Rafa Benítez holds his pupil Xabi Alonso in high regard, but also wonders to what extent the successful Bayer Leverkusen coach is being "hyped." Alonso is linked with Liverpool, with whom they won the Champions League together in 2005.
Alonso has made a strong impression with Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who remain undefeated in the league.
According to Benítez, now manager at Celta de Vigo, Alonso didn't excel in terms of technical ability but was tactically astute. "He was smart and analyzed a lot," Benítez told The Times.
Alonso is heavily linked with Liverpool, who are searching for a successor to Jürgen Klopp. Benítez believes Alonso is being hyped. "With social media, everything moves too fast. People don't analyze anymore and don't see the bigger picture. I can understand why Alonso is being mentioned a lot because he's doing well at Leverkusen, he's a big name, a good professional, and very smart, but imagine if Steven Gerrard were doing well now, everyone would push him forward."
"I think it's an advantage if you're a big name. It's not easy to go to a new country and be successful there too. He has the potential to be a very good manager, and if he has good players, he will be successful, but can he sustain that for five or ten years? I don't know," Benítez wondered. "Alonso can go to any top club now, but the supporters expect the title right away. And if you finish second, you might have had a great season, but people will say you failed."
Benítez also questions to what extent new managers are given the time to make changes. "There are too many good coaches who don't get the chance. In the past, you could make a mistake, learn from it, and then do better. Social media and the media can also influence you."
"Recently, there was a big game on TV in England. A fan brought a banner against the manager. The cameras picked it up, and it became a story in the newspapers. 'There are problems for this manager, look, a fan with a banner!' Thousands of fans, and they picked one," Benítez lamented.
