You can’t compare Jurgen Klopp’s side to great Liverpool teams but I prefer watching them to Manchester City
Managers are a vital part of any club and certain conditions – money, clout – are necessary in a rebuilding job, but Jurgen Klopp really has proven to be the perfect fit for Liverpool that he was billed as.
Since arriving in October 2015 he has improved the team each year and, having won the Champions League last season, now seems certain to finish his fifth campaign at Anfield with the trophy they want most – the Premier League – and a host of records.
His success has been a mix of factors but recruitment has been a cornerstone of Klopp’s work, with all but Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez and academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold of the current first XI signed during the German’s tenure.
He has been brave in the transfer market, selling Philippe Coutinho and spending big on Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah when all were gambles. Even the signing of Virgil van Dijk raised eyebrows because of the £75m fee.
Then-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez once told me that if two out of every five signings became first-team regulars he felt he was doing well. That’s a lot of waste compared to Klopp’s strike rate, which has been amazing.
To those ingredients Klopp has added team spirit and harnessed the club’s inherent qualities – the cauldron that is Anfield and Liverpool’s very strong history and traditions.
Related to his knack for signings is that Klopp clearly makes players better. Salah, for instance, has become a world beater who gets compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For me, this is what separates the great managers from the very good. Pep Guardiola improves players and so does Klopp, but I don’t think Jose Mourinho does.
I love the mental strength that Klopp has imbued. It’s as though pushing City all the way last year only to find that 99 points wasn’t enough has made Liverpool determined to have a perfect season.
With 64 points out of a possible 66 so far, you can be sure they’re eyeing an unbeaten league campaign as well as the title and retaining their European crown.
Another striking element of their incredible form is that I can’t remember any major mistakes. That tells you that players are being driven to their absolute maximum.
Why it’s difficult to compare eras
Are they as good as the great Liverpool team of the late 70s and early 80s? They were the best of their generation and I don’t think you can say that about the current side yet.
But football has changed dramatically since then. Pitches are better; players more protected and therefore the game more technical; all clubs are far more professional.
In short, the game played now could not have happened then. It’s a different level and harder to win than ever, but comparisons are very difficult because it is apples and oranges.
What determines how teams are remembered, however, is style. Liverpool teams of old were outstanding and Klopp’s men are also fantastic to watch, with pace, quality, a terrific back five and so many attacking options.
Guardiola’s City have set the bar lately but Liverpool have added another dimension and I’d rather watch them than the City side who won the last two league titles. They really are a phenomenon and that is largely down to one man.