What has Klopp Achieved

From the moment he was linked with us Jurgen Klopp gave us hope but since he arrived what has he achieved?  For me he has achieved more than I dared hope for, not necessarily with the results on the field we possibly wished for more than three draws and a win but under Rodgers we had fallen so far that it appeared there was no hope and in his short time managing our club he has given me it back, he said in his first press conference that he wanted us, the supporters, to believe and in this short time I already do. 

     In his first press conference he spelled out to us what was expected and what he wanted to achieve, it was music to our ears, he had the supporters eating out the palm of his hand almost the moment he walked through the,door, who could not like his personality and enthusiasm.  He has the past achievements, he has the standing in game, he has the reputation now could he prove it at Liverpool.

    His first game against Spurs and a 1-1 draw away from home, a decent result but more importantly we saw what we had been promised, hard work, pressing and a better organised, more compact team, with people playing in their natural positions.  For twenty minutes we looked a class apart but we did appear to tire and allow Spurs back into the game.  In just a few days we had seen a big improvement and a tantalising glimpse of what we could become, a fantastic start.

     Next up Klopps first home game against Rubin Kazan and we saw first hand how well his signing had United the support, we were desperate as supporters for his approval determined to impress with our support, again we looked organised and efficient with again a sensible selection but severely hampered by injuries we struggled to create or score a draw was a disappointing result but we again saw improvement on the field from where we had been under Rodgers

      At home to Southampton in the league and again big injury problems but the players appeared to be responding more understanding as to what was expected more working harder, better organised and one or two on their way back from injury.  Southampton are a strong team but I was still a bit down after a dram fen with injuries but yet again I think we could all see the improvements in the team.

     A first win for Klopp and a clean sheet with a solid defensive performance against Bournmouth in the League Cup better again a bit more going forward but again very compact a higher defensive line, looking more confident, four games and only two conceded not perfect but a huge improvement and now we had the confidence a win brings.  Another step forward and we can now see that when we can get more players back we could start to look like a different proposition.

     Then against Chelsea, the champions of England at their own ground it came together we fell behind after three minutes and in the past under Rodgers I don't doubt that we would have collapsed but under Klopp no such thing we stuck with our plan, we stuck together and after the first ten minutes dominated the rest of the game, now not only looking compact, working hard, closing down, defending strongly, but now we were attacking quicker, more direct and creating chances and by the end of the game scoring goals three of them against an underperforming Chelsea but still Chelsea the champions.

      For me Klopp has achieved so much in a few short weeks we now have a compact, well organised team, who are defending strongly and now look like they can create chances, we now appear to be working on individuals who have been short of form or playing within themselves and getting more out of them, this can only help us get better especially as players, big players, return from injury.

     In a sort time Klopp appears to have united the manager, staff, players and supporters and we all know what happens when we achieve this, nothing can stop us.  Klopp asked us to believe and I think that now we are all believers.

@lfclumo

So Much For Klopp To Do

 I am fully behind Klopp, I believe he is the man to take us back to the top. I thought it was time for Rodgers to go and I thought Klopp was the ideal replacement, although I never really thought for a minute that we would get him.  Klopp will obviously need time, we have fallen a long way, but we need to be patient we have one of the very best managers or coach in the world we will improve.  Having said all that I have some concerns that I hope Klopp will address in time.

         

       

      Firstly and most importantly several of our first team regulars are simply not good enough, we have been poor in the transfer market and in my opinion we need to recoup some money by getting rid of players who should not be part of the squad never mind the first eleven.  My mane concerns are Mignolet,  Lovren, Lallana, Bogdan and Skrtel, but we also have Balotelli out on loan.  There are several other players such as Can, Moreno, Origi and Markovic who have received criticism but as yet are young and in with a good chance of making it so I would hope that coaching is the solution for these players, I am also concerned by Milner but again I'm prepared to give him a bit of time.  This is a minimum of five players that need changing just to have players of the required minimum standard never mind anything extra that our new manager requires already looking like wholesale changes for an unhealthy third year.

    My second concern is injuries, not that we are having so many or that some of the injuries probably more than our share are long term this is just bad luck, every team goes through unlucky periods.  I'm more concerned about the apparent lack of knowledge, skill or expertise in the club we continuously seem to be unable to diagnose problems or how serious they are and are left with statements such as Firmino appears to have damaged his back, We think Lovren has picked up an injury, Henderson has done something to his foot.  We should be able to say more than I think and we will know more after a scan these are multi million pound talents, no wonder they all head of to America for treatment as soon as they get a chance it appears that at the club, we haven't got a clue.  Players are out for too long Sturridge has now missed three games with what we were told was a very minor knock when he comes back he will only play a few minutes for a couple of games meaning he will have realistically missed at least five games, Benteke and Henderson we were told only had minor knocks yet have been missing for weeks, these are all players we need on the pitch, not forced back early but fit and playing.

     My third concern is around the coaching at the club and I am hoping that bringing in Klopp will already have solved this but for me with the notable exception of Suarez and possibly Henderson every player we sign appears to go on a downward trajectory they simply get worse year on year until we eventually sell them.  I accept that the Liverpool shirt is a heavy one and some transfers just fail but everybody?  The latest two players who we signed in the summer and who have played just about every game are Milner and Clyne and in my opinion both fit into this pattern so far in that Milner has just failed to show the quality he did at City, running ability yes but quality not yet.  Clyne was setting the league alight whilst at Southampton but like Lallana and Lovren before him has not looked anything like that standard with Liverpool and is now starting with the individual errors that will start to knock his confidence.  I hope that Klopp and his team can reverse this very worrying trend on the training pitch.

    Lastly I'm concerned about us the supporters we have gone to sleep, perhaps battered into submission by Rodgers' teams but Klopp has asked to us to believe because he knows that once we do we can and will give the players the confidence they need and then we will truly be the twelfth man that they need.  We need to change the atmosphere in the ground from one of worry and doubt to one of belief and celebration.

     Klopp and his team can turn things around but it's going to take time we are a long, long way from the team we want and deserve but at least now are taking steps, baby steps yes, but steps in the correct direction.

@lfclumo

The Normal One

For most of his time at Liverpool I fully supported Rodgers, I wasn't against his appointment and liked what he did and the style of play he implemented and then of course there was that season and we all owe him a huge thanks for making us dream, we were so close, and he lifted us all.  But then things started to go wrong, one or two strange transfer decisions, some bad team selections and formations and some poor tactics led to some embarrassing results and then for me the worst thing was he refused to change and couldn't stop the slide.  So in the end it was time to go, perhaps even past the time but Rodgers leafs with my thanks and best wishes I really do hope he goes on and achieves.

Then Klopp arrived.  When we were linked I couldn't believe it he seemed the perfect man for the job but he wouldn't consider us, would he?  I wanted him everybody in the world can see that Klopp and Liverpool are a perfect match, but there was no way our owners would get Klopp.  Then the news was breaking that we had approached, that we were in talks and all of a sudden I'm looking at Twitter every two seconds I'm plotting planes from Germany on my computer and he's here, he's our manager.  Almost before we knew it Liverpool have appointed a world class manager but on top of that we have one with personality and charm the man who is a perfect fit for Liverpool.

I not only wanted a good manager, I wanted one who understands our club, one who shares the passion with our supporters, who can walk the walk and go toe to toe with the other big managers in the country, who will fight for Liverpool, they need to have a proven track record , they need to be able to develop players, to buy players in he transfer market who can reach the very top, to attract those players to a club who has fallen from grace a little and to do all this whilst under pressure to win not just games but the biggest trophies available.  Is there a manager in the world who can do all this, yes, just one Jurgen Klopp he certainly has the passion and the charm we have seen that in his time in Germany and already in his first interview and press conference for Liverpool.  Proven track record, check, the man has achieved in Germany whilst taking on Munich one of the world giants.  Can he develop players and work in the transfer market, of course he can look at the players he took to Dortmund and then coached to become some of the bigger names in world football, if I was a Liverpool player I would be very excited at what he can do for me.  It's a big job at Liverpool, no doubt, but it was at Dortmund we a very similar clubs and they were in a very similar position anybody want to bet he can't do it again.

Klopp has spoken about a restart at Liverpool, the passion he will I still into players and the team, promising full throttle football 

again that's what we wanted to hear a very impressive man who has spoken so much sense in his first press conference that if there were any doubters surely their minds have been changed already.  He has asked the supporters to turn from doubters into believers.  I believe, just watch us go, they are all looking over their shoulders and they are scared, Anfield will soon be rocking again under "the normal one"

@lfclumo

Bad Timing Stevie

I love Steven Gerrard, he has been the best thing to happen to Liverpool football club for decades at least since 1977 and I must admit that he has done enough in his time at Liverpool to have earned the right to say what he wants but with all this publicity around his latest book I find myself wishing he wouldn't.

It's the wrong time from the clubs point of view to be releasing a book, there is far to much negativity around , things are not going well on or off the field, we can't put together a string of results and things are certainly not all pulling in the same direction off the field, the manager is under real threat, pressure from all angles, yet Gerrard chooses now to release the book, OK, he may have had no choice these things are planned in advance but we have had these problems for months now I'm just saying it could have come at a better time for the clubs point of view, however, from the publishers point of view, now, with all the turmoil at the club could perhaps be the bigger money making opportunity, I would expect our former Captain to put the club before a few extra quid.

I don't see why Gerrard has done this book at all, especially now.  He doesn't need the money I'm sure, he has done two books already surely a few more years is the correct time for another book when his playing career is over.  Things at Liverpool are to fresh, comments, stories and gossip can only hurt the club and despite our constant need for this type of gossip it can only cause more negativity amongst the fan base.

The press find enough reasons to slag Liverpool, our manager, our players and us the supporters without somebody of the standing Gerrard giving them the bullets to fire.  Gerrard has expressed a desire to one day return to the club and I'm more than happy with this idea, but he needs to keep the club at the centre of everything not hang us out to dry for a few bits of gossip in the Daily Mail and for a few quid from a book that will, let's face it, be only read by Liverpool Fans and journalists.

@lfclumo  

Rodgers -Time To Go

I've been pro Rodgers, incredibly so, when he first signed a I thought he as a good appointment, through his first season I wanted to give him time, I was to put up with some of the embarrassing comments, if I'm honest I quite liked them, it kept us in the news and in general he was positive. Through the Suarez era I gave Rodgers credit for developing the team, after all finishing second in the league couldn't be down to just one exceptional player.  That summer I remember some of the papers just starting to hint that Rodgers himself may have got the attention of some of The biggest clubs in Europe and I didn't want him to leave, I was gutted at just the thought.  I like the majority of his signings, still do, I also liked the players who we didn't get, at least we tried or were linked to some of the better players around.  Even last season despite starting to get frustrated I was still prepared to give him a chance, the question is now, has he used that chance up.

In my opinion that chance had gone at the end of last season, we threw away a cup semi against Villa and then gave up on the season, culminating in an embarrassing run of results that itself culminated in that humiliating afternoon in Stoke, a day no Liverpool supporter can forget no matter how much we try.  I wanted him to go over the summer but he didn't and then this season started and ŵe found ourselves making the same old mistakes, no improvement, no change apart from our club appears to have declined even further as we face yet another season in transition.

The biggest crime in my eyes is Rodgers refusal to change, learn or adapt, we are playing formations that simply don't work for us, I don't know why they don't work, I suspect it's a combination between the players don't suite the particular formation and the manager doesn't really understand them, but whatever the reason they work on occasion for other clubs but not for us, not at the moment, not with these players, we need two strikers it seems obvious but Rodgers will hardly ever change.  Every time we play two up we seem to be more exciting, more fluent, more creative, score more goals and get better results but then despite this we almost always switch back to one up and create less (usually nothing) play less creatively, quickly lose confidence, start to panic at the back and quickly start to concede goals, stop scoring and inevitably start to lose games.  Everybody would then revert to the more positive approach, there is nothing wrong with trying something, it didn't work so go back to then method that works, not Rodgers we play the same formation that doesn't work, or a variation of it for over a year, dropping points and loosing confidence as we go.  Through the summer we buy players, more players who suite a formation with to up, we are all excited up to the point the games start and we are unbelievably still trying the same flawed formation and tactics.

Rodgers again show stubbornness over individual players, Lovren as bought by Rodgers and at the time I didn't think he was a bad signing, but since he has been playing he has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is not good enough for Liverpool with weekly performances that are at time laughable and individual errors that have cost us points almost on a weekly basis yet all the time we have Sakho sitting on the bench, definitely the best defender at the club and one of the best in the country, but week after week Lovren is preferred.  He should have been moved on not entrusted as our starting centre half, yes we paid a lot of money, just admit we got it wrong and move on.

Rodgers third mistake is to continuously play players out of position normally in an attempt to force everybody into his flawed formation but he has destroyed the confidence of some excellent young players Moreno, Markovic, Can, Sterling, Ibe, Milner and Henderson are all first team players who have regularly been played out of position so much that it has effected their confidence, badly, again costing the team points.

I don't know what goes on behind closed doors but almost everybody who does mentions how badly Rodgers handles some players, again in my opinion destroying confidence and costing the team.

It has now got to the point where, in my opinion, it has gone to far, even if he can turn things around we will always be waiting for the next change of formation the players will never getback that confidence whilst playing under him the damage has been done and it s nobodies fault but Rodgers, he has failed to learn, adapt or change and it has cost us, big time, we have m to dropped to become a mid table club and Rodgers appears happy with this, it's time for a change, we need somebody who will allow our squad to play or even help them to perform rather than appearing to hinder them.

@lfclumo