Can Klopp counter loss of Mane man?
hope that neither Philippe Coutinho nor Roberto Firmino bangs their head on the overhead lockers of their executive jet from Brazil.
Make no mistake, this is potentially a big moment in Klopp’s tenure. If he can outwit Mourinho, especially when the odds are stacked against him, Liverpool’s season will receive a massive boost.
Instead of one of moaning about defensive frailties, the current mood would change to celebrating the manager’s inspirational powers and maybe even his tactical wizardry.
He will certainly have to be at his most astute, especially if he opts for his £35m recruit from Arsenal. No Red is quite sure why the Ox was bought at all, let alone for such a high fee.
With a career scoring record of one goal in eight games and currently zero confidence, the England man is anything but a like-for-like for Mane who has bagged 16 in his last 31. But Klopp obviously saw something in him, as he did Solanke, picked up for a song from Chelsea. And here we see just one of the fundamental differences in approach between the two coaches. Klopp is a long haul man, intent on improving players and giving youth a chance, whereas Mourinho is after the instant fix – hence his disdain for youth and success no later than his second
On the other hand, Klopp may be reluctant to lose the Brazilian’s ability to thread through balls in behind defences from deep, especially against fellow top sides who could offer up more space.
Klopp’s other option, then, is to keep Coutinho central and tinker with his forward line.
As big a blow as Mane’s injury is, Liverpool are used to having to do without him. Some of their best performances under Klopp came at the end of last season, while the Senegal international was out with a knee injury.
Last May’s 4-0 win at West Ham United was one such performance and one that reminded everyone of Daniel Sturridge’s match-winning ability, with the England international starting up front at the London Stadium.
Sturridge found the opener that day after a delightful through ball from Coutinho, who from a deeper role went on to notch twice in an impressive all-round display.
Replicating this would, however, mean shifting Roberto Firmino out to an unfamiliar position on the left or dropping him altogether, season.
Both suit their respective owners to a T and, as argued in this column last week, Liverpool’s are not here for the fast buck. It explains why they hired Klopp whom they saw as the coach best equipped to make up for their cash shortfall with the big boys.
Tomorrow’s game will boil down to a clash of managerial philosophies as well as styles. Klopp is the nice guy who said: “I want to be something like a friend of the player”. Hence the hugs, the patience with mistakes and sometimes even a defence of the indefensible. Mourinho will never be accused of that. Look at his treatment of Luke Shaw if you want to see ruthlessness. Compare that to Klopp’s staunch support of his own defenders. The current accident-prone spell is something new for the German whose Bundesliga teams were solid at the back. So he has to be given time. But whether it is a system failure or individual lapses, the anxiety felt around Anfield has become tangible. Almost everyone likes the manager and the vast majority are still with him. But if he were to suffer a bad defeat tomorrow, especially with more self-inflicted wounds, he could find himself under pressure. The Fenway Sports Group are sure to show the same determination to hang on to him as they did Coutinho, but it won’t stop the critics. Only last week, he complained about unfairness: losing his best player in the last minute of a game played on a tiny speck in the Atlantic Ocean is by any standards, a*se luck. But if he were looking for inspiration, he can turn to Pep Guardiola who met the injuries to Benjamin Mendy and Sergio Aguero by saying: “We are above that [making excuses]. If we are the team we want to be we can still win.” And City did. Klopp’s problem is that Liverpool are not quite there yet but he will look to his big players to stand tall and no one more than the modest-sized Brazilian he fought so hard to keep. Expect Mourinho to put Ander Herrera on Coutinho who, like Messi did for Argentina, has the ability to carry his team. Given the unfairness and unstoppable momentum of social media, this game could either see a relentless campaign build against him or the fever breaking to allow a return to proper health. Even as a neutral, this column is hoping it’s the latter.
• Bob will be signing his book,
at SID’S PUB, Bangsar South, from 6pm on Saturday, October 14 before the Liverpool vs Manchester United game.