Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool | Carragher senses owls in the swamp: – Obviously he and Klopp are not friends

In the summer, Jürgen Klopp thanks himself as manager at Liverpool. The German took over as manager of the Anfield club in October 2015 and has led the Reds to what will probably be remembered as one of the club’s most successful periods in the Premier League era. until now.

The replacement looks set to be Dutch Arne Slot. According to the Daily Mail, the Liverpool management are now close to agreeing a package of around £13 million to buy the coach free from his current club Feyenoord. The agreement is said to be closely related.

The man behind much of what will happen in Liverpool in the next few years, however, is Michael Edwards. The former sporting director returns to the club in a new role and will work alongside the sporting apparatus to shape Liverpool further.

READ ALSO: Now Rashford is fed up: – Enough is enough

In addition, Richard Hughes will work as sporting director and Pedro Marques will have a role with the ownership group Fenway Sports Group.

– It’s obvious

Edwards was sporting director at the Reds for a long time, but abruptly left the job after the 2022 season.

Club legend Jamie Carragher does not think it was a coincidence and speculates that there is something more behind it than is known. He believes that for one reason or another, Klopp and Edwards were unable to work together further.

When Edwards quit in 2022, he only stated a desire to focus on new tasks in football.

– What is very interesting here is that Edwards was there with Klopp when he started. It is obvious that they have become unfriended for some reason. Many of those he brought in have also moved on, says Carragher in the podcast “Stick to Football”.

– Gets all the power

The news that Edwards is returning to Liverpool in a new role came shortly after Klopp announced his departure from the club.

– As soon as Klopp is gone, it’s as if “the band gets back together”. Something must have clearly happened behind the scenes. It seems that the owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) believe it is more important to get the structure back in the management, than who is the manager, says Carragher.

– It is completely unlikely that Edwards will not get all the power to run the club now, when he is back. He doesn’t even have the same role, he has been given a bigger role and they will also try to buy up other clubs, says the former centre-back.

READ ALSO: Mocked for appearance: – People think it’s tiring

Carragher believes Edwards’ return to Liverpool will have consequences for the more traditional managerial role.

– It worries me that in the future they will see the manager more as a coach, he says.

Referred to as “the brain”

Michael Edwards has often been singled out as the “brain” behind Klopp’s success at Liverpool. The number cruncher is among other things behind a number of successful signings for Liverpool, such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Georginio Wijnaldum, to name a few.

Edwards started his career as an analyst at Portsmouth, under Harry Redknapp, before later moving to Tottenham. When Damian Comoli became sporting director at Liverpool in 2010, he eventually brought Edwards with him on the move to the Beatles city.

Comoli’s time there was short-lived, but Edwards steadily worked his way up the system.

When Klopp took over at Liverpool in 2015, Edwards was quickly promoted to sporting director.