How Klopp has turned doubters into believers

Back in April 2014, Liverpool were leading the Premier League table with three points over Manchester City, and everyone thought they could finally end their title hoodoo. But then captain Steven Gerrard’s costly slip against Chelsea started a downward spiral and another title race was lost. This season, however, there seems to be new belief at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp’s team finally look like genuine title contenders. There’s a distinct change in the mood and feeling around the city as they ride the wave of optimism that the German manager has created, while key signings have ironed out the squad’s weaknesses. As a consequence, they have started exceptionally well, but do they have what it takes to win their first league title in 28 years? Soccer Laduma’s Lorenz Kohler chatted to one of Liverpool Echo’s editors, Joe Rimmer, to give us some more insights into why Liverpool could go all the way.

Lorenz Kohler: What’s changed this season for Liverpool to be so close to the top?

Joe Rimmer: I think this season, they feel a lot more solid; at the back, Klopp has finally sorted out the defence. Virgil van Dijk has been a wonderful signing and become a real leader in the backline; the new goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, has been pretty solid as well. They’ve got a lot of options at the back now, whether he plays Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren, Trent Alexander- Arnold at right back… just plenty of options and I think that’s been the big main thing that Klopp’s done to make them a look a better side. They seem to be a bit more mature, they manage games better. Last season it was like all or nothing – sometimes they would attack and look very, very good but at the other end, they'd struggle. They’d go through periods where they’d look good in games and then suddenly be under pressure, whereas now they are able to slow games a bit down and take their time. It’s almost like they’re a bit boring this season and not as good to watch in comparison to previous seasons with Klopp. They keep the ball a lot longer, but that’s just because they’re a better team. They know how to kill games off, so there’s a ruthless side of the Liverpool team. Not boring to watch, it’s just not all-out attack like last season. It’s just a lot more mature. They still have the great players going forward, but they’re a lot more mature and defend better. There’s just a lot more balance. They don’t need to be on the attack all the time – they can just keep the ball, slow games down and teams can’t get the ball because they’re that good technically.

LK: Why has the title eluded the English giants for 28 years since Kenny Dalglish led the club to their last league trophy?

JR: There are so many different reasons why they haven’t won the title since 1990. First of all, after the last title win, Liverpool went through a transitional phase. They didn’t transition very well. They got rid of a lot of experienced players too quickly. Graeme Souness, who was in charge between 1991 and 1994, got rid of many of the older players and, in return, there were pretty poor buys and the club just lost ground. As you know, Manchester United became dominant at the time under Sir Alex Ferguson and, since then, Liverpool have just been playing catch-up. I know they’ve come close, they finished second under Gerard Houllier, Rafael Benitez and Brendan Rodgers, but then they either lost key players or made bad decisions in the transfer market. You can’t forget there’s been other very good clubs in the Premier League – Chelsea have had a magnificent spell, Man City have now got more money than anyone in world football, of course, Man United all those years and Arsenal were a really good side. So, yeah, Liverpool have a massive task to get one ahead of Man City, but I think they feel well equipped now and I feel they have the right manager. The other times, under Benitez, the wheels fell off for him when the ownership changed. There was a takeover that brought instability as the club went into debt. Houllier had health problems and made bad buys in the transfer market. Klopp just seems to be at the peak of his powers.

LK: What exactly has turned Liverpool’s fortunes around?

JR: The big difference is that the squad just seems to be more streamlined under Klopp. Quite often under Rodgers, he didn’t seem to agree with the scouting department and when they were making buys in the transfer market, there seemed to be some friction between Rodgers and the technical staff. But Klopp seems to be running in tandem with them and knows what he wants, trusts them and that makes them recruit better. So I think that's the first thing. The next is that Klopp is just more re- spected. Rodgers was tactically quite good, but he lacked in man-management. Klopp is a very good man-manager, he’s just more well-rounded and a mature coach to Rodgers, who was a good coach, but as a manager, lacked certain aspects. But for me the transfer recruitment improvement and success has been the biggest factor. Signings like Lazar Markovic… you don’t see that happening anymore, poor buys; probably Loris Karius was Klopp’s worst one, but he was only five million pound (R93m), so it's not the end of the world.

LK: How would you explain Klopp's changed approach?

JR: His positive demeanor and charisma has worked wonders. The second Klopp stepped in, you could just feel a change in Liverpool and in the way the fans felt. I think what summed it up was in his first press conference, when he said he wanted to turn doubters into believers. It sounded a bit cheesy, but it certainly did work. Fans started believing and supporting the team a bit better. He bought into the ethos straight away. He knows what the supporters want to hear. He gets Liverpool. And from a players’ perspective, you can’t ig- nore, any player would love to play under a manager like him. You don’t need to look further than Xherdan Shaqiri, for example – he just went down with Stoke City, but he seems to be loving it at the club and enjoying his football. He’s been a clever signing. Players seem to love playing for him; he doesn’t fall out with many. Mamadou Sakho aside, you never hear former players talk badly about him – even players he’s moved on don’t speak badly of him and that’s all about respect; it goes along with Klopp. In terms of squad depth, I think that’s the one thing he changed in the recent window. Last season Liverpool had a very good team, but didn’t have a great squad. In defence now there are options… Shaqiri has offered another element, another dimension to the side, the resurgence of Daniel Sturridge has given more goals – there are lots of midfielders that can come in. There is a plan B. Like I said, this season we've played a bit more defensive, which we didn’t last season and that was all down to personnel – where we could only play one way at 100 miles an hour, but now we have the players for plan B, where the team can slow down the game when needed and play different styles.

“Klopp has finally sorted out the defence.” “The second Klopp stepped in, you could just feel a change in Liverpool.”

LK: How does the current side compare to previous Reds sides?

JR: This Liverpool team Klopp has created seems better equipped than any other side since Benitez’s 08/09 team. Rodgers’ team seemingly rode on a wave of emotion and goals; it never truly felt like they believed they could do it until the very end and, eventually, it did fall apart. But this team feels mentally more equipped. But, yeah, sometimes you need just a little bit of luck over the course of the season and secure that first title to get the squad over the psychological hurdle.

LK: What do you make of Klopp’s poor record in finals?

JR: It's been fine margins. If you keep getting to finals, you’ll start winning them eventually. It's just been a bit of bad luck. I don’t think as a new squad there will be anything of that proverbial mental block tag. For the league? Maybe. For a cup, I don’t think so...

LK: Which transfers do you think were key for this new side?

JR: Alisson and Van Dijk are just two of some of the standout signings during his tenure. Van Dijk is probably the best signing he’s made since his arrival; Fabinho has shown in the last couple of games that he will have a role to play the season. Shaqiri has been a really clever signing for 13 million pounds (R243m), you don't often get that sort of quality for that price. I think all his signings Klopp has made a hit. The front three? I don’t think anyone needs to be told how successful they’ve been. He brought in quality into the midfield; guys like Gini Wijnaldum have really stepped up this year. James Milner has been consistent and ever-present. Naby Keita is the one that the club is still hoping to see more of given the significant investment made to bring him in from Leipzig. Despite his indifferent start, there are no real worries about him as Klopp's record in the market has been good, but again, Van Dijk has been head and shoulders above any of them.

LK: But Klopp and the fans know only trophies can keep the project together…

JR: Klopp can keep hold of the players, but he’ll have to start winning trophies if he wants to keep the best players around. They’ve got to have trophies to show for it. Players will only stay for long before they start thinking “there’s a better chance for me to secure silverware at Real Madrid or Barcelona”. I think any team in the Premier League would struggle to keep players from (moving to) Real or Barca, just because of the sheer status of the sides, even for Liverpool’s stars. But if they win the league this season, I don’t see Klopp losing any of his stars. Winning trophies will keep players around. The all-round structure of the club has evolved since he’s come in. The previous crop of good players was finishing in fourth and fifth and they obviously wanted to move on to play for first and second, and now Liverpool are in that bracket.

LK: Can the ‘rock-and-roll’ tactical system create sustained success?

JR: Systems in football come and go. Klopp’s high-pressing style is much different to what Rodgers attempted with the ‘tiki-taka’ Barcelona-type style in 2013/14 when we nearly won the title. Counter-attacking came into play before. Now, this high-pressing style seems to be the main tactical system in the league. That’s been revolutionised by the German, the way Liverpool play, but you’ve got to have the players to enable that game plan. If you look at all the players in the squad and the ones he brought in, they have high energy, extremely fit for the high press with the high defensive line. If you compare that of Manchester United now, it’s not what fits Mourinho’s style of play, with the slower,now Klopp’s style is what trumps others, but it will evolve once again when teams figure out how to stop it. Chelsea and Arsenal have already adopted a more attacking ethos and press higher up the pitch, so the clear influence is there. Possibly United are the only ones who haven’t altered their approach to suit this modern style that seems to be the path to success. However, City, who are considered the favourites, have moulded both, the best style of all, tika-tika with high pressing, which looks well suited to win any league.

LK: Is Klopp thriving with the underdog tag? It was the same at Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich...

JR: Man City have been so good recently that Klopp is immediately considered as an underdog, which he lives up to given his previous stint at Dortmund was so successful as he knocked Bayern off their perch with back-to-back title wins. But it’s only something so long because if Liverpool wins the title this year, the tag would disappear. He’s not the type of manager who suits a type of side like Real Madrid, who would demand instant success as his approach and philosophy takes some time to instil and get the best players. Klopp will never manage a Real Madrid; they don’t have the patience. I don’t think he’d enjoy managing a team like that. He’s more suited to building a project, with time and patience. He’s more suited to an ‘underdog’, rather than a Madrid or Chelsea or Man United. He’s perfect for Liverpool and Liverpool is perfect for him.

LK: That’s a great statement to finish off this interview. Thank you for your insights, Jerry.

“He’ll have to start winning trophies if he wants to keep the best players around.”