Watch: David Ornstein claims Liverpool could ‘think outside of the obvious’ in manager search

David Ornstein has suggested that Liverpool could make a ‘brave’ decision when it comes to appointing their next manager and might yet opt for someone beyond the ‘obvious candidates’.

The Athletic journalist spoke with NBC Sports about the Reds’ search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, claiming that Ruben Amorim – currently the hot favourite to take over from the German – is ‘not a shoo-in for the job’ and ‘not necessarily the top option’.

The reporter said: “Liverpool are looking at a number of options, no doubt. They are finalising their work on them and they will not be afraid to be brave and think outside of the obvious candidates or the popular names.

“They won’t be looking for applause; they’ll be looking to make the right decision for Liverpool Football Club based on the style of play – high tempo, energy, exciting brand of football.

“They’ll be looking for someone to connect with supporters and really energise them as well, somebody who has as good track record on injuries and player availability, and somebody who also will make sure that players will improve, lots of which has been done by Jurgen Klopp.”

Ornstein’s update conflicts with that of Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda, who claimed on Monday that Amorim is ‘the only name on Liverpool’s table to be the next coach’.

We’d be more inclined to go with the former, who’s established as one of the most trusted reporters in football, and the Reds had a tendency to execute left-field transfer signings during Michael Edwards’ previous spell with the club, many of which turned out to be masterstrokes.

We remain hopeful that a manager of Amorim’s track record will get the job, but it seems that the Sporting Lisbon boss mightn’t yet be nailed-on to take over from Klopp. We can only wait to see what develops over the coming weeks.

You can view Ornstein’s update on the Liverpool manager search below, via NBC Sports on YouTube: