Replacing a legend is difficult. Even if that legend has lingered too long, even if he has stayed beyond the scope of his powers, coming next is an almost impossible job. David Moyes could not follow Sir Alex Ferguson. Unai Emery could not follow Arsène Wenger. Brian Clough could not follow Don Revie.

When there has been a successful transition it has tended to come from within. George Allison continued Herbert Chapman’s work at Arsenal. Dave Mackay took the Derby Clough had built to another league title.

But there are no guarantees, as Wilf McGuinness discovered trying to follow Matt Busby at Manchester United. Liverpool did it best, the Boot Room tradition stretching all the way from Bill Shankly through Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan to Kenny Dalglish.

Modern football makes such continuity extremely difficult and, unless Liverpool had decided Pep Lijnders was the man – and given his stint at Red Bull Salzburg, no one is suggesting he was – there was no obvious internal candidate to step in when Jürgen Klopp departed.

How, then, could a measure of continuity be achieved? By barely changing the squad at all. The only arrival in the summer of 2024...