It would seem that barring any 11th-hour hiccups, Jurgen Klopp will soon be appointed the 20th manager of Liverpool.
The Anfield hotseat has been vacant since Sunday evening when after over three trophyless years at the helm, Brendan Rodgers was relieved of his duties.
Former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti was initially the early favourite to replace Rodgers, but Klopp soon emerged as the leading contender and if reports are to be believed, the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach could arrive at Anfield as early as Friday.
Managing such a big club will present a number of challenges for the 48-year-old, but what needs addressing immediately? Here, Sports Mole has selected five things that will be waiting for Klopp in his in-tray at the club's Melwood training base.
1. Identify a new goalkeeper
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Simon Mignolet made a dream start to his Liverpool career when on debut in 2013 he saved a late penalty from Stoke City's Jonathan Walters to secure a 1-0 victory for the Reds. But, since then, it's been largely downhill for the Belgium international.
Like so many goalkeepers in the Premier League, Mignolet is solid enough at stopping shots, but when it comes to dealing with high balls into the box, that is where he starts to spread nervousness throughout the team. There were a number examples of this last term, when he was in fact dropped for a spell by Rodgers, while this season he has been no more convincing, highlighted by the error that allowed Norwich City to return to Norfolk with a share of the spoils.
Of course Klopp can not recruit a new goalkeeper straight away, but he can at least identify one, even if he cannot be signed until the summer transfer window. Quite simply, if Liverpool want to be back challenging for the big honours under Klopp, they need someone between the posts that is capable of both commanding his territory and instilling confidence.
2. One up front?
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It may be lacking a true world class star of the ilk of Fernando Torres or Luis Suarez, but when fully fit and firing, Liverpool's four strikers are among the best quartets in the Premier League. Daniel Sturridge, now seemingly free from injury following a torrid 18 months, is the standout option, while Christian Benteke, Danny Ings and Divock Origi all offer something different.
But, how does Klopp go about incorporating them all, as well as keeping those on the bench happy? First, he must decide whether to play with two strikers or use a lone frontman.
At Dortmund, Klopp rarely strayed away from the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Robert Lewandowski the main striker between 2010 and 2013. Not only did it yield a return of two Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal triumph and an appearance in a Champions League final, it was a strategy that ended up being copied throughout Europe. Assuming that Klopp is going to stay true to his tactical beliefs, there could well be three disgruntled forwards most weeks.
3. Get the best out of expensive strugglers
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Whether they were purchased by Rodgers or the infamous Anfield transfer committee, Liverpool spent almost £300m during the Northern Irishman's tenure. At present, how many of those could be regarded as a success? Arguably two - Sturridge and Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, who cost a combined £20.5m in the winter of 2013. On a quick side note, the transfer committee may not be as much of a problem for Klopp as it was to Rodgers. After all, it's more of a continental approach and something that Klopp will have previously encountered.
Until January at least, Klopp is going to have to make do with the squad that he inherits, which includes Adam Lallana (£25m), Dejan Lovren (£20m), Mamadou Sakho (£15m) and Roberto Firmino (£29m). While it may be considered harsh to include the latter of those four players given that he only arrived on Merseyside in the summer, he, like the other three, have for one reason or another, struggled to justify their hefty price tags.
Klopp has a good track record of inspiring players to produce their best form, particularly those that have struggled elsewhere. Take Shinji Kagawa and former Liverpool loanee Nuri Sahin, who flourished under the German's wing, but were unable to produce the goods elsewhere. If some of the big-money arrivals are unable to produce the goods with Klopp in charge, their days at Liverpool could well be numbered.
4. Appoint a legend
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Klopp may have made a big impression in Germany, but he has never managed in the Premier League, which is a completely different animal to the Bundesliga. The pace and physicality can catch out even the most experienced of managers - just ask Louis van Gaal, who has openly admitted that he was surprised by certain aspects of the game in this country after he had taken charge of Manchester United.
Talking of Van Gaal, upon his arrival it was confirmed that Ryan Giggs would be his assistant. As a club legend it was a popular decision among supporters and probably also in the dressing room, but it also meant that Van Gaal had someone with a vast knowledge of the Premier League within his coaching ranks - something that would have been invaluable while the Dutchman adapted to the rigours of life in England's top flight.
There are options for Klopp to pick himself a similar sounding bound, with Robbie Fowler having already thrown his hat into the ring. A hero in the eyes of the fans, Fowler, who scored 184 goals over two spells with the club, could also be a useful asset to the strikers on the training ground. The ideal candidate, though, would have to be Jamie Carragher. The club's second highest appearance-maker has shown himself to have a very good understanding of the game in his role as a pundit alongside Gary Neville on Sky Sports. Whether he can be convinced to come out of the TV studio right now, who knows? But, it would be a real coup for Klopp if he could pull it off.
5. Win the big games
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Trawling through social media, internet forums and listening to radio phone-ins, it would seem that Klopp is a popular choice among the Liverpool faithful. Some have even already mentioned his name in the same breath as Bill Shankly, who guided the club to three First Division titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup.
However, that good feeling, as it does at most football clubs, will soon evaporate if results are not positive, particularly in the big games. In Liverpool's eight matches against last season's top four sides, they lost five times and won only once. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, but fell at the penultimate hurdle and also exited the Champions League in the group stages.
With regards to Klopp, he will not be granted much of a settling in period when you consider that before the end of November, Liverpool travel to Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as playing host to Southampton and Alan Pardew's high-flying Crystal Palace. Bad results in the majority of those games will not end his reign, but looking ahead to the long term, it could define it, which goes to stress the significance of him getting some early wins on the board.
Liam Apicella
