Following Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Everton in the Merseyside derby the decision makers at Anfield decided that it was time to freshen things up. Brendan Rodgers was sacked with the club tenth in the Premier League and with just four wins in all competitions so far. Former Borussia Dortmund and Mainz manager Jurgen Klopp is the latest to be given the task of restoring Liverpool to the forefront of English and European football.
Klopp is one of football’s most likable personalities with a list of quotes to rival any in the sporting world. He has a charisma and charm that takes over the clubs and indeed the entire cities that he works in, and helps him get his players to truly buy into what he’s trying to accomplish. This enables him to draw out enormous effort from his squad which will be required as the Liverpool players adapt to Klopp’s system.
For Liverpool fans wondering what Klopp’s system is exactly, look no further than Liverpool’s remarkable, oh -so-close 2013/2014 Premier League season. High, energetic pressing to win the ball high up the pitch couples with fast and relentless transitions to attacking moves were staples of Klopp’s Dortmund side that won backtoback Bundesligas and a German Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final. The side did implode in their last season as they struggled to even qualify for the Europa League which has raised some serious question marks about the sustainability of Klopp’s blood and thunder style.
He does quite literally draw every ounce of effort he can from his players, and the biggest issues in that disappointing last season at Dortmund were to do with injuries and a jadedness apparent in the squad. He’s one of those managers that you feel would be better off if the game was played by robots so that his game plans weren’t scuppered by the physical limitations of his players.
That isn’t to say Liverpool can’t be successful under Klopp. They will need to acquire players in the next two transfer windows that are more suitable to his methods, and might have to cast off players with significant price tags to give him a squad he’s fully comfortable with. If they do this, Klopp is more than capable of making Liverpool not only a very fun team to watch, but one that can compete for important silverware. In his unveiling press conference Klopp said he was looking to win the league at least once in the next four seasons. That will be difficult, but so was his challenge at Dortmund. Looking at how he fared in Germany, Liverpool fans should be very excited.
Ryan Kirkman
Featured image: www.standard.co.uk