It might have been thirty long years without a top-flight title for the Reds, but in a few short weeks, that all looks set to change. In this article, Petter Watton, from matched betting specialists OddsMonkey, gives his take why Klopp has been the driving force behind Liverpool’s unbelievable winning streak.
Back in October last year, many were quick to laugh at Harry Redknapp when he claimed that Liverpool should be handed the Premier League trophy when the season was just eight games young (Mirror). Fast forward five months, and that outcome is looking so likely that bookies have stopped taking bets altogether. The Reds have yet to be suffer a single defeat, gaining a record-beating 25-point lead on nearest contenders Man City. It’s been an incredible performance that has silenced any naysayers who may have doubted the club’s potential just a few months ago.
If Klopp’s men can hold their nerve for just another five matches, then the title will be theirs. And, after their 1-0 win to Norwich City last Sunday, their charge towards the title shows no signs of losing momentum any time soon. But what’s been the catalyst behind Liverpool’s meteoric rise to the top? I’d argue that it’s all down to one man: the incomparable Jurgen Klopp. In this article, I’ll explain exactly how he was able to turn Liverpool into world-beating champions.
Klopp’s four-year plan
Liverpool present performance hasn’t just put them at the top of the League: it’s made them the fourth greatest team of all time, according to ClubElo’s rankings. It’s something that might have seemed hard to imagine just four years ago, when — as many of us will remember — the club was in a much sorrier state. But all that began to change when Klopp entered the picture in 2015.
When he first arrived, Klopp set about designing a long-term plan to revitalise the team, introducing a new style of play, focusing on strategic acquisitions, and transforming the mentality of the players. He admitted at the time that it was probably going to take at least four years to impose his philosophy at the club, and it seems that prediction was dead on. He had a clear plan from the start, and we’re now reaping the results.
A pressing yet balanced style of play
One of Klopp’s most famous strategies during his tenure as a manager has been the introduction of a more pressing style of play. Many predicted that the German would push the team to up their intensity when he arrived on the scene in 2015 — a technique many at the time dubbed “heavy metal football”— and they were soon proven right. But the intense, gegenpressing style of play that Klopp is so well known for is only part of the picture. What makes Liverpool’s tactics so unbeatable is how well balanced they are.
Typical gegenpressing can open up defensive vulnerabilities, and if the team pushes the intensity level too high early during the game, they’re often exhausted in the second half — we saw this during Klopp’s first matches, when the team were visibly flagging by full time. But over the years, the German has refined his tactics to address these weaknesses, improving their defence and developing their ability to keep possession and conserve stamina. The result is a well-balanced team has consistently high energy throughout the game.
Strategic transfers to create a well-balanced team
Another key element of Klopp’s success has been his ability to make brilliant tactical transfers, and then shape new players into what the team needs. Rather than wasting money on huge marquee signings, Klopp’s focus is on finding players with potential to address specific weaknesses within the existing team, and then training them to suit his style of management and play.
Just look at Virgil van Dijk, who has arguably been Klopp’s best signing during his time as manager. The Reds sorely needed to boost their central defence, so Klopp strategically recruited a player to fill that gap, and then shaped him into what he needed. While he was always a player with a lot of potential, few would have hailed van Dijk as one of the best defenders in the world until his move to Liverpool in 2018, and it just goes to show the magic of the “Klopp effect”. The player himself has been keen to state that Klopp’s management has been one of the factors in his extraordinary success, saying that the German knows exactly how to “get the best out of me”.
A “never say die” attitude that keeps the goals coming
One of the most thrilling things about Liverpool’s form this season has been their late-game goals, an effect many fans have dubbed “Kloppage time”. Sadio Mane’s match-winning goal against Aston Villa during injury-time back in November is a great example of this, as was his sublime goal against Norwich City recently. It’s this “never say die” mentality which makes Liverpool so relentless, allowing them to continue creating opportunities and pressing their opponents during the vital last minutes of play.
Mentality is everything to Klopp, and he’s careful to make sure that any targets have the right mindset and attitude — there’s a strict ‘no divas’ rule at the club. Last summer, it was rumoured that a £52 million deal to bring Nabil Fekir in from Lyon fell through when his supposedly demanding behaviour left Klopp unimpressed, remarking “we can’t have that personality in our squad”. Talent isn’t enough: players have got to respond well to Klopp’s style of management and fit in with the club’s mentality — and you only need to watch any interview with Salah or van Dijk praising their gaffer to see that it really works.
With just a few games left standing between Liverpool and their first top-flight title, it’s now looking like it’s just a matter of time until the trophy is theirs. And, if they do, I think we can safely say that Klopp will join the ranks of some the most celebrated managers of all time.