STEVE Heavy-metal Klopp will be impossible act to follow ...only he can turn volume right up to 11!
OBSERVING Jurgen Klopp as time ticks away on his Anfield reign is comedy and tragedy rolled into one.
No laughing matter for Liverpool fans, maybe, but for the rest of us it is pure theatre that simply shows, whatever colours you wear, we will all miss the manic German when he says farewell in May.
For as Klopp antics go, his touchline performance against Burnley yesterday was a masterclass – and arguably for the neutrals more entertaining than the way his side edged past the Clarets.
From the start, Klopp clearly felt the need to let Anfield know he was in this title fight every bit as much as his players.
Shouting, gesticulating and cajoling, Klopp knew his patched-up team, missing a
See pullout host of regulars, needed his complete backing.
And when the intensity dipped towards half-time, as the Reds led by Diogo Jota’s 14th goal of the season, Klopp served to wake up his side by getting booked for a rant at fourth official Thomas Bramall and referee Tim
Robinson. He wasn’t finished there, though.
Second half, with bared teeth, he called on the Liverpool fans to pump up the volume, then hilariously fell over while protesting at an assistant referee’s line call.
It was Klopp at his fullvolume heavy-metal best, living every moment in the closing chapter of his unforgettable Merseyside reign.
And proving once again that, in every respect, he is going to be a near-impossible act to follow.
Few managers can have such an impact and influence on their teams as Klopp.
And as he bids to exit English football with perhaps his greatest achievement – and with 14 games left now to win a second Premier League title – he understands better than anyone the part he has to play.
With Manchester City temporarily assuming the lead at the summit after their lunchtime win over Everton, Klopp’s men started the game needing all the help they can muster to hold off the Pep Guardiola juggernaut.
The full opening of the
upper-tier section of the new Anfield Road stand gave Liverpool extra vocal support making for a League record crowd of 59,896, and an impressive 60,725 capacity.
But battling Burnley were in no mood to lie down, with Vincent Kompany’s men focused on their own agenda at the other end of the table.
Buoyed by their impressive comeback against Fulham a week ago, Burnley had impetus while Liverpool were fuelled by different motivation after their painful Arsenal defeat. On the face of it, this seemed the best of fixtures for Klopp and his stars to execute the bounce-back the result at the Emirates demanded. But the opening minutes of the contest showed Burnley were going to be no pushovers, despite their precarious position level on points at the foot of the table. With games running out, it may be too late for the Clarets to save themselves. But, in the image of Kompany, they won’t chuck the towel in. They showed that fighting spirit, equalising on the stroke of half-time as Dara O’shea’s powerful header from a Josh Brownhill corner ripped past Caoimhin Kelleher, deputising for Alisson, who has the flu.
Sensing Liverpool needed some reassurance, Klopp’s men took to the field after half-time to the fading strains of “Don’t worry about a thing...” from Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds.
But even though Liverpool quickly restored their lead after a lengthy VAR check – half-time substitute Harvey Elliott’s cross was headed home at the near post by Luis Diaz – Burnley had chances to punish the hosts. Kompany joined Klopp with a yellow card, protesting at the Diaz goal, and his frustration grew as on-loan Chelsea star David Fofana missed two golden chances.
James Trafford made key saves to keep Burnley in the hunt but Darwin Nunez ended the contest with a late header from another Elliott cross.
After the final whistle, there was time for Klopp to take centre stage again with his trademark triple fist pumps. Another show of the passion Anfield will forever miss.