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So one of the worst kept secrets in the history of the world, never mind soccer, was finally confirmed yesterday. Jurgen Klopp has become the 21st manager of Liverpool football club after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last weekend. The appointment of the former Borussia Dortmund supremo has been met with widespread approval, with the general consensus being that Klopp has the attributes needed to resurrect the flagging fortunes of the illustrious club.
Klopp enjoyed, for the main, seven successful years at Dortmund. Initially when he took charge in 2008 the club were floundering after a massively successful period during the 1990’s in which Dortmund had become one of the powerhouses of European football. Klopp re-energized the the club almost immediately as long standing veterans at the club were shown the door. It was a bold move by the German but in time it paid handsome dividends; within within three years of his appointment he had succeeded in guiding the club to Bundesliga success.
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The comparisons between the fortunes of Dortmund in the pre-Klopp era and Liverpool may not be entirely identical, but they are similar in nature and it is this correlation between the two that gives the Liverpool owners, the Fenway Sports Group, the hope that Klopp is their man.
But will Klopp bring instantaneous success to Liverpool? It is hard to tell. With the transfer window closed, he has to get through nearly three months with the same players Rodgers had at his disposal. If reports in the media are to be believed, Klopp has indicated that there will be only minor tinkering come the January window. The question here that needs to be asked, was Rodgers getting the best out of the players already? Obviously Klopp thinks not!
Klopp was unveiled as Liverpool manager on Friday morning in Liverpool, becoming the third foreign manager to take the post after Gérard Houllier and Rafa Benitez. His first press conference received widespread acclaim, with Klopp coming off as honest and passionate. Klopp, having signed a three year contract, asked for time from the media, supporters and his employers, but he is confident that he can engineer a league title within four years.
But spare a thought for Rodgers. It seems that time was something that he was not afforded given his circumstances, which the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger alluded to in the media earlier in the last week
It could perceivably have been all so different for the Northern Irishman. That fateful slip from Steven Gerrard that cost them the league title, and in essence expedited the departure of Luis Suarez from the club, being without the injury plagued Daniel Sturridge for the majority of last season, and the departure of Raheem Sterling have all conspired against Rodgers.
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Rodgers, though, is not totally free of exoneration in his downfall. He did have the final say on the transfer targets identified by the transfer committee installed by the Fenway Sports Group. Klopp has indicated that he has no problem working with the current system in his quest to bring the league title back to its spiritual home on Merseyside.
Any new arrivals will have to fit into Klopp’s philosophy, which is built on getting the ball from a to b in the fastest productive means possible. Something similar was employed by Rodgers during the season that they just failed to win the title. With Suarez as the fulcrum of the team, they played some of the finest blitzkrieg football ever seen that season. But after the Uruguayan’s exit and Sturridge’s injury, Rodgers resorted to a more careful possession based game and it seems that this was his downfall with his former employers.
With the likes of Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho at his disposal, Klopp has players that can thrive under, as Klopp himself defines as, ”full throttle football.” However, with question marks over Liverpool’s current ability to keep clean sheets at the moment, this will be need to addressed first and foremost.
The Fenway Sports Group is entering a very important period in their tenure at Liverpool. The appointment of Klopp puts them directly in the firing line, and if things go awry this time around they will no longer be able to point the finger of blame elsewhere.
The Liverpool chairman, Tom Werner, said: “In Jürgen Klopp we have appointed a world-class manager with a proven track record of winning and someone who has the personality and charisma to reignite this football club and take the team forward. He possesses all the qualities we are looking for in a manager – he is a strong, inspirational leader, who has a clear philosophy of high-energy, attacking football. Critically, he is also a winner and someone who can connect with and enthuse our supporters. His attitude is infectious and we believe it will lift the entire club”.
However league titles are not won with passionate press conferences. The hard work starts now for Klopp, and October is certainly a baptism of fire with games against Tottenham, Southampton, and finally Chelsea. Interesting times lie ahead for Liverpool, and with the self billed ”Normal One” at the helm the sky is the limit for them.