THIRTEEN REASONS WHY
Klopp: You can’t ‘do a Fergie’ these days
JURGEN KLOPP believes it will never be possible for one team to dominate the Premier League as Manchester United did with 13 titles in 20 years.
As his stars stand on the brink of winning their first league crown in 30 years, Liverpool fans are dreaming of being a powerhouse title-winning force again with a team built for repeated success.
But Kop boss Klopp reckons that’s now a pipe dream – especially with the coronavirus pandemic leaving football facing an uncertain financial future.
Klopp takes his stars to Everton this evening knowing a triumph at Goodison Park in their opening match after lockdown will put them just one win away from the trophy they’re desperate to hold.
But as much as he would like to build a title-winning dynasty like six-time champion
Bob Paisley, Klopp accepts that’s fantasy with the big-money transfer raids now on the back-burner.
He said: “I don’t think it is possible any more to be honest. United was a pretty good combination with an exceptional manager with a super eye for players.
“Alex Ferguson had a fantastic timing for how long you really need a player in the team. Then he gets the replacement, so that was exceptional and the money too.
“Maybe some clubs could have had a similar situation then. Now too many clubs have similar situations. “Chelsea are pretty much off on the front foot in the transfer market. No one else so far did anything because the times are uncertain. “If someone says, for example, you can’t play in front of fans until 2023 that would change the whole thing. “I don’t think that will happen, but you cannot just expect everything will be all fine for next season. “You saw Man City beat Arsenal and think, ‘How is it possible we have 22 more points than them?’ “You see the bench – they change five times and still Leroy Sane is on the bench! “So we must have done something right until now – but we have to do these things and probably even more to stay successful.
“City will not stop, United will strike back, Chelsea is already there. So I don’t think that it is possible to dominate in the same way.” Liverpool spent big in 2018, buying defender Virgil van
Dijk, goalkeeper Alisson and midfielders Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri for a combined outlay of
£248million, offset by the
£143m sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
And although they won the Champions League last season the Boston-based Fenway Sports Group – Liverpool’s American owners – are treading cautiously, pulling out of a £45m move for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.
Klopp added: “I think it’s a good time to wait a little bit. It’s like if you live in a good flat but want a house – I don’t think this is a good time to buy the house.
“You say, ‘Let’s wait and see how the situation develops.’
“And that’s a bit like a football club. We are not in the most beautiful flat ever but it’s good.
“We should not forget that and if the situation stays uncertain we have to respect that. This is not the year to bring in 12 players.
“How many times did Fergie win it in 20 years? Thirteen. That’s really a lot. And I’m sure he did not win that because he said at the beginning we will win it 13 times in 20 years.
“He just did what he did and made some good decisions. We will make some good decisions as well and see where it leads us.”