Jürgen Klopp is hands down one of the best managers in world football at the moment. The German not only woke a sleeping giant in Liverpool FC, but helped deliver them their first-ever Premier League title – their first league title in 30 years. Not only that, his scintillating side have also reached two Champions League finals, winning one of them.
There’s no denying Klopp’s talent, and it’s proven with his previous success with Borussia Dortmund and Mainz. However, his time as manager of Dortmund also highlighted that the German’s physically demanding style of play can be hard to maintain and can wear a team out.
Success
Klopp is known for taken teams with less talent and squeezing every bit of potential out of them. He took a Mainz team to the Bundesliga before taking over a young Dortmund squad. Nobody could have predicted what he did in only three seasons: winning the Bundesliga with the most youthful team ever to do so. He backed it up by retaining the title and reaching a Champions League final the following year. However, Klopp’s famous gegenpress took its toll on the squad and they even flirted with the relegation zone in his last season before finishing seventh.
His Liverpool career seems to be following a similar trajectory. They slowly started to mould the squad in his image before plateauing with the Champions League and Premier League title. This year, Liverpool were favourites to repeat the previous season’s achievement and finish as champions and their prospects were looking promising at the beginning of the season. However, injuries to key players, including defensive stalwart Virgin van Dijk, decimated the Reds’ back-line. They fell down the table, and their odds of winning the title diminished. Nevertheless, their form has picked up slightly, and they are now 2/1 to finish in the top four football betting on Space Casino. Liverpool need to be in the Champions League to keep attracting top players.
Squad
Part of the problem for Klopp is his magnificent squad building. Strangely it is a blessing and a curse. He can assemble a great squad of players, but when you build such a strong team, it can be challenging to know when to sell a player and get in new talent. The spine of this Liverpool team has been together for three years, and although new faces have been brought in, a lot are complementary players. Klopp may face a bit of an overhaul this summer, and it could start with one of his fabled front three. Sir Alex Ferguson is remembered for his longevity because he was so good at knowing when to turn his squad over. It’s something Klopp will have to learn if he wants to continue at Liverpool for a long time.
Financial Backing
On the face of it, Klopp has had the financial backing of the club; however, this may not entirely be the case. They did spend big on Van Dijk and Alisson Becker, but that was because they sold Philippe Coutinho. To stay on top, they need to add to their squad and only sell players when they are no longer of use to them.
The squad just needs some tweaks: a centre back which could come very soon in the form of priority target Ibrahima Konate, possibly a new striker, and some squad depth in key positions to combat fatigue.
Klopp is undoubtedly still the man for the job at Liverpool. However, he needs to learn from his past mistakes when it comes to player burnout. If he can do so, Liverpool will return to challenging for the title next season.
