Next Liverpool Manager: Why De Boer is a viable Klopp alternative

Michael Lintorn
05 October 2015

Frank de Boer won an Eredivisie title in his first season as a coach, having inherited an Ajax side in fourth place

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Liverpool fans aren't sold on hiring someone who has only worked in the Netherlands, but Frank de Boer has many virtues...

"De Boer has won more league titles in his five years as a coach (four) than Ancelotti has collected in 20 (three) or Klopp in 14 (two), but isn’t held in as high regard because his success arrived in the less revered Eredivisie."

Betfair punters are convinced that Jurgen Klopp will be the next Liverpool manager, with the former Borussia Dortmund boss currently trading at 1.364/11 to replace Brendan Rodgers and 77% of the money staked on the market heading the 48-year-old's way.

However, as explained elsewhere on the site, 6.86/1 second favourite Carlo Ancelotti is a far more qualified and travelled candidate if he is interested in the position, while it is also arguable that 30.029/1 third favourite Frank de Boer has something to offer that neither of the frontrunners can.

The 112-cap Netherlands defender has won more league titles in his five years as a coach (four) than Ancelotti has collected in 20 (three) or Klopp in 14 (two), but isn't held in as high regard because his success arrived in the less revered Eredivisie and he hasn't enjoyed the same impact in Europe.

Yet if he is granted an interview by what he recently described as a "fantastic club" and a "fantastic environment to coach", he will be able to talk up his experience in assuming an underperforming giant in the middle of a season and instantly and dramatically improving their fortunes.

His first ever dugout adventure came when asked to step in at Ajax in December 2010, following Martin Jol's resignation. The Dutch behemoths hadn't been champions for seven years and didn't look likely to change that down in fourth place, and averaging a point per game since November.

The then-40-year-old was just meant to restore some respectability before a permanent successor was identified in the winter break, but victories away to AC Milan and Vitesse and at home to AZ Alkmaar - all without conceding a goal - made them realise that they were already onto a winner.

He was presented with a three-and-a-half year contract at the start of January and, in a rare example of a football caretaker proving fit for long-term purpose, maintained the momentum, with a league record of P17 W13 D2 L2 bringing a prompt end to Ajax's longest title drought in over half a century.

Neither Klopp nor Ancelotti have a top-flight mid-term transformation of this nature to hype up. The former did help Mainz swerve relegation after a late February appointment, though this was in the German second tier in 2001.

The Italian suffered the shame of inheriting a newly-rich Paris St-Germain side top of Ligue 1 in December 2011 and being overtaken by Montpellier, who avoided the drop by three points the campaign before.

Additionally, while De Boer lacks the Champions League triumphs or knockout-stage appearances of Carletto and Kloppo respectively, that is unsurprising given the recent struggles of Dutch teams on the continent.

Indeed, in that context, it is impressive that he has delivered wins over Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United and AC Milan, with his role as a coach for the Netherlands when they reached the final of World Cup 2010 further evidence of his ability to thrive on a global stage.

With the Reds a mere three points off the Champions League pace at present, they are rated 3.55/2 to achieve a top-four finish.