‘For me, he is the modern day shankly’
IAN Rush has heralded Jurgen Klopp as ‘a modern day Bill Shankly’, but insists the German’s departure is not the end of Liverpool’s world. The Kop legend and record goalscorer saw managerial greats like Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish leave during his time but the silverware kept on piling up on Merseyside.
Rush said: “Despite the incredible legacies of Liverpool managers like Klopp there is never anyone bigger than the football club.
“On the impact he has made during his time on Merseyside I would put Jurgen up there with the likes of Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish. He has been fantastic for the club.
“For me he is the modern day Shankly.they both enjoyed a marvellous rapport with the fans.”
Incoming Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has big shoes to fill and Rush’s advice is for the 45-year-old, before he does anything else, to undergo a crash course in
Liverpool FC history.
Rush added: “For the new man it’s about leaving alone to an extent but also imprinting your own personality. He will have his ideas from his success with Feyenoord.
“But you do need to learn about the club itself.that’s what Klopp did. He immersed himself straight away in the history of the club.
“Klopp got what Liverpool football club and the area is all about from day one. He became part of the community at Formby where he lived and around the city itself.”
The formerwales striker believes Slot is inheriting a squad which, thanks to the massive surgery last summer under Klopp, doesn’t need much work this time around.
On any player recruitment Rush is pleased that transfer guru Michael Edwards has returned to the club.
“I’m glad though that Jurgen didn’t leave last summer because it had been a difficult season but he masterminded an overhaul which included a new energised midfield,” said Rush, who scored 167 goals in 653 appearances for the Reds.
“They have qualified for the Champions League and there are some good young players which should make it a good start for the new manager.
“I know Michael Edwards well and he knows what he’s doing. He is someone who doesn’t just think of the present, he thinks about the future as well.
“To keep up with the likes of Manchester City it’s all about thinking ahead two or three years. His recruitment has always been very good.”
In addition to a Shankly-like relationship with the fans, Rush believes Klopp will be best known in years to come as the man who ended a 30-year wait to win the title, once a common occurrence in the red half of Merseyside, having never lifted the Premier League trophy before.
“The last time they had won it I was still playing! It is what the supporters were crying out for,” Rush (right) added.
“If you asked them what was more important, winning the
Champions League or the Premier League they would go for the Premier League.when the announcement came that Klopp was leaving it must have felt the end of the world for some of the Liverpool fans.
“Yes, it’s the end of an era but life goes on as it has when greats like Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish have left.
“Ask all of them and they would all agree that nobody is irreplaceable.
“Having seen him in action for
Feyenoord, character-wise Slot seems to be a bit similar to Klopp.
“It’s probably one of the reasons Liverpool have decided to go for him.
“Hopefully with the right backroom staff behind him Liverpool will be off and running again in the new season and challenging for silverware.”