Liverpool

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Liverpool have confirmed left-back Owen Beck will rejoin Dundee on loan.

The 21-year-old returned to Anfield in early January having made 20 appearances for Tony Docherty’s Scottish Premiership side in the first half of the season.

Beck featured for the Reds in the 4-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth, but will now go back to Dundee until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

The Wales youth international joined Liverpool's academy at under-13 level and has previously had spells with Famalicao in Portugal and Bolton Wanderers in League One.

Is Xabi Alonso too much of a "rookie" to take on the Liverpool job?

Monday Night Club's Chris Sutton feels Jurgen Klopp was able to handle the pressures of such a significant role and that it could be a "gamble too far" to go for a young manager.

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Jordan Chamberlain, Empire of the Kop, external

Anfield had a strange feeling on Sunday. It was sad, but happy. A celebration of Jurgen Klopp and his brilliant new team that he has decided to leave before it reaches its potential...

However, there was also an atmosphere of mourning. Many Liverpool fans simply refuse to believe it is really his time. His name will be sung at every Anfield match until his departure, whether he likes it or not.

He has got four months left of course. February, March, April and May. Then, no more Klopp. It does not sound right. It is going to take a long time to sink in.

Thankfully, Klopp's Reds showed professionalism and a continuation of the footballing rhythm they are enjoying to down Norwich. It was a 5-2 procession. Liverpool have been faultless in 2024, and what is more, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson all returned from injury. Hopefully Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo will be close behind.

The inexperienced Reds have coped superbly without them.

Curtis Jones is really, really good. So are Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley. Darwin Nunez is playing easily his best football since arriving. How will these young players and all the others cope without Klopp? Will next season's manager give them chances, or will a new tactical approach even suit them?

Does Klopp really have to go so soon, when Liverpool look like maybe the best team in the country?

Apparently so.

Liverpool Youth Academy graduate and current Leicester City defender Conor Coady believes the Reds have a big decision to make following Jurgen Klopp's departure.

"I think Jurgen Klopp has made the club a philosophy," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"It's so interesting to see now who they go with. Do they keep that style of play? Do they keep the way Klopp's had them for the last nine years?

"It's whether they want to go rebuilding or go down the same route again. It's an interesting time for Liverpool."

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton and New York Times journalist Rory Smith have been discussing Jurgen Klopp's decision to step down as Liverpool manager on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

Sutton believes Klopp's departure at the end of the season will be the "end of an era" for the Reds, while Smith believes the boss is leaving "on his own terms".

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BBC Scotland's Jane Lewis

Dundee will have Owen Beck back for the second half of the season, with the Liverpool left-back expected to complete another loan deal.

The Wales Under-21 international spent the first half of the campaign at Dens Park, making 20 appearances and scoring twice.

Beck, 21, arrived at Dundee's training ground on Monday and was greeted by supporters.

While back at Liverpool, Beck featured as a late substitute in the recent Premier League win over Bournemouth.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty said earlier on Monday: "Obviously there's only two teams he can play for - it's either Liverpool or Dundee. I would love it if it was Dundee because you know the effect Owen Beck had on the club and the fans.

"If we had any opportunity to get Owen back we would jump at the chance because he was such a pivotal player for us in the first period of the season."

BBC's Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Victoria Gaskin, West Kirby asked: Simple question. Who should succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool?

Phil answered: Morning Vicky. Simple question but a complicated answer.

The name that jumps out, to me and everyone else it seems, is Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. He ticks so many boxes. Alonso was a Champions League winner at Liverpool, revered as a world-class player at Anfield and is now building a huge reputation by taking Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga.

Alonso also, and this is significant, knows what makes Liverpool supporters tick, knows the city and knows what drives this emotional club. He would be warmly received as a successor to Jurgen Klopp even though his managerial career is in its infancy really.

We’ve seen this connection with support matters with personalities like Klopp, and also those who didn’t make it like Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers, even though he almost won the Premier League at Liverpool.

Who else? Well certainly Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi, who is proving to be an outstanding manager playing superb football. Not quite sure someone like Julian Nagelsmann is right but the process will be well under way.

So, for now, I would say Alonso but it will be a fascinating few months.

We asked for your thoughts on Sunday's goal-fest between Liverpool and Norwich in the FA Cup fourth round.

Here are some of your views:

Jason: A very good performance from everyone. Pick of the players for me were Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and James McConnell who, for me, should've been given man of the match. Klopp has been a revelation since joining Liverpool and let's hope the players dig in just that little bit more to win the Premier League and all of the cups we're in. Let Klopp go out in style.

Tracy: Tactical precision play by the Reds which sees us into the fifth round of the FA Cup. Great respect and love to Klopp as our manager who has installed a lasting belief and confidence into Liverpool Football Club and at academy levels. What a legacy to leave us with. What a legend. Keep going Reds.

Marilyn: Fantastic match! Great to see the youngsters who look like they are enjoying every second. There were tears in my eyes for our great manager. Just win everything for him boys!

Asa: I'm really impressed with the young kids coming through. Conor Bradley deserved man of the match, but I thought James McConnell was outstanding on his first start. It was great to see [Andy] Robbo and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] back as well. Good times.

Willow: Great win for the lads. Conor Bradley is going from strength to strength. Good to see [Andy] Robbo and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] back.

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Graham asked: Hi Phil, Darwin Nunez was on the scoresheet again for Liverpool. How near do you think he is to the finished article?

Phil replied: Great question, Graham.

I think Nunez has loads of ability and his stats alone tell you what an impact he has on games. Not one goes by (not that I can remember anyway) where he does not have influence of some sort.

The big question is around his finishing, which can be wayward, but I honestly think this is just part of the overall package of a player bursting with pace, energy and a genuine knack for causing chaos.

If by “finished article” you mean finishing, then I’m not sure we will ever see Darwin Nunez finishing in the cold, calculating manner of a Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush or Mohamed Salah.

He is just not that type of player but I’ve seen enough to say he will score and create many, many goals during his Liverpool career.

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Ian Dennis, BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter

Bournemouth's technical director Richard Hughes has emerged as a primary candidate to become sporting director at Liverpool.

Hughes, who is rumoured to be leaving his role at Bournemouth in the near future, is known to be a friend and close associate of Liverpool's former sporting director Michael Edwards.

The 44-year-old has developed a good reputation during his time at Bournemouth where he was pivotal in integrating the new ownership at the club.

Liverpool announced on Friday that current sporting director Jorg Schmadtke will depart Anfield at the end of the January transfer window.

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Former Liverpool Goalkeeper David James has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about Jurgen Klopp's departure from Liverpool at the end of the season: "The way Klopp dealt with the media in the press conference after the video announcement just underlines what an amazing character he is.

"I think the succession plan will already be in place. I think the club will know who they are going for, they have probably known 18 months ago.

"How are they going to get a manager that can deal with the media as well as Klopp?

"I think Edin Terzic at Borussia Dortmund should be the next manager. He’s the type of guy that can speak properly and handle the media. Whether he’s good enough in Liverpool’s eyes is another question.

"I think the media bit is the most important because nobody has got anything on Klopp from what he says after a game, how he’s reacted, how he’s dealt with things and, when he’s had to deal with problems, he's always dealt with it in a manner that is surprising in a positive way."

Xabi Alonso has emerged as hot favourite to become the next Liverpool manager following Jurgen Klopp's shock decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

A former Anfield favourite - he scored in their Champions League final win in 2005 - Alonso has enjoyed spectacular success at Bayer Leverkusen, who sit two points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga and are in the knockout stages of the Europa League after an unblemished group-stage campaign.

Leverkusen have always told Alonso, both privately and publicly, they would not stand in his way if a chance to join one of the elite clubs in Europe came his way. There is no buy-out clause in his contract.

Nothing has changed. His plan has always been the same. The idea has always been that if things went well then the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool would be a possible next step, while if things went less well then there would always be the chance of returning to his hometown of San Sebastian and Real Sociedad.

But there is still a lot to be discussed and the only certainties are that despite all the talk and speculation, Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen have unfinished business this season - and he will not be affected by the noise.

Alonso, and nobody else, will decide when it is time to leave Bayer Leverkusen.

Read Balague's column here

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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha says he hopes departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp "enjoys his leaving tour" after the Reds swept aside Norwich City 5-2 in the first match since he announced his summer exit.

The German manager announced his decision to step down at the end of the season on Friday.

"This game mattered because it was the first chance everyone had to celebrate and it was at home," Onuoha told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Seeing the younger players go out there and do their thing, you can see he's leaving the club in good hands.

"They've got to focus, they've got big games coming up. They've got a game against Arsenal which is huge. The emotion will be there when he potentially lifts a trophy in a months time in the League Cup final. Maybe that's the moment he can show the happiness inside.

"I like listening to Klopp talk so I'm buying into it, I like the emotion. I think he's very, very important for what the Premier League is now and what Liverpool are now as well.

"I like it and I hope he can enjoy the leaving tour he's about to be on over the next five months. Wherever they go they'll be beating people anyway so fans of other clubs can clap him off and say 'hope I never see you again'."

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Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray has been discussing the likelihood that the Liverpool manager vacancy might change the plans of some European clubs who are also looking at managerial changes this summer.

"I do think it can change the planning for a number of big clubs in Europe who might be trying to get a manager through the door," Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"From the [Liverpool] manager point of view, there will be shortlists, I'm sure there are a lot of names in the hat already, I'm sure there have been a lot of conversations taking place.

"The way that Jurgen Klopp will leave that squad - which I think is future-proofed, ready to go again and ready to fight at the top of the Premier League - I think any manager would wait to see if they got the Liverpool job before accepting the Manchester United job."

The Daily Mail's Dominic King added: "That's spot on, Glenn. You've just made a really important point there about the state of the squad. A couple of years ago, during the Covid season, Liverpool had that sequence where they lost six home games on the trot and there was a lot of talk about whether Klopp was going to go.

"It was a terrible time and people were wondering at that point whether he'd had enough. He shot that suggestion down very quickly though. It happens with Liverpool, a rumour will start and the next thing you know, it has caught fire.

"The work that's been done over the last 12 months, in terms of the strikers and midfielders who have come in, he has lowered the age profile down incredibly. In the semi-final against Fulham, he basically put out an under-23s team.

"He's got the club in a perfect way, or in a perfect way as he sees it. But the change that's coming is just going to be incredible because it's going to be a completely new Liverpool."

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