Jurgen’s big worry is not van Gaal, it’s Stoke cup tie
IS this the biggest game of the season? For Louis van Gaal and Manchester United, absolutely. But for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool? Not a chance.
A frenzy will engulf Anfield tomorrow and Klopp will certainly pump up the Anfield fans, with some of them thinking beating their bitter rivals can spark an assault on the top four.
That shouldn’t be the focus. Liverpool are not ready for the Champions League and a loss to United could potentially mean they come out of the weekend eight points behind fourth place with five or six clubs ahead of them.
They would virtually have no chance of qualifying from that position.
Yes, they showed great desire to come back against Arsenal on Wednesday but you still cannot forget the way they performed at West Ham. There is a reason they go into the United clash in ninth place.
I’m not worried where they finish this season, whether it’s seventh or even 10th.
What I am bothered about is trophies and that is why Stoke City on January 26 is much bigger for Klopp and Liverpool than a visit from United.
It is 100 days today since Klopp was appointed manager and, before he reaches 150, there is an outstanding chance he could become only the second Liverpool boss in the last nine years to win silverware — and that would be huge.
How many times, realistically, will that kind of opportunity come around for him during the next four years of his deal?
The demands for a Liverpool manager used to revolve around league titles and European Cups but it would be miraculous if Klopp moves the club back to those levels.
He is facing a harder task to revive the club’s fortunes than any manager since Bill Shankly arrived in 1959 because the German has not inherited a world-class player.
In modern times, every change in the Liverpool dugout has been triggered by the squad not being good enough.
But, whether it was Graeme Souness or Roy Evans, Gerard Houllier or Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish or Brendan Rodgers, there were always a handful of players of the highest calibre — Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard or Luis Suarez — waiting for them.
The new man doesn’t have that bonus. There are some very good players — Daniel Sturridge is second only to Sergio Aguero when fit, while Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson are excellent — but you need much more than that.
Liverpool are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace. Geography is a problem, with the top foreigners drawn to London then Manchester. As for wages, Fenway Sports Group cannot compete with other high-profile owners.
Which side will Liverpool knock out of the top four? When I was playing in my peak years, the top four was settled — United, Arsenal, Chelsea and ourselves. But the game changed as soon as Manchester City got such huge investment. They were always going to try to pick off Liverpool or Arsenal, as United and Chelsea were a step ahead.
We never recovered after slipping out of that group in 2010. So Klopp’s aim over the course of his contract is to try to win some trophies and get Liverpool back in contention to be top-four regulars.
If, by 2020, he has them in the Champions League on a couple of occasions and lifted two or three prizes, he will have done a fantastic job.
He could not be considered a failure if he doesn’t win the league. I don’t think of Houllier or Benitez as failures because they didn’t make the final step.
What Klopp has changed is the atmosphere and the mood of the supporters but it will be next year when we really get to see what he can do.
Liverpool have won one trophy in the last nine years but the Capital One Cup offers a prime chance to change that statistic and another attainable target is the Europa League.
Victory over United tomorrow would be enjoyed — but nowhere near as much as one that would lead Liverpool back to Wembley.