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That toothy smile and laugh was all many fans saw and heard during the 2019-20 season when Jurgen Klopp pioneered Liverpool’s first league title in 30 years.
The compliments flowed. He was named the Best FIFA Male Coach in a row and was also recognized as the best in the industry in the most recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
Rivals envied Liverpool for having such a personable, relatable and charismatic coach. But those who were once green with envy now look at a man who seems irritated, grumpy and devoid of that charm that made him love English football.
Klopp had his moments in the title race, no doubt, where he showed an intense side of his personality, the side that wasn’t in the mood to smile.
But without a preseason, losing half of his first-choice defense to serious injury, and exasperated with the matchup clash caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Klopp, most of the time, has appeared at a breaking point this time . .
While addressing the media after losing to Burnley, Klopp took “full responsibility” for a game he deemed “impossible” to lose, given they had 72 percent of the ball at Anfield.
“We lost the game which I think is quite impossible to lose, but we did,” Klopp told Sky Sports.
“And that’s my fault because my job is to make sure the guys have the right feeling and the right amount of confidence and make the right decisions.”
It was the last instance where the champions failed in a game that they were expected to overcome with relative ease. Klopp’s players lacked the killing blow and paid the price.
But the story of the night came in the tunnel as the teams headed to the halftime level at 0-0. Television cameras caught a furious Klopp chasing after Burnley’s boss, Sean Dyche, and displaying the German’s fierce temper.
Tempers flared between the two teams on the field when Burnley’s Ashley Barnes got into a fight with Fabinho and Klopp wasn’t ready to let him go when managers exchanged words in the tunnel.
Klopp has never been an angel on the touchline, but it’s been some time since he’s been as angry and nervous as he was in his altercation with Dyche, something he later said “ didn’t start. ”
“If you’re not talking about it, I’m not talking about it,” Klopp responded to questions about what had happened. I didn’t start it, but it’s nothing. All good.’
And it’s by no means an isolated argument that Klopp has had this season. Your complaint and complaint page is filling up fast.
Although he seemed to accept that there would be no new arrivals this month when asked in early January about his expectations, the loss to Burnley seemed to sour Klopp’s will to stay with the team as is.
“This club has always been, and will always be with these owners, very responsible with the things we do,” he said at the beginning of the January window.
Fast forward to the final whistle at Anfield on Thursday and Klopp, less than impressed, took a different approach, claiming dramatically that he has no voice if signings are made.
“These decisions are not my decisions,” he said.
“If someone thinks we should do something, I can’t decide if we do something in the transfer market or not. That should be clear.
Another decision he’s been constantly angry about and has had no say about is the condensed schedule – an anger BT Sport’s Des Kelly soon discovered at Brighton’s AMEX stadium.
Pascal Gross scored a stoppage time penalty to take two points away from Liverpool on the road and Klopp proceeded to launch an extraordinary spiel against the broadcaster. There would be no light humor, no hint of a smile, just a frown and an ax he was eager to do against the governing bodies and broadcasters.
Kelly noted the severity of the latest setback as Klopp sarcastically said “congratulations” and continued his firm stance on the toll that game congestion is taking on his players.
“Well, you work for them,” Klopp told Kelly, clearly furious with BT Sport. Ask Chris Wilder how we can work on that. I don’t know how often I have to say it, but you choose the 12:30 games.
Between now and December there is a Wednesday, Saturday more. These are hard times. I just say it like it is. Wednesday through Saturday at 12:30 is really dangerous. ‘
Previously, Klopp seemed infallible in the face of adversity that is inevitable at the elite level. The results go wrong. Injuries can be devastating. Certainly no fans are not helping, as Klopp so impressively fed on the passion of the fans. But now everything seems to bother him.
Sticking with three substitutes instead of five left him apoplectic, while his taunts with rival bosses have gone from intriguing and exciting to quite awkward.
As Chris Sutton coined in his Sportsmail column, Klopp has gone from Mr. Motivator to Mr. Moaner in a matter of months.
Before facing Manchester United, Klopp said that “it was easier for him to be the hunter” than the hunted. If that’s really true, only Klopp knows. But if it is, it has a fun way of showing it.
United has been one of Klopp’s main targets outside of their ranks with announcers about game times.
After Sadio Mane did not receive a penalty against Southampton, in a game Liverpool lost, Klopp referenced Liverpool’s big rivals in his bid for an explanation.
“I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I have in five and a half years,” Klopp said. I have no idea if it’s my fault or how it can happen.
It was not entirely correct, but the message was clear. It wasn’t entirely Rafa Benitez’s infamous press conference on favoritism around Sir Alex Ferguson, but it felt insignificant to Klopp. It felt like a deflection of guilt after another disappointing loss.
Then came the game against United and Klopp was fired up before the game. ‘I know Ole said this is the best time to play Liverpool. Yes? Let’s see, ‘he said.
In the end, he broke from United’s tactics when Solskjaer’s team walked away with one point to stay on top of the league.
“We play football, we try to do it, we force them to go back to their own box,” he complained to BBC Sport. ‘The worst thing you can face in the world, in football, is playing against a team with world-class players and they all defend with everything they have, deep in the area and only counterattack. It’s really difficult, that’s the biggest challenge. ‘
The sideline celebrations, the famous fist pumps, have been replaced in most cases this season by animated signals and head in hands. You see a completely different character when the pressure builds.
Like his players, Klopp needs to regain his charm, the charm that conquered so many needs to return to restore harmony. Failure to do so could result in your attempt to claim your title stalled in first gear.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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