobody can forget the anger vented at the officials by Dortmund manager, Jurgen Klopp in a 2-1 defeat to Napoli, and the leaps and bounds he has brought the North Rhine side is incredible. He guided Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title in 9 years back during the 2010/2011 and followed that up with a league double the following season. Always instructing his team to play fast flowing, attractive football, Klopp has been a giant of the managing world over the past year, and deserves to be on my list as hopes to string together a run of good results in order to challenge Leverkusen for the second place.

       

Rudi Garcia

If anyone reading this post is a Serie A lover, then you will know why he is on this list. Out of nowhere, he has announced himself on managerial scene with aplomb by sending Roma to a 17 match unbeaten run. The Giallorossi have found themselves a surprise package this year lying in a respectable 2nd position behind Juventus. As for Garcia, his managerial success began at French club Lille when he claimed the domestic double in the 2010/2011 season as well as bagging the French Manager of the Year Award in 2011 and 2013. He has remodelled a team from the brink of turmoil to one challenging Juve for the Serie A title.

      

Diego Simeone

A highly decorated player and also a highly decorated manager. Renowned for his time in Atletico Madrid, he has delivered a myriad of trophies to a club that has been living in the shadow of their Real neighbours. A manager who utilizes his wingers to great effect, finds himself touted as the manager for the Argentinian National team. I rate Simeone exceedingly highly, as, although he doesn't have the finances or manpower as Barcelona or Real Madrid, he is adding another team to the short list of contenders for the Liga BBVA title.

       

Antonio Conte

A fantastic player and now a fantastic manager. At the age of 44, Antonio Conte is trying to replicate his illustrious playing career in the dugout as a manager. Currently working with the best team in Italy, Juventus, he has guided the 'Old Lady' to the last 2 Serie A titles and is on course to record a 3rd consecutive one. He has created a formidable Juventus side, using talented players Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba to name a few, that has every possibility of mimicking the days when the Old Lady was Champions of Europe. Juve through and through, the Italian is heading for a long time managing the Italian giants.

        

Louis Van Gaal

Having been educated in possibly the best traditions of the 'Total Football' by Ajax and the Netherlands in the 70s, it is to no surprise that he is a fanatical advocate of the fast, free-flowing football that we all love to watch. While being generally labelled a slow starter, he managed the all-conquering Ajax team of the early 90s. Often described as blunt towards the press, the Dutchman deserves recognition on my list of top 10 managers due to the numerous titles he has won at Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich. Currently in hi second spell as manager of the Netherlands, Van Gaal will be hoping for a better run in the World Cup compared to Euro 2012 and their failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

       

Arsene Wenger

A terrific servant to Arsenal FC, Arsene Wenger is the longest manager in charge of a club, currently in the Premier League. During his 17 years at Arsenal, he has amassed 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups and 4 Community Shields. Although regularly overlooked, he holds a Ligue One title and One Coupe de France trophy from his time at Monaco. Over the past few years, I feel his has been wrongly on the end of abuse from Arsenal fans at the lack of money spent. Even when he has not been spending money, the Gunners always find themselves in the Champions League positions, come the end of the season. Famed for his advocating of youth, Wenger now possesses a strong Arsenal team poised to challenge for the title.

       

Luis Felipe Scolari

While Luiz Felipe Scolari may not be on most people's top 10 managers list but he is definitely on mine. Famous for his short fuse and tantrums on the sideline, the 65 year old has managed a list of clubs and nations the length of my arm. 'Big Phil' has enjoyed success all over the world most notably, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and Brazil. Internationally, Scolari has enjoyed an array of success - and upsets. In 2002, he led a team with characters such as Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, to a World Cup, before enduring the shock of the century with Portugal, losing in the Euro 2004 final to Greece. At a club level, Scolari has won the Copa do Brasil on numerous occasions and also the Brazilian equivalent to the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores.

      

Fabio Capello

A manager that is almost forgotten about on Top 10s, is the Russian National team manager, Fabio Capello. A proven player and manager, Capello holds a trophy cabinet that most fans would die for. Managing no less than 5 clubs, the 67 year old has won numerous Serie A titles, La Liga titles, Supercoppa Italiana and the prized UEFA Champions League with AC Milan. In addition to this, he won the Serie A Coach of the Year in 2005 and BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year award in 2009.

Those are my opinions on the best managers in the world currently. Another manager that gets a glowing report from myself is fellow Ulsterman Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers honed his skills under the wing of Jose Mourinho and will no doubt feature on this list eventually, if he has a long, distinguished career on Merseyside.