Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is one of the most popular figures in and around the club at the moment. The German became Brendan Rodgers’ successor much to the surprise of everyone, and since the moment he walked through the doors at Anfield as manager he has seen a wave of constant support and awe in the way he goes about his job.
Of course, Klopp is a big name in the game of football thanks to the wonderful job he did at Borussia Dortmund, but that doesn’t necessarily always guarantee success and the support of an entire fan-base. However, you get the sense that at Liverpool he is almost untouchable as manager of the club, and is adored by not only fans but pundits too. You have to look long and hard to find a critic of the man, unless of course you look in the direction of some non-Liverpool fans who continually ask questions about the German’s ability.
As previously mentioned, Klopp’s record at Dortmund speaks for itself and the job he did there brought them back to the glory days – something they haven’t quite managed to replicate since he left. When Klopp joined Liverpool, there was a strong sense that he would bring the same sort of success to Anfield and put an end to their miserable wait to lift the Premier League trophy – but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
Liverpool are, and probably always will be title contenders year in year out. But they haven’t looked like a side that can genuinely win the league since the Brendan Rodgers side that came so close during the 13/14 season. The question is why, and why hasn’t Klopp had questions asked about his ability to manage in the Premier League yet by people within the club? In fact, the 50-year-old is as far as 50/1 to be the next manager in the Premier League to be shown the door by Liverpool, and there are a few surprising odds when checking out the different Liverpool betting markets at William Hill.
Brendan Rodgers’ tenure at Anfield lasted a little over 3 years, during which time he had a win record of just over 50%, something the club deemed to be not good enough – and rightly so. But when you consider that Klopp’s current record as boss has seen him win 48% of games, it does make you wonder whether or not the correct choice was made by the powers that be at Anfield.
But let’s go back to the original point, how come despite Klopp’s record being worse than his predecessor he is continually backed and praised by everyone at the club – with not even a slight hiccup of doubt surrounding his future? You only have to look at Jose Mourinho to see why this is such a strange occurrence, even with the Portuguese’s history against Manchester United, he became boss of the club and despite finishing 6th in the league seemed to have the majority of support from fans and even pundits. But as you can see, his second season hasn’t gone quite so swimmingly. Currently 2nd in the league and top of his Champions League group, questions are being asked about Mourinho and a section of fans are already calling for his head. So what is so different for Klopp and indeed Liverpool?
One could argue that perhaps the Liverpool fan-base isn’t as ‘fickle’ as Manchester United’s, but equally a United fan might then argue that his side strive for more success than their Merseyside rivals hence the need for the absolute best at the club – so we will leave that out the equation.
There are many reasons why Klopp is so loved at Liverpool, and the answer to why he hasn’t had much to answer for internally at the club is simple. Yes, he hasn’t produced any silverware and he hasn’t mounted a serious challenge for the title as of yet. But the signs are all there for the world to see, he is building a team that is quite clearly going to become something special in no time at all. Many have already pointed out just how good Liverpool’s attack is, some might argue it is one of the best in the country – the rest will argue it is a close second. Not just that, but Liverpool’s style of football is unbelievably entertaining to watch on their day, and but for a few defensive frailties the Reds would almost be the complete package.
The youth ranks at Anfield is another thing that has been hugely impressive since Klopp began his role as manager. We have seen a number of starlets knocking on the first team door, as well as possessing an already youthful team in the first place. The future is certainly bright at the club, and there is a strong belief that Klopp is the right man to nurture that talent and get the best out of what he has in front of him.
What’s more, Klopp managed to hold onto Philippe Coutinho in the summer. Of course the player perhaps wanted to leave Anfield, and maybe he eventually will. But it says a lot about a manager who not only keeps hold of a player who wants out, but also gets him back into the team and playing just as good as he was prior to all the speculation.
Jurgen Klopp is one of the most exciting manager’s in world football, and certainly one of the most exciting manager’s we have seen at Anfield in some time. There will always be questions from outside the club as to why the Reds have stood by the German, but the answer to all the doubts that surround him is that he has brought the fear factor back to Liverpool, and there is a genuine sight in the distance as to how good this Liverpool side can be with the progression Klopp is bringing.
The phrase ‘this year is our year’ has been joked about with Liverpool over the years, with plenty of hope going into a new season being quashed fairly soon after it begins, but Klopp has brought with him an aura that says anything can happen – and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if this Liverpool side do conjure up something unexpected come the end of the season.