Premier League 20/21

[Maroon Manc]

Pep has spent an insane amount of money however how he has been able to keep all players fresh, hungry and HAPPY is testament to him.

Obviously the CL is still the blot on the copybook but he will give it a big rattle this season.

Klopp is super when he has all players flying fit however question marks remain as to why he didnt build a squad rather than a first 11.

Its clearly money. Liverpool can't afford world-class back-ups in most positions.

FSG want the club to be self-sustaining.

The Suarez and Coutinho money allowed them to build a top-two English (and arguably European) team under those conditions without having to cash in on other top players (Michael Edwards squeezing other clubs helped too!).

With FFP gone and now COVID, who knows where it will end up in a few years once the current team passes it's sell-by date.

There no different from the Glazers although they are more competent. Klopp has performed miracles, if you'd have been told he'd have spent what he has back when he first took the job but he'd end up winning the title and CL and wasn't far off winning both again I'd have laughed especially the way he had Liverpool playing. He's the best manager of his generation and he must be very frustrated he's not backed the way he should be.

City will go out this summer and buy a top centre forward, very had to compete with that.

[GetOverTheBar]

Pep has spent an insane amount of money however how he has been able to keep all players fresh, hungry and HAPPY is testament to him.

Obviously the CL is still the blot on the copybook but he will give it a big rattle this season.

Klopp is super when he has all players flying fit however question marks remain as to why he didnt build a squad rather than a first 11.

Its clearly money. Liverpool can't afford world-class back-ups in most positions.

FSG want the club to be self-sustaining.

The Suarez and Coutinho money allowed them to build a top-two English (and arguably European) team under those conditions without having to cash in on other top players (Michael Edwards squeezing other clubs helped too!).

With FFP gone and now COVID, who knows where it will end up in a few years once the current team passes it's sell-by date.

There no different from the Glazers although they are more competent. Klopp has performed miracles, if you'd have been told he'd have spent what he has back when he first took the job but he'd end up winning the title and CL and wasn't far off winning both again I'd have laughed especially the way he had Liverpool playing. He's the best manager of his generation and he must be very frustrated he's not backed the way he should be.

City will go out this summer and buy a top centre forward, very had to compete with that.

To say he's the best manager of his generation. I think your hatred of City clouds your judgement here - in no way does Klopp come close to some other managers in terms of trophies won. If that is our barometer in that respect, Klopp is nowhere near Guardiola for example.

Klopp is a great motivator, tactically I'm not totally sold on him (but we'll see in the next 6 - 12 months what he's made of now, I think Pep has proved the more innovative with regards to the Covid situation and work load on players) but there's a lot made of management, the players are the ones take the pitch and Klopp can get 101% out of players that we didn't know had it. Robertson, Wijnaldum would be two I'd say Klopp made from average enough to genuine class. I think that is Klopps biggest strength.

No doubt that he is a quality manager. He has taken Liverpool to heights that nobody thought possible - but then again, Brendan Rodgers was arguably pretty close to that too and for some reason Liverpool fans have no real love for him. Why Liverpool aren't backing him? Who knows - but the title is always harder to retain, history has shown only the best managers of modern times retain the Premier League. Klopp is getting more and more aggressive as the weeks go on in interviews. I think the tide will turn against him soon if he continues that, the media will turn on him. If he doesn't arrest the current slide I actually can see him leaving soon (especially if the owners don't back him big in summer). It doesn't look like the money is there and at the minute he doesn't even look happy.

[Maroon Manc]

Pep has spent an insane amount of money however how he has been able to keep all players fresh, hungry and HAPPY is testament to him.

Obviously the CL is still the blot on the copybook but he will give it a big rattle this season.

Klopp is super when he has all players flying fit however question marks remain as to why he didnt build a squad rather than a first 11.

Its clearly money. Liverpool can't afford world-class back-ups in most positions.

FSG want the club to be self-sustaining.

The Suarez and Coutinho money allowed them to build a top-two English (and arguably European) team under those conditions without having to cash in on other top players (Michael Edwards squeezing other clubs helped too!).

With FFP gone and now COVID, who knows where it will end up in a few years once the current team passes it's sell-by date.

There no different from the Glazers although they are more competent. Klopp has performed miracles, if you'd have been told he'd have spent what he has back when he first took the job but he'd end up winning the title and CL and wasn't far off winning both again I'd have laughed especially the way he had Liverpool playing. He's the best manager of his generation and he must be very frustrated he's not backed the way he should be.

City will go out this summer and buy a top centre forward, very had to compete with that.

To say he's the best manager of his generation. I think your hatred of City clouds your judgement here - in no way does Klopp come close to some other managers in terms of trophies won. If that is our barometer in that respect, Klopp is nowhere near Guardiola for example.

Klopp is a great motivator, tactically I'm not totally sold on him (but we'll see in the next 6 - 12 months what he's made of now, I think Pep has proved the more innovative with regards to the Covid situation and work load on players) but there's a lot made of management, the players are the ones take the pitch and Klopp can get 101% out of players that we didn't know had it. Robertson, Wijnaldum would be two I'd say Klopp made from average enough to genuine class. I think that is Klopps biggest strength.

No doubt that he is a quality manager. He has taken Liverpool to heights that nobody thought possible - but then again, Brendan Rodgers was arguably pretty close to that too and for some reason Liverpool fans have no real love for him. Why Liverpool aren't backing him? Who knows - but the title is always harder to retain, history has shown only the best managers of modern times retain the Premier League. Klopp is getting more and more aggressive as the weeks go on in interviews. I think the tide will turn against him soon if he continues that, the media will turn on him. If he doesn't arrest the current slide I actually can see him leaving soon (especially if the owners don't back him big in summer). It doesn't look like the money is there and at the minute he doesn't even look happy.

Trust me Liverpool are miles ahead of anyone when it comes to that list.

Pep since he started out in management has been blessed with one of the best squad of players in Europe at that time and for the majority of time the best squad. He inherited a brilliant set of players at City and still went out and has still gone on to spend nearly £800m on players.

Pep is always going to have an asterix next to his achievements until he goes somewhere that's a real challenge.

[J70]

Rogers is relatively unloved because it all turned to shit for him after the excitement and breath-taking football of the 13/14 season, a spell which basically began with the purchases of Sturridge and Coutinho in the 12/13 winter window and the promotion of Sterling. That 14/15 season (complete with the panic buy of Balotelli after the sale of Suarez) was brutally bad and a major comedown, with laboured, sterile football, culminating in the no-show against Villa in the cup semi-final and the 6-1 thrashing at Stoke on the last day.

They did go on a decent run for a while that season when Rodgers changed the formation, bookended by two games against United. The first with the comically bad defending at Old Trafford, with Brad Jones diving the wrong way for a weak Rooney shot from the edge of the box, as well as a Lovren brainfart for another. Ironically, Liverpool had looked decent enough, relatively speaking, that day with the new formation, and they then started to create some chances and went on a decent enough run. That lasted until Van Gaal's team passed them off the park at Anfield in the return match (the one where Mata scored twice and Gerrard got sent off 30 seconds after coming on), a day when Liverpool were supposed to overtake United in the race for top 4. From then on, it all went to shit again, and it was the case of death by a thousand cuts for Rodgers as each game was played.

In the end, he was lucky he survived the summer, but things didn't get any better at the start of 15/16, and he was living on borrowed time.

It might be that in years to come, Rodgers will be remembered more fondly. Gerard Houllier, after all, saw his own reign peter out in a similar fashion after seeming on the cusp of building a title-challenging team, but then again, he did bring a few trophies to the club.

[Armamike]

Rodgers didn't help himself at times.  Bit of a marmite character.  Personally I thought he bullshitted a bit too much and was a little out of his depth at Liverpool at that time.  Really good managers can find a way to turn things around when things get rough.  Once Liverpool lost Suarez, and Sturridge went on a free to the physio room, that was that.  He also had a penchant for talking himself up quite a lot with references to smart tactics and the character of the team.  Confidence is one thing, but I always got the sense he was punching above his weight and there wasn't enough know how, experience and substance behind the flannel. 

[pbat]

Would it not be a real crisis if Liverpool fail to make the Champions League?
Could they hold Mane, Salah without it?
Could they attract top talent without it?
Henderson, Van Dijk in the 30 age bracket how many more years they maintain their consistence and performance playing the high tempo game they do?

[J70]

Would it not be a real crisis if Liverpool fail to make the Champions League?
Could they hold Mane, Salah without it?
Could they attract top talent without it?
Henderson, Van Dijk in the 30 age bracket how many more years they maintain their consistence and performance playing the high tempo game they do?

The rebuild is the issue all right, and that obviously would be much harder with no Champions League football on offer. One would assume that was what finally jolted the club into bringing in those two centre backs, however they each fare.

Wijnaldum appears to be on his way out the door as a free agent (despite playing basically every game), while one would assume the likes of Milner, Shaqiri,  Adrian, Matip and so on will follow.

There are rumours that they're interested in Raphina of Leeds, while, presumably, Jota will occupy one of the forward spots on a regular basis once he's back.

Honestly, if one of the big Spanish teams did come in with a massive offer for Salah or Mane, I'd say Liverpool would be hard pushed to turn it down, but they're not exactly flush with cash at the moment.

I think they definitely need to play the likes of Jones a lot more, while Tsimikas and Neco Williams should start getting more game time once Kabak starts playing and the defence gets a bit more settled over the next few weeks.

[GetOverTheBar]

Begs the question then, with Liverpool seemingly at a cross roads with the Champions League in doubt with the revival of Chelsea and even Spurs aren't that far away either.

Is Klopp the man to rebuild them? That's one for the Liverpool fans really I suppose - I think the heart will rule the head but the more I see Klopp these days, the more I'm sure he's for the door in Summer.

It's actually insane it's being discussed I suppose, but there is a major job ahead for Liverpool and that is assuming they qualify for next years Champions League with the break up of the front 3 nearly certain.

[J70]

There's no question Klopp is the man. Who could they possibly get that would be better, in terms of management, coaching and attracting players? Until the last couple of months, his Liverpool career has been non-stop, steady improvement. Unfortunately for him, injuries fucked him over this year. It happens. Pep went through similar last year and has had to rebuild as top players like Silva and Kompany moved on. Klopp won't have the same money to throw at it as Pep, but then again, neither would any other manager they could bring in.

No concerns whatsoever for me about Klopp's ability to get Liverpool back on track.

[sid waddell]

Dublin were insane not to sack Jim Gavin in 2014

And so it is now with Liverpool and Klopp

Defo need rid of him

[GetOverTheBar]

Dublin were insane not to sack Jim Gavin in 2014

And so it is now with Liverpool and Klopp

Defo need rid of him

He could be joining your mate Frank Lampard on the scrapheap soon alright 

[Captain Obvious]

On the Klopp v Guardiola debate.

Would Klopp have won the same amount of league titles as Guardiola if he was Manchester City manager? I think so and he'd do better in the Champions league. In 4 seasons Pep hasn't even led City to a semi final.

Would Guardiola have won the league and Champions league if he was Liverpool manager the last two years?  League title perhaps, Champions league very doubtful going by his record with City and Bayern Munich the last 10 years.

[sid waddell]

Dublin were insane not to sack Jim Gavin in 2014

And so it is now with Liverpool and Klopp

Defo need rid of him

He could be joining your mate Frank Lampard on the scrapheap soon alright 

I miss Frank

Especially because under Tuchel Chelsea are almost certainly going to go on a long winning run and finish second

Frank was doing such a great job, providing wonderful entertainment every week

[GiveItToTheShooters]

Guardiola is a fraud. A chequebook manager that only manages rich clubs or the top team in their respective country. Hasn't proven himself like Klopp has bringing titles to Dortmund and Liverpool and getting Mainz promoted. You cannot compare Guardiola to Klopp.

[Boycey]

Given some of his previous posts you can't even be sure he's on a wind up