Jurgen Klopp handled his first duties as Liverpool boss pretty well when dealing with the press on Friday morning.

The new manager did seem a bit perplexed by the amount of attention he was getting as he sat in front of the countries media but he remained calm, clear and added a bit of charm and humour to proceedings.

Interestingly the German was quick to point out that his new side weren’t in a crisis and that it was actually a decent time to pick up the reigns at Anfield stating:

‘It’s a good moment now.’

and:

‘This is a good moment to restart.’

He was also quick to quell too much expectation and asked for time to get things right.

Liverpool fans will have no doubt been impressed with Mr Klopp’s first impressions and will be hoping to see some of that ‘Full throttled football’ that Borussia Dortmund fans got used to under Jurgen’s tenureship at the Westfalenstadion.

The fact that he seems to have disabled to full authority of the much maligned transfer committee.

But for me it all comes back to timing.

I’ve said, since the summer, that Liverpool actually have the makings of a really strong squad. I believe they bought well in the summer and that in time we’ll see more from players like Roberto Firmino.

I just didn’t believe that Brendan Rodgers was the man to get the best out of the group of players he had at his disposal. I think that the Liverpool owners liked Rodgers and still felt sentimental about his nearly year in 2014. That’s why he stayed beyond the summer.

But the board must have looked at the table, then looked at the team and thought the time was right to go for a big name coach.

Liverpool are only sox points off the Premier League’s top spot and importantly just three away from fourth place and the Champions League places.

Given the fact that no team is currently on a superb run of form and all the top sides are failing to keep calm under the pressures of being in first place, Liverpool know that they can still influence this league. Hell they could actually challenge for the title if Klopp can get things right from the start!

Chelsea are also pivotal in all this and for two big reasons.

They champions are currently struggling. After a hugely disappointing start to the season they lie in sixteenth place and are four points behind the Anfield side. That is a gap for Jurgen Klopp and his team to protect and then push up the table. Keeping a cushion between themselves and Chelsea could mean Champions League football next season and a huge push for the title next term.

Then there is the Jose Mourinho situation at Chelsea. The self proclaimed ‘Special One’ looks to be a very different animal now his side are in a huge slump. He cuts a wounded figure and almost seemed to goad his own board to sack him after his team lost 3-1 at home to Southampton.

A lot of Chelsea supporters have started to doubt Jose and that’s a first and it could be the beginning of the end for him at Stamford Bridge.

So that could have given the Liverpool owners a wake up call, if they wanted their top target (Klopp) then they needed to act fast and they did just that.

The club could also be getting a top-class coach at the right time.

Looking at him during his press conference, he seemed desperate to start this new new challenge. The media duties almost seemed to be an unwanted distraction. He wants to prove himself again, that hunger should always drive a manager!

His history could serve him well. At Dortmund he managed to bring a sleeping giant back to life and Liverpool fans will hope that he can show his squad how to win titles as he did in Germany!

Listen I am not going to tell you that Klopp will walk into English football and win the Premier League with Liverpool.

But I do believe that they are in much better shape with the forty-eight year old in charge. The whole club needed a new wave of optimism to hit it and Klopp should give them that and with that he should get the players believing in themselves again.

I applaud the Anfield board for making the right call and for taking a gamble that could propel them right up the table!

Posted on October 10th, 2015 by scott
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