As Liverpool search for their next manager, there have been numerous names suggested by pundits.
The job of following what Jurgen Klopp has achieved at Anfield is a daunting one, and with Xabi Alonso out of the running there’s no outstanding candidate.
As a result, Liverpool are themselves said to be working off a five-man shortlist right now. In the media though, names not on this list have been mentioned, too.
Virgil van Dijk has today outlined exactly what qualities are needed for a coach to be considered worthy of the top job at Anfield. Some of the names put forward can be dismissed based on this criteria.
One who perhaps should not be is Wolves manager Gary O’Neil. The 40-year-old was recently ‘thrown out’ by Troy Deeney as someone who could be a possible dark horse for the position.
What has been said about Gary O’Neil
While O’Neil is still in the early stages of his coaching career, he is someone worth considering. He did good work at Bournemouth last season before stepping up even further at Wolves.
Clearly, having been part of the Cherries coaching team since 2020, O’Neil will also be familiar with new Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes. The former Portsmouth midfielder is also an ex-employee of the Reds, having spent time at Kirkby as a youth team coach.
Despite these positives though, there are some drawbacks to O’Neil. In quotes from BBC Sport back in February, the Wolves boss was caught moaning about the current financial restraints on his team. And according to Peterborough United owner Darragh MacAnthony, FSG at Liverpool would not stand for such comments.
“What my advice to him would be is keep doing what you are doing, stop talking about what you don’t have, stop talking about what your owners can’t give you and keep upsetting the odds,” MacAnthony told TalkSPORT.
“Do that and I promise you, you will go all the way to the top.
“Sit there every other press conference, whinging and moaning about what you don’t have, you can’t buy a striker and woe is me. Trust me, that won’t go over well particularly at bigger clubs you want to get jobs at. Liverpool owners don’t like criticism.”
Is Gary O’Neil in the picture at Liverpool
We completely agree with MacAnthony’s comments here. Not only is the Irishman a current owner, so has perspective on these things, he’s also a life-long Liverpool supporter. He’ll know better than most how FSG would view these kinds of complaints.
Nevertheless, we can’t say that O’Neil would be, or is, in the running for the Reds at the moment anyway.
He is doing a tremendous job at Wolves and looks like he could one day take over at one of the country’s better clubs. But it’s too early for him to be considered at Anfield.
However, as MacAnthony says, if he wants to be on the lists of bigger sides in the future, then these comments could come back to bite him.