Haha, I remember saying to a few friends of mine when Ferguson left “I just hope it’s not Moyes or Klopp, they’ll continue his dynasty for the next two decades”. Not my finest hour on one hand but it wasn’t so bad on the other, so far at least. 
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I’m not sure Klopp would have seriously considered Arsenal. They’re pretty much the antithesis of what he was looking for; their fanbase is quiet and dispassionate (apart from anger which they love), the football culture was low pace and possession focused at a time when Klopp wanted to install high intensity, heavy pressing. Little history to buy in to. The owner wants profits but doesn’t care about results - which, for all the criticism FSG get, they clearly want profits AND results.
He was probably talking about Arsenal when he mentioned having interviews with other clubs that just didn’t feel right.
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Wouldn’t be so sure about that. I think the fans element is a bit overrated by us fans (or some part of it). Okay, Jurgen may never manage a Real Madrid (sometimes the career is short, goes in different ways, you’re always a candidate but it never happens, etc.), but I doubt it’s got that much to do with fan culture. Language would be much more of a factor, especially for the way he works closely with his players and staff. What was said during Wenger’s last years is that quite a few top managers checked to see if something was going to change and when. Obviously they’re not ran properly from top to bottom in last years, but they remain England’s 3rd biggest club and they did mean something during Wenger’s early years. I’m pretty sure Chelsea would’ve been one of the candidates for Klopp if we didn’t move for him in time. Maybe he would’ve rejected them, who knows. But I just think this “he’ll only pick clubs like Dortmund and Liverpool” is exaggerated. In terms of playing style, that changes a lot, too. Though you do have really special places like Barca during/post-Cruyff.
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Bit harsh, that. Third in total domestic titles won (First Division plus Premier League) and more FA Cups than anyone else. Granted, they’ve always been rubbish in Europe but historically they’re one of the top three clubs in England.
A million times more history than Manchester City and Chelsea, for a start.
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Yeah but most of their trophies were either in the 1930s or 1990s, which doesn’t feel like “history” as such. Its certainly not storied or legendary that they won the league in 1931.
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So do we ignore some of our older titles? What’s the cut-off date?
Might as well get rid of my Lisha avatar while I am at it.
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I think the fanbase matters massively for Klopp. He strikes me as someone who has to be excited by the challenge and part of that is having a passionate fanbase behind him.
The playing style can change, of course, but again I don’t think he was too interested in going in somewhere and changing a culture - it feels like he wanted to build upon it.
Arsenal would have been a horrible move for him, he was smart to wait for a club that ticked all the boxes.
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Not sure…
Klopp strikes me as someone who doesn’t know too much about this or doesn’t give much importance to it. I think he believes with his approach and football he can help and change.
I’m not sure he puts Arsenal’s fans in the “YouTube idiots” bracket. Of course, not all fans are the same, but a lot of them are. Arsenal in my opinion remain a damn attractive club. Maybe not exactly today, as they’re trying to put the right pieces in the right places, but in most times.
We don’t have a lot of examples with Klopp, having managed 3 clubs for a pretty long time (considering today’s football), he may not have a lot more different jobs in the rest of his career.
I think the elements are much more about football and the people in charge working upstairs. Fans… well, yeah. I think there are differences in culture. But fans can buy into a lot of styles if the results are good and consistent.
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At Liverpool our club’s history is linked intrinsically to the fans every single game, it’s part of our culture as a fanbase and a club. Arsenal doesn’t have that.
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The rot at Arsenal can be traced back to their move to the Emirate Stadium…
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He has better (and surely more expensive) players than some of the teams above him in the table. Should be doing better. A bit shocking everyone coming to his defense and still no pressure on him.
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I have massive respect for Wenger’s Arsenal, especially during those years when they fought for title with Ferguson’s Man United. Liverpool have lost many games but no side could outplay them like Arsenal, I dreaded the games against them, especially trips to Highbury. I don’t think the team’s record has been good at Emirates either.
They are a shadow of Wenger/Dein-era Arsenal, though, decision-making regarding player recruitment and contracts have been very inconsistent. I’m not sure that too much blame can be placed at Arteta’s doorstep, they are one side which I don’t think would get a major lift from a big-name manager. If I was the manager, I’d bin half of their starting XI and try to solve the lack of balance in attack and midfield.
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Yeah, there’s a lot of work to be done at that level between the owners and the head coach. When that’s in place (even without it, but with a structure even more, of course), Arsenal logically remain one of the top jobs out there.
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Hmm, I think Klopp cares a great deal about the culture of a club, which includes the structure, atmosphere, history and fans. Ignoring his first club, they gave him his chance, he goes to Dortmund. He stays another 7 years, takes a sabbatical and cuts it short to sign for… Yes the tricky Reds.
Does anyone think we were the only ones after him? What did he say about why he accepted the LFC job? Why has he made such a big deal about the importance of the LFC fan base changing from doubters to believers?
So I think we can conclude that the right project for Klopp included a passionate fan base and a club with history.
As regards Arsenal, defo a big club, a big history with a boring fan base. Highbury wasn’t called the library for nothing.
Arteta to my mind is lost. When JK came in, you could see him implenting his philosophy. I don’t see that with Arteta.
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I think Arteta has got that job too young and too soon in his career. He was bigged up because of his association with Guardiola and City when they were pretty good but as we have seen in the past, being one of a few number 2’s doesn’t automatically translate into being the man. For one, it’s the pressure because if results don’t go your way it isn’t the assistants in the firing line having to answer the difficult questions from the owners, fans and media and Arteta doesn’t have the gravitas to do that with any aplomb or conviction. Then of course its the players; again being an assistant means working closely with the boss but ultimately its the boss dictating what he wants and if the player don’t buy in then it isn’t the assistants that has lost them nor is it the assistant who has to get them to buy in and keep them in line, it’s the boss.
Arteta would have been better served going somewhere where he could have implemented his philosophy, whatever that may be, in a relatively safe position without undue pressure. There isn’t anything about him that I can say defines him as a manager or makes him stand out except for ‘I worked with Guardiola’ and he was not such an outstanding player that he could earn any major respect that way either. Not really too cut about it, didn’t really like him that much as a player.
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Reminiscent of the old cricket classic:
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I’ll take an Arsenal win this week.
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couple of arsenal friends of mine actually said they’d hope he would lose this weekend as it’s gonna be marching orders for him.
Said , fuck off , This is everton…Arsenal need to win this one , screw the bigger picture
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Yeah, there’s enough games left for getting fired
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