German ‘Messiah’ grins and bears it as fans give him a five-star welcome
TWENTY minutes after the match, Mauricio Pochettino walked through the Press room on his way to the media auditorium. The Spurs boss glanced up at the TV screen and noticed that Jurgen Klopp was giving an interview.
He looked around and saw that many of the journalists were hanging on the new Liverpool manager’s every word. It made him smile. ‘Let’s listen to him,’ said Pochettino.
Then, he thought better of it and disappeared into the room next door. ‘Klopp will be coming up, you know,’ one of the Spurs officials said with an air of exasperation before he disappeared, too.
There were slim pickings on Klopp-watch in London yesterday. The man may have been treated like the Messiah in the past few days but Messiahs and 0-0 draws don’t mix too easily.
Still, there was a feeling of liberation among the travelling fans from Merseyside.
Most had lost faith with Brendan Rodgers and they roared their approval for the new man and the fresh start he promises.
Few fans do emotive banners as skilfully as Liverpool supporters and they did not disappoint. Klopp didn’t quite get the full Kenny Dalglish or Rafa Benitez level of adulation but, at the final whistle, the Liverpool fans in the far corner of White Hart Lane unfurled a giant flag with the words ‘Mein Held, Mein Kumpel’ written on it.
My Hero, My Friend. Quite an acclamation for a man who has not yet won a game in charge of his new team, but Klopp comes with a big reputation not just for the football his teams play but for the relationship he builds with the supporters.
Those who have professed themselves uneasy that so much praise has been lavished on the German before he has proved himself in the Premier League have a point but this is not some untried novice who has taken charge.
Klopp made superstars out of men like Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus. He took Borussia Dortmund past the might of Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga title twice and also guided them to the final of the Champions League in 2013, where they lost to their German rivals.
It is partly his record and partly his charisma that makes him the most exciting managerial addition to the Premier League since the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2004. Whatever one’s view of the treatment of Rodgers, Klopp’s capture was a coup for Liverpool. ‘We Believe’, another banner, emblazoned with Klopp’s likeness and five stars to represent Liverpool’s five European Cup victories, said in the crowd.
At a club with Liverpool’s history, expectations are always high and that will be clearer to Klopp than ever this morning.
It is instructive just to look at the table. Tottenham are deemed to have had a good start and have 14 points from nine games. Liverpool are deemed to have had a terrible start, bad enough to get Rodgers the sack and have 13 points from nine games. So Klopp does not have an easy task. It will be made harder by a crippling injury list. His squad was missing Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Jon Flanagan, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren.
He will not get much sympathy, though. Rodgers didn’t. Anyway, part of Klopp’s attraction was that he took on Bayern with comparatively meagre resources and won. He will be expected to get Liverpool punching above their weight, too.
It was an encouraging start. Liverpool played with energy and pressed well. Lucas and Emre Can, who harried and tackled and chased, were their best players. Liverpool were good without the ball but, as Klopp admitted, not so good with it.
Some were not quite as indulgent. Harry Redknapp and Steve McManaman scoffed at the idea of ‘gegenpressing’, Klopp’s signature style of winning back possession. Frustrated Redknapp suggested that it was an affectation, the bare minimum any good team should aspire to, he said.
Klopp is in the midst of the Premier League’s hurly burly now. He laughed a lot afterwards and declared himself ‘satisfied’ but he knew this was not a day for sexy football or grand entrances.
When he was told that it was the first clean sheet in eight games, he smiled wistfully as if hoping for something more exciting. ‘The nil on the left side of the result today is OK,’ he said. ‘The nil on the right side does not give me the same feeling. Our target is to have nil on the opposition side and another number on our side.’
When asked what he thought of his first taste of English league football, Klopp grinned that wide grin. ‘It’s cool,’ he said. If he feels the same way in six months, Liverpool fans will be grinning, too.