In October 2015, Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) decided to sack Brendan Rodgers following a 1-1 draw in the Merseyside Derby away at Everton and move in a new direction. The question the turned to who would replace Rodgers and be Liverpool’s new manager. The shortlist was headed up by two men; the Italian Carlo Ancelotti and the German Jürgen Klopp. Klopp had left Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 season after an incredible seven years in Dortmund, dethroning German giants Bayern Munich by winning two Bundesliga titles. Klopp was on a sabbatical after his departure from Dortmund, but it became very clear only a matter of days after Rodgers’ sacking that he was FSG’s first choice. On 8th October 2015, Klopp signed a three-year deal to become Liverpool’s new manager. In his very first press conference, Klopp declared himself “The Normal One”, promised to deliver trophies within four years and said that he wanted to turn Liverpool fans “from doubters to believers”. As the last five years have shown, he has most certainly delivered on those promises and continues to lead the club to more and more success. So how has Klopp turned Liverpool from underachievers to European and World Champions and on the brink of the Premier League title?
From Klopp’s time at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund it was evident he is a charismatic and passionate character. His first press conference at the club gave the fans a clear impression of their new manager. One of Klopp’s first jobs at Liverpool was to re-energise and re-connect with the fanbase. During the latter stages of Brendan Rodgers’ reign, the atmosphere at Anfield had changed from its usual electric atmosphere to extremely quiet. One of Rodgers’ last games in charge of the club was a home League Cup game against Carlisle where Liverpool scraped through on penalties in front of a subdued Anfield crowd nowhere near capacity. A key characteristic of any Liverpool manager is an ability connect with people on a personal and emotional level and someone who is as openly passionate as the fans. Rodgers was not the sort of manager to display his emotions and passions, whereas his successor Klopp has always been known for his passionate celebrations. Another of Klopp’s best qualities is his man management and his ability to read the modern player. His bear-hugs and close relationship with his players comparable to a father role are exactly what current, modern-day players want from their manager. Twenty years ago, managers used tough love to get the best out of players, who would react well to criticism. The likes of José Mourinho are stuck in the past with their ways as they are treating players now in the same way they did ten years ago, which just does not work nowadays.
Arriving at the club a few months into the 2015-16 season, Klopp at least in the short-term had to work with Rodgers’ squad. Klopp has undoubtedly improved so many players at Liverpool, including some that he inherited from Rodgers. Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Roberto Firmino were all signed before Klopp arrived and their improvements under Klopp’s management have been dramatic and significant. Liverpool’s captain Henderson is the leader of the side on and off the field and is in contention for PFA Player of the Season this season for his role in Liverpool’s charge towards the Premier League title. Firmino is a key member of Liverpool’s phenomenal front three that has been terrorising opposition defences for the last three years. Milner, the club’s vice-captain, has played a number of different positions under Klopp and is one of the main leaders in the squad. Lallana’s best years at Liverpool have been under Klopp’s management, playing a key midfield role for club and country between 2015 and 2017. Throughout Klopp's managerial career he has been very keen to promote the youngsters and academy players from his time at Mainz to his tenure at Dortmund to his reign at Liverpool. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez have developed hugely through working with Klopp and both are now key players at club and country level. The likes of Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams are breaking through into the Liverpool first-team and will undoubtedly improve by working under Klopp.
Klopp’s first league victory in charge of Liverpool came in a 3-1 win away at Chelsea at the end of October 2015 but the first significant statement performance and result of the Klopp era came at Manchester City at the end of November. A devastating and dominant 4-1 win at the Etihad demonstrated Klopp’s famous gegenpressing and a ruthless cutting edge as Liverpool’s high press forced a number of errors from the Manchester City defence and clinical finishing from Liverpool led to an easy victory. The gegenpress, which translates as a high press, has become synonymous with Jürgen Klopp and over the years it has been adapted to a very specific press at certain times. The rapid transition from defence into attack was evident in the victory at the Etihad and has become a staple of Klopp’s Liverpool.
Klopp’s tactical approach has changed during his reign at Liverpool, adjustments all managers have to make if they want to continue having success at the top level. The main tactical adjustment came after a heavy defeat away at Tottenham in October 2017 where Liverpool were beaten convincingly 4-1 and outplayed by Tottenham. Not only did it show Klopp he had to sign Virgil van Dijk in the next window (which he did) but also that the formation had to be tweaked. In Klopp’s first full season in 2016-17 Liverpool were scoring plenty of goals but conceding too many, 42 in total that season at more than 1 goal-per-game. During that season the midfield three in the 4-3-3 formation comprised of Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum. Lallana and Wijnaldum were given free reign in midfield and the formation was more like 4-1-2-3 with not enough support for the defence with only Henderson shielding the defenders. After the defeat at Tottenham, the small tactical tweak saw the midfielders as a collective take on more defensive responsibility and playing with two holding midfielders rather than just one to protect the defence more. Obviously compared to now the goalkeeper and defence are far superior than they were back in 2017 but the tactical adjustment in midfield gave Liverpool better balance. Despite the heavy defeat being a low and embarrassing moment, it forced a number of crucial changes both in terms of personnel in addition to tactics.
Just a matter of months after this fixture, Klopp and the club were faced with a huge decision regarding the future of Brazilian creative midfielder Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window of 2018, who had been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona. The decision was in Klopp’s hands and he decided to allow Coutinho to move to the Catalan club for a fee of around £142 million. Klopp then used that money to buy the best centre-back in the world, Virgil van Dijk, that same window and the world’s best goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, six months later. Not only did Klopp bring in world-class talent in crucial positions with the Coutinho money, the team also became more balanced without him. Despite being a tough decision to make and one that divided opinion amongst Liverpool fans, once again Klopp made the decision that was in the best interests of the team and the club long-term, which has proven to be an incredible decision.
The work of the transfer committee which was heavily criticised before Klopp’s arrival has been crucial in Liverpool’s rise to European and World champions and on the verge of the Premier League title. The job that sporting director Michael Edwards, FSG president Mike Gordon, head of scouting and recruitment Dave Fellows and chief scout Barry Hunter have done over the last five years has been nothing short of phenomenal. As the manager, Klopp has the first and last word on all transfers, something which his predecessor Brendan Rodgers never really had due to a lack of full trust in him, in contrast to Klopp who has the full backing from FSG. In addition to the big-money signings of world-class players like Virgil van Dijk at centre-back and Alisson Becker in goal to take Liverpool to the next level, one of the key aspects to the incredible transfer work has been the addition of players to suit the system and Klopp’s style. In Klopp’s first summer transfer window in 2016, he identified Southampton’s Sadio Mané and relegated Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum as players that would both improve the team and fit the system. Both established themselves quickly; Mané becoming one of the best forwards in world football and Wijnaldum playing a key role in the engine room.
In the summer of 2017, Klopp signed Mohamed Salah from Roma for around £35 million. Some around the Premier League questioned Liverpool’s decision to sign Salah at the time for the price they paid for them. However, in his first season at the club, Salah broke the 38-game Premier League record for goals in a season with 32 and has won consecutive golden boots, fitting in perfectly to Klopp’s system. Later that summer, Klopp signed Andrew Robertson from relegated Hull for around £8 million. It took some time for Robertson to be given an opportunity in the Liverpool first team, but once he did he hasn’t looked back and is now the best left-back in the world. Liverpool then signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Premier League rivals Arsenal for £35 million in the same window as Salah and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Like Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain had to be patient and worked hard in his first few months at the club in training to acclimatise to Klopp’s methods. Once Oxlade-Chamberlain was up to speed with Klopp’s demanding system he has excelled and gone on to another level during his time at the club. In the summer of 2018, Klopp signed Fabinho from Monaco for around £40 million and Naby Keita from RB Leipzig for £52 million, two players that suit the type of midfielder Klopp craves.
All these factors have contributed towards the success Liverpool have experienced in the last couple of years and are set to continue to have. Liverpool won the Champions League for a sixth time in 2019 as well as lifting the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup later in the year and are on the verge of winning the Premier League this season. From signing specific players to suit his system to improving players already at the club before he arrived to his man management, Klopp has completely transformed the club from an underachieving team to a dominant force in world football. Klopp promised in his very first press conference as the Liverpool manager that he would deliver trophies within four years which he most certainly has delivered. He also declared that he would turn Liverpool fans “from doubters to believers”, something he achieved very early on his reign and arguably one of his greatest achievements at the club to date.
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