Why saying no to United was Klopp’s best call
YOU don’t turn down Manchester United. That was always an unwritten rule, certainly when I was playing. If you heard within the game there was interest from Old Trafford in someone, it was odds-on that is where they would go.
The only way you didn’t end up at Old Trafford was if you were at Liverpool or Manchester City. I heard there were strong rumours about Sir Alex Ferguson wanting to sign me and, had I played for anyone other than City, I’d have swum to join him.
United was the pinnacle. The fans, the history of the club, the funds they had and the investment they were able to make — it was the place to be. When Ferguson retired in 2013 and approached David Moyes to succeed him, there was no way he could say no.
Jurgen Klopp, however, was an exception to the rule. Ferguson spoke to him about the possibility of taking over as manager when he was working for Borussia Dortmund but the German turned him down. He did not want to break his contract and didn’t believe the time was right.
It was the right decision. The landscape of English football would have looked completely different had he been swayed by Ferguson. I’m pretty sure United would have had another Premier League title had he been their manager for the six years he’s been at Liverpool.
There are so many little things you have to consider from the impact of this decision. Sadio Mane, for instance, turned down the chance to join United from Southampton in 2016, preferring to go and work with Klopp at Anfield instead.
Klopp wanted to sign Mane when he was at Dortmund but hesitated and missed his chance. He didn’t make the same mistake at Liverpool. Look how instrumental the Senegal flyer has been in the last five years — imagine what might have happened had he gone to Manchester United.
SO, yes, Klopp’s gut feeling that he needed to wait before coming to the Premier League, rather than being lured by Ferguson, was huge. It is often said that those who turn down United live to regret their decision but, if anything, saying no has propelled Klopp into another realm.
He was always a manager I admired. His work for Dortmund was exceptional and none of the City players who faced them in the Champions League in 2012 will forget how they ran all over us at the Etihad — only one of Joe Hart’s greatest ever performances enabled us to get a 1-1 draw.
Klopp’s teams played outstanding football and he has gone on to show that consistently in the Premier League, shaping a Liverpool team who are a threat to everyone.
If I’m honest, though, I don’t feel it has been appreciated just what a job Klopp has done to put the club back among the elite. You have to remember that when he came to England, Liverpool were losing belief and they knew that every year spent out of the Champions League would impact on their reputation. Back then, Liverpool couldn’t dream of competing for the signatures of the best players.
In 2015, they signed James Milner on a free transfer from City. It was assumed Milly, who had won two titles with us, was going there to wind down his career — never, should I stress, was that the case on his behalf — as a 29-year-old.
Milner has gone on to be a pivotal figure for Klopp. He’s told me that Klopp is the nicest, most humble coach he has worked with — there is never any uncertainty. He tells his team what he wants from them and how he expects them to play. Everyone is made to feel important.
Look at how he dealt with Naby Keita in Madrid on Tuesday. Nobody would say that Keita had a good game, despite scoring a superb goal, but Klopp didn’t criticise him — he never does criticise his players in public. He took the blame himself for any shortcomings. That is brilliant management.
Then again, much of what he has done for Liverpool has been brilliant. He would have had different options open to him in the transfer market had he gone to United at first, but having money on tap doesn’t guarantee anything.
He has lived within his means at Anfield and the decision in
January 2018 to cash in on Philippe Coutinho, who was Liverpool’s undisputed golden boy at that time, and use the £145million they got from Barcelona to buy Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker was a masterstroke.
Last weekend marked the sixth anniversary of Klopp’s first Liverpool game and the story since has been of constant improvement, never resting on his laurels. Things have gone well for him at the right moments, too, but he has shown himself to be one of the best managers in the world.
More than anything, he showed the big decision of saying no to United was absolutely correct.
How different things could have been. Liverpool and Klopp are the perfect match.