Monday 5 October 2015 18:27, UK
Phil Thompson believes Liverpool made the decision to sack Brendan Rodgers on Sunday because they may already have a deal in place for a replacement.
Rodgers' departure was confirmed just hours after Sunday's Merseyside derby draw and Sky sources report that Liverpool have already been in contact with representatives of Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti,
A new man could be in the dugout before the Reds' next Premier League match - away to Tottenham on October 17 -and Thompson thinks the club likely have an agreement with former Dortmund boss Klopp or ex-Real Madrid manager Ancelotti.
"If Chelsea make a knee-jerk reaction with Jose Mourinho, who would they be looking at? Maybe Ancelotti again, certainly Jurgen Klopp would come into that," the former Liverpool defender and assistant manager told Sky Sports News HQ.
Klopp has the charisma and the character that I think all Liverpool fans would be delighted with.
"I think Liverpool have looked into that, and thought, 'My goodness, we have to make a move now'.
"I believe they have looked and probably already done the deal for it, and that is why they have made the decision [to sack Rodgers].
"Whether it's Klopp or Ancelotti, I think the deal will already be done, and they will just be making sure everything is in place."
Klopp and Ancelotti are the clear favourites to become the next Liverpool boss, and of the two managers, Thompson thinks the German would be the best fit on Merseyside.
"Klopp has the charisma and the character that I think all Liverpool fans would be delighted with," Thompson added.
"It's amazing when you look at what Dortmund did, yes they are a big club, maybe a bit in the mould of an Anfield with the flags and the scarfs. It fits the bill with Klopp.
"I'm pushing towards Klopp rather than Ancelotti now - Ancelotti likes to go into a football club that's maybe more of a finished article and help.
"Klopp fits the bill for Liverpool and I think he would relish it."
Reflecting on Rodgers' exit, Thompson questioned the timing of the decision - and feels fan pressure may have taken its toll.
"I'd been on Soccer Saturday, I'd been talking about giving Brendan Rodgers a bit of a chance - hopefully until December, before the January transfer window opens, to see if he can't turn things around," Thompson said.
"I know things have been extremely difficult; it's horrible at this time. When I was there with Gerard Houllier, the press, the media, everybody is all over it.
"So you feel for the guy. You want him to get a chance, but you realise when the results aren't going at a club like Liverpool, you need to turn it around.
"Seven games, I say that because the decision was made before the Everton game, I thought it was a bit surprising.
"Absolutely [fan opinion played a role in the decision]. The world we live in, the social media, the fans have their say. We have to listen to their opinion. As we know with [owners] FSG, they do like to interact.
"I don't think there was one [fan] that I spoke to over the last few weeks that actually wanted Brendan to be there.
"These guys in the USA are watching this, they are seeing the discontent among the fanbase. They know what happens next - people will stop coming through the gates, merchandise won't be selling, corporate will stop coming, the sponsors too - which are massive - they [FSG] know that could have a big impact.
"The main thing is the fan discontent, and they [FSG] have seen fit to make a decision sooner rather than later."
