RipCordless

A pop-culture consumer who keeps it, by design, in the shallow end of the pool.

Klopp

Liverpool Make History

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It is an interesting time to be a Liverpool supporter in light of their recent history making come-back against Barcelona last Tuesday. Long have I endured the collapse of the club, weak managers, and failed attempts to reach the pinnacle of the Premier League. There have been mistakes, slips, hiccups, and directionless seasons but I remained faithful while echoing, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to my beloved Reds. I still remember where I was the day Liverpool brought in Jurgen Klopp as manager. It was a typical day at work, I was surrounded by the various tasks of the day, and hanging with friends who don’t comprehend the nuances of English tribalism when it comes to domestic football (soccer). They looked at me with mild amusement as I extolled the virtues of a German manager now in charge of Liverpool. They tolerated my exuberance as I rattled on with giddy enthusiasm about how Klopp would change everything. And now, all that blind faith yields results.

Gone are the weak comparisons of Brendan Rodgers to Jurgen Klopp. Dismissed are the mid-table players who once made up the bulk of the roster. Diminished are the doubts of achieving a top-four finish. Jurgen Klopp has done what no other modern era manager could have accomplished — he’s set Liverpool back on a path to greatness. He’s reset the course, redefined the players, and educated the dedicated supporters. By willing his club into the Champions League finals for a second consecutive year, Klopp has established himself as an elite manager at an elite club. And we’re still in with a very minor chance to win the Premier League for the first time this Sunday.

When Barcelona arrived at Anfield on Tuesday, they felt confident. Up 3-0 from their home leg in the Champions League semi-finals, all seemed concluded. Surely Liverpool would roll over and die but not so fast. After a quick start, Liverpool were up 1-0 at the half, then an inspired substitution brought in my favorite player, Gini Wijnaldum, who scored a brace bringing the aggregate level at 3-3. Late in the second half, Trent Alexander-Arnold, a right-back of cheek and courage, took an opportunity and caught the Barcelona defense napping. A quick corner got the ball to Divock Origi who buried it, finishing the game 4-3. In an unlikely but inspiring moment in football history, Liverpool will go to their second Champions League final with a chip on their shoulder from last year’s failure — but I expect a different result this time around.

Liverpool are focused, experienced, practiced and ready for a redemptive chance to lift the cup. Should they win the final on June 1st, it will be the sixth Champions League trophy in club history and path will be forged for a new and exciting chapter in Liverpool red. Meanwhile, check out the intense celebrations and an incredible rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone from the crowd.

Incredible.

UPDATE

When the dust cleared from the season, Manchester City won the Premier League, defending their title, and confirming their status as a top shelf talent. Liverpool finished the season with 97 points, 1 behind City, and locked into second place. All in all, a stunning season and I’m proud to be a Liverpool supporter.

Liverpool with Five Left

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Am I nervous? Of course. Do I think Liverpool Football Club can win the remaining five games left in the 2018/19 Premier League season? Uh, yes. Do I think Liverpool will win the Premier League for the first time since the league was formed 26 years ago? Now that is another matter. Why? Because Liverpool don’t control their own fate. Manchester City, the Pep Guardiola led juggernaut, is currently two points behind Liverpool but have one game in hand. Should Manchester City win all their remaining games, there is nothing Liverpool can do except finish in second place finishers, bereft of the title once again. So you’re saying there’s a chance?!

All it takes for that chance is for Manchester City to slip up. One draw, or loss, and Liverpool are in with a shout — if they have the bottle to remain in first place for the remainder of the season. Tomorrow, Sunday, April 14, is likely an important moment in deciding exactly who will win the Premier League title in 2018/19, because Liverpool face an old foe in Chelsea, the team responsible for “The Slip” and capitulation in Gerrard’s final run at glory. Without a doubt, Chelsea mark the biggest hurdle of quality players (no disrespect intended) remaining in the schedule. Should Liverpool lose, it’s likely over. Should Liverpool win, they remain poised to snatch the title if Manchester City falter.

Truth be told, there’s more going on than simply the Chelsea game. Some Reds look over the Manchester City run-in and eyeball the Manchester United game as a possible hurdle. Not me. You ask any self-respecting Man United fan who’d they’d rather see win the league, every one of them will tell you they don’t want Man City, but despise Liverpool. From where I sit, Manchester United will fold gracefully to City on Wednesday, April 24. The real test for Manchester City will be the week before when Spurs come to town. Hungry for a top-four finish, Spurs may likely be the strongest test of City’s resolve and Liverpool’s chance at daylight. Barring that game, things appears quite comfortable for City on the way to the finish line — much to Liverpool’s chagrin.

My final thought is on of what could have been. Liverpool had a ten-point lead during the holidays but clearly felt the pressure of that lead. No team in Premier League history has managed to piss away a ten-point lead and fail to win the league, since it’s inception. But Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp aren’t used to winning or being in the lead — they are used to being the underdog. Sure enough, they managed to leak points and piss away that lead, finally succumbing the unrelenting pressure of Manchester City. Why?

Honestly, I think Liverpool are running on emotion these days. They ebb and flow, like tidal water, and want it so badly, they can taste it. Meanwhile Man City quietly go about their business as professional winners, dispatching opponents with relative ease on their way to another title. The true difference between Liverpool and Man City is the mechanics of their respective journeys. One team, dressed in powder blue, coldly execute the plan. The second team, dressed in red, are driven by passion. Passion is certainly exciting but may not get it done. And I’ll be devastated.

Post-Match UPDATE

Liverpool 2, Chelsea 0

Pressure is an interesting thing. Something people fold, other thrive. Liverpool continue to deal with the pressure after dispatching their most dangerous opponent, 2-0 on Sunday. Chelsea left without a repeat of five years ago and their hand in preventing Liverpool from lifting the Premier League trophy. Not this time. Salah scored a stunner from the top of the box to secure a two-goal lead. Chelsea had their chances almost immediately and Hazard continues to show his brilliance, thumping one off the post but when the dust cleared, Liverpool resume their position at the top of the league and hope Manchester City stumble just once in the final few games.

Liverpool Set for Defensive Problems

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Well, shit. The Premier League summer transfer window has slammed shut and Virgil Van Dijk remains in Southampton, Phillipe Coutinho remains resolute on leaving the club, and Naby Keita remains at Red Bull Leipzig until next summer. But should we dwell upon the negative? Nah. How about touching on the impact of these decisions but also chat about the success of the 2017/18 summer transfer window?

If you recall, the first signing of the summer was Dominic Solanke, a striker squirreled away on the Chelsea bench. A tall, target player with a nose for goal, Solanke has been nothing short of exceptional since joining the Reds. His positioning, aerial expertise, and vision are already quite polished and I feel as though Klopp is looking for another Robert Lewandowski clone — a BVB player who blossomed under Klopp’s tutelage into one of the most feared strikers in Europe. Perhaps Solanke can develop into a similar player? All in all, a solid addition to the depth of the squad.

Next signing was Mohamed Salah, a blazingly fast winger who played for Roma last season. Salah was a Chelsea player two years ago but just hadn’t sorted out the unique nuances of the Premier League game and thus was sold. This is Salah’s second opportunity and thus far, he has played across from Sadio Mane and the pair look shockingly good flying down the wings. As Klopp has said, it is very difficult to defend against speed — and Salah has speed in rich abundance. As a nice cherry, he can also score thus he remains a solid choice as starter on a weekly basis.

Third signing of the summer was Andrew Robertson from Hull (a relegated team from last season). Robertson plays the much needed LB position and is a natural left-footed player. With a tendency to go forward, Robertson is slightly better defensively than Moreno (the player he’s replacing) but seems more comfortable in that role. For the record, though Moreno has been playing in early season PL games, he continues to look horrendous defensively. Moreno tends to panic, lunges into tackles (in the box) and appears soft in defensive positioning and recognizing runs. We can only hope Robertson develops into a more well rounded LB. Time will tell.

The fourth signing was actually a name pushed around early in the window, Naby Keita, a box-to-box midfield player currently playing for the aforementioned, Red Bull Leipzig. Considered a very good midfield player with extremely high potential, Keita agreed to join Liverpool in the 2018/19 summer window, which is both shrewd and slightly disappointing. Supporters are required to wait before we see his skills on display at Anfield, but it also sends a clear message to the current midfield players that high-level effort is required or Keita will replace them. Don’t get me wrong, Keita will likely replace someone anyway but it doesn’t hurt the mindset of current players. Yes, it difficult waiting but at least it puts a positive spin on next season. I’ll take the future arrival of this highly sought after player as a sign of Liverpool FC intent.

The fifth significant signing of the window was the slightly surprising Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal. The “Ox,” as he’s been dubbed, has been playing a wing-back role on Arsenal but was vigorously pursued by Chelsea during the summer window. Interestingly, Ox declined the Chelsea interest in favor of Liverpool’s “project” (as Klopp calls it). Rumor has it, Klopp offered Ox a midfield role, a place where he prefers to play and thus he jumped at the chance. This signing is actually another excellent addition to the depth of the squad — with potential to positively impact the starting XI.

Enough of the positive, let’s wax negative for a second. There is no doubt the biggest problem for Liverpool is their inconsistent back line. After giving up the second most goals in the Premier League top-6 last season, it appeared to supporters this would be a likely area of focus during the summer window. Strangely, after the Virgil Van Dijk fiasco, the focus appears to have shifted off this priority. The Reds fan-base has been quite shocked by this decision and is concerned defensive liabilities will be exposed time and time again by patient teams. I hold a glimmer of hope Van Dijk will sign in the winter (January 2018) window but that is speculation rather than fact. Meanwhile, I can only hope the available depth of defensive players generally helps the defensive focus. Another, “we shall see.”

The second glaring issue for Liverpool supporters is our Little Brazilian Magician, Phillipe Coutinho. He dropped a transfer request on Liverpool management roughly 24 hours before the first game of the season (which didn’t endear himself to the faithful supporters) because he wanted to move to Barcelona. Honestly, one cannot blame him. When one of the best clubs on the planet want you, it’s hard to say no. Spain, sunshine, and did I mention one of the best domestic clubs on the planet?! Anyway, Liverpool saw fit to decline Coutinho’s transfer request despite being bombarded by high-value offers topping out above £100 million from Barca. Klopp went on record saying Liverpool aren’t a “selling club,” they keep their talent and bring in additional players to improve the quality of the club. Quite a refreshing message but now the transfer window in closed and Coutinho remains in LFC red, now what? Hopefully, Klopp can speak with Coutinho and bring his focus back to Liverpool for one more season. Truth be told, that is likely as good as it is going to get. Coutinho likely won’t be staying beyond the 2017/18 season, irrespective of what happens between now and next summer. Unfortunate but understandable. I know he’s getting a ton of grief from Liverpool supporters, and I should probably join in — but I won’t. I just hope Coutinho comes out and lets the supporters know he’s focused on Liverpool for one more season and looks forward to contributing to the team. That would go a long way to salve the wound created by his early season transfer request.

And thus, the Liverpool FC squad is set for the Premier League campaign from now until January 2018. It should be an interesting run, playing in the PL, the Champion’s League, and other concurrent (less important) championships. Not watching the Premier League? Don’t have a team to pull for? Why not check out Liverpool FC on NBCSN on Saturday or Sunday, see what all the fuss is about.

Liverpool FC Primed for Interesting Summer

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The English (Barclay’s) Premier League season concluded and Liverpool FC, under the reformed leadership of Jürgen Klopp, managed a hit & miss eighth place.  Liverpool scored 60 points, two short of West Ham United, three short of Southampton and missed any action in Europe for the 2016/17 season — but as a dedicated supporter, I’m okay with that. Why? Because Klopp was essentially managing Brendan Rodgers team and trying to make the best of it. To expect too much too soon would be ridiculous and honestly is not reflected in Klopp’s managerial history.

The fastest way to provide a salve to the Europa Cup final loss to Sevilla would be to nail down a marquee signing sooner rather than later. Officially, the summer transfer window began on July 01, 2016 (lasting two months) but clubs, players, and agents were free to negotiate (and announce) before that date. The question Klopp is now pondering and presumably acting upon is who leaves and who joins the fray? History teaches us Klopp will move with alacrity and direct purpose, shifting players who do not suit his game while bringing in a host of potential replacements. After nosing around online, Klopp’s transfer pattern appears consistent may be leaned upon without fear of it falling apart under the burden of scrutiny.

While managing Dortmund, Klopp oversaw many transfer windows but one thing remains clear: he can work within a budget. In fact, between 2008/9 and 2013/14, Klopp never strayed beyond a plus/minus of £5m in any given transfer window, normally landing on the plus side. That is exceptional money and player management considering his record of success during that time. Furthermore, in the same period, the price paid for Klopp’s average player acquisition was rarely greater than $4m, pushing to the maximum of $20.63 with Mkhitaryan in 2013/14. Once more, excellent focus on value for money and development but what about the sheer number of people in and out the door.

There is no doubt Klopp pushes players in and out with almost alarming frequency. In Klopp’s 2008/09 season (his first with Dortmund), only including players who were paid for (i.e., not including loans or contracts expiration’s), he signed eight while he sold nine. That is a hefty change but, truth be told, I expect the same sort of shake-up with Liverpool’s formal transfer window. During the remaining years, the paid transfers were:

Season # Players IN/OUT Highest Price Paid… …Player Signed
2008/09 +8 / -9 £3.38m Subotic
2009/10 +7 / -5 £3.15m Hummels
2010/11 +6 / -6 £3.56m Lewandowski
2011/12 +4 / -6 £4.13m Gundogan
2012/13 +4 / -6 £12.83m Reus
2013/14 +4 / -8 £20.63m Mkhitaryan

Just glancing at the list, one can easily be impressed with the quality now associated with those names. Allow me to take a moment and list players Klopp turned into household names: Mats Hummels, Sven Bender, Robert Lewandowski, Lukasz Piszczek, Shinji Kagawa, Neven Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyant, and Henrikh Mkhitaryn. All of those players were either discovered, developed, or polished under the hand of Jurgen Klopp (and his assistant coaches). So where does that leave Liverpool FC for the 2016/17 season?

In good hands.

Thus far, Klopp has successfully signed Joel Matip (free transfer), Marko Grujic (free transfer), Loris Karius (£4.7m), and Saido Mane (£32.0m). All these changes have been considered exceptional business with the potential for high value returns by most pundits — well, all of that business except the surprising Saido Mane purchase. Klopp has expressed to the media he’s been following and admiring Mane for some time and in light of the rebuff by Mario Gotze, it appears likely Klopp is satisfied with his forward thinking players (though I would have loved a more high-profile signing). From where I sit, it appears the focus needs to be on the middle of the park. We need a rock solid center midfield, box-to-box kind of player for the team to revolve around. Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.

From where I sit, I trust Klopp more than I ever trusted any manager in recent Liverpool club history. The future remains bright and we’re lucky to have Klopp at the helm.

Jurgen Klopp Wears Liverpool Red

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I cannot believe it. After many months of enduring Brendan Rodgers’ mediocrity, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) parted ways with Rodgers and replaced him with Jurgen Klopp a mere four days later.

Someone hold me, I’m giddy.

Many stories have surfaced fawning over the arrival of Jurgen Klopp: the flawless first press conference, his intent to “get to work” by changing the culture of the team, refocusing players on expectation and generally polishing the talent which already exists at Anfield. You’d think that mantra was pretty standard fare for a new manager at a new club but Klopp just presents a different vibe. Truth be told, I’ve been nothing but impressed with Klopp’s first impression. Finally we move forward.

The Liverpool supporters have been calling for Brendan Rodgers sacking since Christmas 2014, and justifiably so. This won’t be yet another hit-piece on Rodgers but when one inevitably compares Rodgers to Klopp, the gulf between the two is shockingly apparent. Gone is the weak and placating personality of Rodgers, supplanted by confidence, charisma and leadership of Klopp. The tired, “The lads showed great character” comments, the favoritism of out-of-form players, and odd substitution patterns left town with Rodgers. Klopp brings with him a vast array of experience which brought BVB to the very top of the Bundesliga for back-to-back seasons, and into the Champion’s League final in another. Though certainly not perfect, Klopp is on another planet and I was initially wondering why he chose Liverpool but that question was quickly answering in his initial press conference.

Klopp said it clearly on Friday morning, he didn’t choose Liverpool because of the pay, he decided to take over this storied, much decorated club because he sees promise and potential in the current team — and developing potential is something Klopp (and his trusty backroom staff) know something about.

During the seven years he managed Borussia Dortmund (BVB), Klopp brought Matts Hummels, a reject from Bayern Munich, into BVB and he flourished. Many now consider Hummels one of the best center backs on the planet. He plucked Ilkay Gundogan from 2nd division obscurity and polished him into one of the most stalwart and creative midfield players in Germany. But probably Klopp’s greatest achievement: he put the barely known Robert Lewandowski at the head of his team sheet and the striker exploded, becoming one of the best goal-scoring options in european football. Lewandowski moved to Bayern Munich last season and now appears to be scoring goals for fun (he recently scored six goal in one half of a game). Klopp’s impressive accolades go on. When talking finances, Klopp’s expertise continues. In the 2012/13 Champion’s League Cup final against Bayern Munich, Klopp fielded a team which cost a mere £28 million and almost won the game. But what does this mean for Anfield?

Klopp is the very personification of focus, drive, charisma, and excellence. He is widely regarded in England, and throughout the world and his appointment to the managerial helm at Liverpool has brought about some interesting public reactions, not only from social media but also from people dead set against the interests of Liverpool.

I’ve read multiple fan comments saying things like, “I don’t really follow Liverpool but I hope they do well under Klopp,” or “Great appointment. Best of luck to Liverpool.” Journalists are making similar comments regarding Liverpool, once the whipping boy of the league, not perhaps the darling? The one public comment which stopped me dead in my tracks commented, “I think he’ll [Klopp] do very well. I don’t like saying that, being Liverpool, because I’m worried about it but, no, he’ll do well.” That statement came from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful Manchester United and Premier League manager in modern history.

The only question remaining for me is when did FSG actually hire Klopp? Do I think FSG randomly sacked Rodgers and got lucky landing Klopp, a highly sought after manager, some 92 hours later? The bits and pieces of this puzzle are in view, I just need to sort out what fits.

It is well known FSG have been pursuing Klopp for some time. Reports indicate FSG tried to sign Klopp before they signed Rodgers in 2012, obviously to no avail. There are also reports FSG went after Klopp again once he, after mutual agreement, walked away from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer. FSG were rebuffed by Klopp, being told he needed a sabbatical to recharge his batteries — and that is where I think the story takes on an interesting slant.

In my opinion, I believe the Fenway Sports Group obtained some interest from Klopp immediately after his departure from BVB early this summer. I also believe they probably reached a tentative verbal agreement of some kind which went something like this: FSG agreed Klopp could go on sabbatical until he was ready to return — but likely put a no-later-than-the-winter-break cap on his time away. Rodgers would remain in place but essentially as his own interim manager, a place-holder pending the arrival of a recharged Klopp.

FSG likely anticipated the Premier League season would begin with an underwhelming start with Rodgers. They remained in loose contact with Klopp while on holiday, reassuring themselves the soft agreement was still good, and perhaps began talking numbers, expectation, and possibility. Klopp kept one eye firmly on his holiday but started to nibble at the idea he could manage at Anfield. As the pedestrian Premier League season rolled on, the talks intensified and Klopp started watching the team in earnest — pulling apart the players, seeing how they fit his personal strategy and the “football romantic” within him started forming a path to Anfield. Fast forward eight games into the PL season and voila, Rodgers is gone and Jurgen Klopp, one of the most respected managers in world football, sits on the throne at Anfield. Does this speculated timeline seems possible? Perhaps but here’s another element to the mix: the unanticipated Robert Firmino transfer.

By all accounts the acquisition of Robert Firmino from TSG Hoffenheim was something Rodgers didn’t personally agree upon — it was thrust upon him by FSG. But perhaps something else was going on. Perhaps Klopp was a distant admirer of Firmino, communicated that interest to FSG who decided to gamble on moving the player to Anfield, all in hopeful preparation for Klopp’s arrival. Could the potential Klopp deal have been simmering since early summer?! Admittedly that sounds like a stretch but truth is often stranger than fiction. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp is a Red and I could not be happier.