While I fully agree with the rest of your post, this is the part I’m not so sure about. Over the last year or so, Klopp spoke about wanting the club to take more risks in the market and recently about needing to get the transfers done in time for pre-season (at least that’s how I interpreted it). Also, the comments about having to spend in order to keep up with the likes of Manchester clubs, Chelsea etc.
I didn’t think of it as him being down on his knees, begging for new signing. I think of it rather as a reminder that there’s a lot of work to be done immediately and that it will require a slight change of club’s mindset - but I’m convinced it was directed to FSG, rather than player recruitment staff.
I don’t think Klopp will ever change in one aspect - he will always be “quality over quantity” kind but I think this season has dispelled any positive thoughts he had about his current crop of midfielders (and centre backs aren’t far behind). This is where I expect FSG to step up and quite literally put their money where their mouth is (after reading Henry’s interview that was published yesterday).
I think Jurgen is aware that the players he has are worth a lot of money if they were put up for sale… money he may then be in possession of to play the transfer market.
I also think if these players are tied down with a decent length of contract they still remain ‘money in the bank’… It is the timing thing of one out - one in mentality that seems to be an obstacle… or is it.?
If we spend the money this summer that MO and a n other in 18months will bring in, then surely that is a better philosophy than Jurgen having to get the begging bowl out every transfer window.
I am sure if Jurgen insisted on a certain player, FSG will make the money available… just not daft money though
I know you weren’t replying directly to me, but I am not saying that FSG have not backed Klopp in the past - I think the decision not to buy a midfielder last summer after Touchameni fell through was probably entirely down to Klopp - but this summer is when we should be buying the building blocks of Klopp’s next great team. The owners need to understand that and should shelve any reluctance they might have about writing big cheques.
No one knows what Klopp actually wants bar he wants to win.
I’m pretty sure though if you offered him every player in his 1st team was from the academy and was winning titles he’d prefer that… But that’s not reality so he will be pragmatic where he needs to be.
There is a reason Klopp has stayed under FSG, he loves the underdog challenge, which for me makes him one of the best ever.
Only because they don’t connect the dots between what they demand and what the repurcussions would be.
David Moores, bless his heart, came to the belated realization that he had been unable to run the club at the level required to retain its status, one consequence of which was falling behind commercially/financially at a time when the game experienced a commercial explosion. This was not about his personal wealth or willingness to spend.
After the Virgil deal fell apart and his price rose by 20 million, Klopp was ready to walk away to find an alternative. It was the owners who convinced him that the money wasnt a problem if he was as good Klopp thought he was.
The owners have backed Jurgen in the market, and will continue to do so. To say otherwise is inaccurate. But there is a grain of truth in the middle ground of the debate.
Moving forward we probably do need more money than we’ve seen, if say, we are to get the midfield refresh that we hope for. Costs are going up and the quantity of competitor clubs is going up too. They all have money.
That’s not to say there won’t be bargains to be had, and it will be a pleasure to see us unearth players of that ilk. But I think that moving forward we have to continue to be able to shop at all levels of the market, as we have done to get to this point.
The current team is comprised of world record fees, or that sort of vicinity, for a couple of players when we bought them. We also have plenty of operators who cost good money, but were also decent buys at the price. Then we have some low cost options, Bosman, and kids coming through, who themselves are all good players.
However it pans out, that’s the sort of mix of the team I hope we can continue to achieve moving forwards.
I will be happy if we unearth a couple of low cost and/or unheralded players this summer. But I will be unhappy if we are unable to also go much higher in the market for others, especially given the revenues we enjoy.
I genuinely don’t think he does want that degree of turnover, and I don’t think his recent comments contradict that. Somewhere between the City ‘buy the latest shiny’ model and the ‘eat what you kill’ caricature of FSG, there is a range of possible and realistic spending. Klopp’s clear preference has been for steady and patient investment, allowing him time to work with players. But somewhere between FSG’s tight budget, back office turmoil, and Klopp’s regard for the players he already had, we missed a significant cycle of replenishment. I believe Klopp recognizes that now, we should have started rebuilding the midfield before it started to falter - which is exactly what Klopp’s broader philosophy calls for. In the end, LFC got it wrong to at least some degree. Klopp is acknowledging that.
It is an open question as to which of the three buckets you wish to pour all the blame (FSG, back office, Klopp), a choice that is likely a function of prior bias. For me, I think there is at least some in all three. But I don’t get too irate over that, simply because I simply could never have envisioned how quickly that midfield capacity declined. If you had said a year ago that Liverpool’s midfield would struggle to compete consistently by September, most people would have thought you were an idiot. Players like a Bellingham were a luxury addition - turns out the foundation was not in as good shape as most of us thought.
Surprised they haven’t allowed it on the back yet (rather not like), spent ten minutes trying to work out why Benfica players were all named after their lager “Super Bock”.
I for one expect them to be responsible owners for the club, not to drive us into bankrupcy while maintaining us as competitive as possible in the current difficult circumstances.
In the meantime, I expect them to look out for the very best expertise in all areas (commercially, coaching, recruitment etc.), and to improve the infrastructure of the club while maintaining a good atmosphere in and around the club.
If we can, as a logical consequence of the preceding, ratch up a few trophies, all the better. That’s what we’ve done in the recent past.
The problem will always be that if every club does this (as all business tries to do) we’ll ultimately fail in the face of mega money.
We can be as canny and smart as possible but if one of the oil clubs actually addresses all aspects of their club, we’re dead.
Apparently United’s new owners are flying over. Hey Eric, want a billion quid?
This is actually the footballing world in which we now live.
David can beat goliath. The plucky underdog can win the day. But the ultimate spoils will go to those who spend the most money. Hate it, disagree with it. object to it all you want but that’s reality.
