Liverpool players won’t take the weak, lazy route of finding excuses. They’ll give Klopp a trophy send-off
JURGEN KLOPP has presented Liverpool with a situation that could be as pivotal as Steven Gerrard’s slip.
If they slip — like Gerrard did against Chelsea in 2014 to hand Manchester City the title — and don’t get the right manager to succeed Klopp, they could lose all of the traction, substance and opportunities that he has built.
But although this is a very important moment for Liverpool, Klopp’s announcement will not derail their season. Whether they can win the Quadruple is in the lap of the gods but I fancy them to win at least two trophies this season. To suggest players will down tools does a disservice to Klopp and the legacy he has built there.
Top managers need a dressing room that challenges them and possesses strong characters who can self-regulate and Liverpool have them. Players like Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk and others can self- motivate and uphold standards despite all the background noise.
Clearly there is a strong relationship between Klopp and his players and over the years he has been able to manage them, rotate them and pick them up off the bench when needed without a hint of trouble. He’s never seemed to have any issues keeping players satisfied which tells me he’s a good communicator. He’s an excellent manager of people who keeps players motivated and happy.
I think that culture has seeped into his squad and I don’t expect them to let him down, deteriorate and take the weak, lazy, easy route of finding excuses if something doesn’t go their way. Now some will point to Van Dijk raising doubts about his own future but his comments didn’t surprise me. When Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley or Joe Fagan left, Liverpool players did not question their own futures but this is modernday football, it’s different now. Players are islands in their own right and now have the ability to say things like Van Dijk did when admitting he was unsure of what the future now held. Although I don’t see there being an exodus at the end of the season, it goes without saying that Reds owner John W Henry will need to get the appointment in the summer right. His track record since assuming control in 2010 has been mixed.
Kenny Dalglish came back as a band aid to fix some significant problems. Then Brendan Rodgers missed his 2014 opportunity and the club started to go backwards again. Even with Klopp it took a few years. He got away with it at first but his 64milliondollar-lightbulb smile illuminated the media and got fans onside.
Let’s not forget he lost three finals in a row — League Cup, Europa League, Champions League — before they won anything. He was given time but this decision now is a big one that must ensure the foundations Klopp has built are not wasted.
It’s always difficult finding a successor to someone so influential to the culture of a club. The challenge for Liverpool is that the team is a mirror image of its manager in terms of intensity, dynamism and charisma. Klopp has galvanised the fans and brought the media along with him remarkably well. Whether the next man has that same feel remains to be seen but rarely does lightning strike twice.
I don’t envy the challenge the club face but they can take comfort in the fact Klopp has built a solid platform with an excellent squad of players.
If I was looking solely at Premier League candidates, Ange Postecoglou would top my list. He has the ability and personality to get people onside and a style of play that would suit Liverpool. I can’t imagine it’s an opportunity Tottenham would give any encouragement to on any level though! From outside the Premier League there’s something to be said for Julian Nagelsmann. He’s young, dynamic and a similarly frontfoot, forward-thinking manager.
For now though, Liverpool fans can enjoy the last few months of Klopp. What an ending it would be if he could deliver the ultimate farewell and lift all four trophies.