Klopp cracking up? Don’t make me laugh... he’s just trying to protect ALL players
JURGEN KLOPP under pressure? I’ve not laughed so much since I did keepy-ups with a sex toy and volleyed it back into our crowd at the 2001 UEFA Cup final.
I’ve heard so much talk of the Liverpool manager cracking under pressure, losing the plot because he’s got injuries and constantly moaning about them. Absolute rubbish. I’ll bet it’s the exact opposite. Look at where his team is. They’ve had a number of big injuries to key players this season but they still went into the weekend joint top with Spurs, and having already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages.
I remember when Virgil van Dijk got injured, so many people, even Liverpool fans, were saying, ‘ That’s it, one man team’, all that stuff about having no chance this season.
Klopp then had to deal with the story of Roberto Firmino not playing well, of losing a different player just about every game they played, and watching as his players travelled halfway around the world, running the risk of catching Covid-19.
And all through that, he’ll have been thinking, ‘If we get to January anywhere close to the top spots, then we’ll be in an unbelievable position’. So, as they enter December with quite a few players coming back he won’t feel pressure, he’ll feel absolutely ecstatic.
Klopp has already said other teams will now start getting those injuries in the same numbers, and he’s right. With the intensity of the fixture list for the next month for EVERY Premier League club, they will be dropping like flies.
He’ ll also have the January window in mind. It’s a tough time to buy, but you can bet if there’s a centre-half out there at the right price who will improve the team, Liverpool will sign him.
So I’m saying it now: if they can get through December still in contention then they will be the team to beat. Every other rival knows that. Pep Guardiola’s already said it.
And everyone is thinking the same thing: Liverpool would be out of sight by now without those injuries.
I saw it a lot with Manchester United when I was at Liverpool. There were always stories of Fergie being under pressure for this and that. But they knew they could find a way to win. That breeds such confidence. And it’s the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and the current United side that don’t have that yet. Only Manchester City do.
If the others get injuries to key personnel like Liverpool have, then they will be very worried.
I think people are misunderstanding what Klopp is doing. He’s not panicking under pressure, he’s actually using his position of confidence and Liverpool’s dominance to make important points. He believes passionately ALL the players will start suffering serious injuries. He can see it unfolding, and knows someone has to put it on the agenda to eventually get it changed. It’s obvious he’s decided to shoulder that burden.
I get exactly what he’s saying. I had a couple of serious injuries which probably came from the intense schedule I was plunged into as a very young player. It can ruin careers. And Klopp cares about his players, he doesn’t see them as expendable.
The argument with TV companies comes down to one thing – money. It’s that simple. They pay the big bucks and want the big viewing figures in return.
Liverpool and Manchester United are way ahead of the rest when it comes to audiences, so they will do whatever they can to get them on at the times which guarantee big audiences. The 12.30 lunchtime is perfect for the Asian audience, which is where I am at the moment, and Liverpool are massive out here. They and United are probably double or treble the TV numbers of any other club. So to paraphrase, it’s the economics, stupid.
And it won’t change unless the Premier League as a whole accepts less money for TV rights in return for restrictions on when games can be played. Something tells me that’s not going to happen.
Klopp cares a lot about his players. They are not expendable