As Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen booked their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League, parallels with the managerial career of his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard were plain to see.
Alonso's team impressed away at Union Saint-Gilloise, winning 4-1 in Belgium to book their place in the final four. The Bundesliga side are now unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, and can secure a spot in the final in Budapest if they're able to overcome Jose Mourinho's Roma.
This time last year, a Rangers team built by Gerrard was in the same situation, securing an extra-time triumph against Braga en route to an eventual spot in the final, but the former England midfielder wasn't involved, having left for Aston Villa earlier in the season.
Gerrard's stock has fallen over the past 12 months while his former colleague's has risen, elevating Alonso in the conversation around Jurgen Klopp's long-term replacement in the Liverpool dugout.
Alonso, who played for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich after leaving Liverpool in 2009, was strongly linked with the Borussia Monchengladbach job when Marco Rose was poached by Borussia Dortmund. He instead opted to bide his time, though, and has been rewarded.
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“I’m very happy with how things are going,” Alonso said after turning down Gladbach and instead remaining on the coaching staff at Real Sociedad - the club where he began his playing career. “I have had great communication with the club and I want to keep growing and helping with this project.
“These have been two very enriching years for me for me and the club. We still have higher aspirations and a lot in front of us to fight for."
The 41-year-old led Real Sociedad's B team to promotion in 2021, but couldn't keep them afloat in the Segunda Division. "Xabi Alonso will not continue at Real Sociedad next season, but the doors of the txuri urdin club will always remain open to bring our paths together again," a club statement read.
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Xabi Alonso has led Bayer Leverkusen to the Europa League semi-finals (Federico Gambarini/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)As Alonso took his time waiting for the right job, Gerrard's bright start at Villa Park was quickly getting extinguished. When the Basque found that opportunity, replacing Gerardo Seoane at the BayArena in October, the former Liverpool captain was in the midst of a run of one win in nine games which would see him lose his job.
"In my discussions with the club it quickly became clear that, despite the currently difficult situation, ambitious goals are still being pursued in principle," Alonso said after taking the reins. "I am very excited about this task and I am sure that we will live up to this claim."
Leverkusen were in the Bundesliga's relegation places when Alonso took over, and four points from the new man's first four games didn't lift them entirely out of trouble. Five straight wins did the trick, though, and a return of 39 points from 20 games means they have been the fourth-best team in the competition during his tenure behind RB Leipzig (40), Borussia Dortmund (42) and Bayern Munich (44).
There are parallels here with Villa's resurgence under Unai Emery, with the Midlands side keeping pace with the Premier League's top two. All of this takes a big selling point out of Gerrard's arsenal and leaves it firmly in the back pocket of the man who starred alongside him when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005.
Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa struggles saw his stock fall (PA)Quality on the pitch is never a guarantee of success in the dugout, but certain players seem better suited than others to the transition. Indeed, as Alonso was confirmed as Leverkusen's manager, former Germany star Lothar Matthaus was left with no doubt about the ex-Bayern midfielder's future.
"As a player, he was a bit the coach's extended arm. The one who led the orchestra," Matthaus said. "He wasn't a speaker, but he was intelligent. He smelled the situation, he positioned the players on the field."
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Matthaus' former Bayern team-mate Stefan Effenberg hedged his bets a little, though. "As a personality and because of his experience, Xabi Alonso is a big win for the Bundesliga, but big names alone do not guarantee success," he explained.
Part of Alonso's skill has come in finding fluency from a group of players who had struggled to show it under Seoane. Jeremie Frimpong's reputation continues to rise after Premier League links, while Florian Wirtz - a full German international at 18 - has averaged a goal or assist every 105 minutes since returning from a cruciate ligament injury.
Leverkusen have gone from a relegation fight to a European push under Alonso (Federico Gambarini/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Liverpool, of course, are not on the lookout for a new manager just yet. Klopp has no plans to leave, with the Jude Bellingham transfer frustration changing nothing for the Borussia Dortmund manager.
"You want to suggest I quit here and wait for the next top job? Really? This is my club,” Klopp said in a defiant reaction to the Reds' situation.
"What you want to know is as I sit here, am I angry that we can’t do this or that. No I am not. I am not, I don’t agree all the time with everything we do…but I am employed here.
“I am not here to be angry about things that will work out or not. If I am angry we don’t all of a sudden have more money, or the resources to do everything. So it’s rubbish (to get angry), it’s not ok - I’m too much of a professional."
Considering the messages sent so far in Alonso's career, this can be seen as a positive. He gives the impression of a man determined to take his time and build things, rather than rushing from one job to the next.
Were Klopp to go right now, Alonso may well feel it's too early to return to Anfield, especially given the quality and growth in the young squad he has overseen for the last six months. If he continues down his path, though, he may well be first on Liverpool's list when the moment comes to find someone to lead their next chapter.
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