A Tomkins Times Tribute to Jürgen Klopp

What a ride! And it’s flown by, like a middle-aged man sprinting onto a pitch in trainers.

It’s incredible to think that we got nine years from a manager; an unimaginable length of time in modern football. Go back to that opening press conference, and think about what lay ahead, that we could then only dream about.

Last week I wrote a short piece about the end of an absolutely spellbinding era, albeit I’m also looking forward to the future, and how, I feel, a strong, young squad can be taken forward as they mature, and new ideas (and a few signings) are implemented on top of those instilled these past few years.

Thank you!

With the end of his leadership nigh, I asked some of our regular writers and commenters to write a few words about Jürgen Norbert Klopp, one of those people who, like Robbie Bernard Fowler, have a middle name that seems incongruously brilliant.

(Some more may follow later in the week.)

Andrew Beasley

Jürgen Klopp has been Liverpool manager for a significant chunk of my life. His first match was on the weekend of my first wedding anniversary, and we’ll celebrate a decade together in October.

That’s me and my wife, by the way, not me and Jürgen.

Older Reds than me will remember Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, who were at the helm for longer. But in my 36-ish years of conscious Liverpool fandom, Klopp is the longest serving and the only man to win both the league and the European Cup.

It makes me smile when a stat will be rolled out about Erik ten Hag or Mikel Arteta or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having more points than Klopp after X games. Have those managers gone to the defending champions and won 3-1? Did their sides play Manchester City off the park in a 4-1 victory at the Etihad? Klopp did both in his first eight Liverpool games, many managers never will.

Progress isn’t linear but it was clear almost immediately that the club was improving and trending upwards. Jürgen formed a bond with the fans too. He called out the early leavers and later saluted the Kop for staying to the end within his first two months. As he said in a recent press conference, "this is a very special club. I didn't make them believe, I reminded them what happens when you believe.”

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