Klopp needs time to untangle Liverpool's transfer mess
Former manager Brendan Rodgers paints himself as a victim of Anfield's transfer committee, but Klopp must avoid the same fate
Defeat to arch rivals Manchester United and comments about Liverpool's notorious transfer committee have upped the pressure on manager Jurgen Klopp, who has been tasked with restoring order and bringing success back to the club.
Fresh from losing 1-0 defeat at home, the Reds were hit by previous coach Brendan Rodgers's comments to Sky Sports that he did not have the "final say" on transfers during his time as Liverpool manager. As an example, he revealed how he had wanted to buy Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona in the summer of 2014, but had to sign AC Milan's Mario Balotelli instead.
Transfers, he said, had been a "group decision" and the purchase of Balotelli, even though he was not the kind of player Rodgers wanted, was sanctioned because the owners believed they could make a tidy profit on him and "thought this was perhaps a player I could develop".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not everyone is convinced by Rodgers's lament. He has chosen to "paint himself as a victim of Liverpool’s transfer strategy rather than as someone who should take his share of the blame for the things that have gone wrong", says Tony Barrett of The Times. But it is worth listening to his comments: "Where Rodgers has a legitimate point is that it has been several years since Liverpool last had a team in keeping with their manager's vision."
It is a legacy of muddled thinking that is undermining the club. Against Manchester United on Sunday, Klopp cut an animated figure on the sidelines. "At first this was interpreted as passion, then anger, then provocation," says Barney Ronay in The Guardian. "Perhaps he’s just really, really confused."
It would be no surprise if he was feeling bewildered, the journalist continues: "And not just by the conflicting qualities of the group of players he has inherited. But by the structures and governance of a club that has, in a brilliant coup, managed to hire one of the most desirable managers in Europe; and then, in the opposite of a brilliant coup, presented him with one of the weirdest, most ill-fitting squads in recent Premier League history.
Klopp is trying to play "power-chord football" with a "collection of mandolins, harpsichords and broken ukuleles", adds Ronay.
"The real measure will come a year or so on from the expected purge at the end of the season," he says.
Liverpool must learn from their mistakes if they are to prosper under Klopp, agrees Barrett of The Times. "The team that Klopp builds has to be his own," he says. "[It] means that his influence on the recruitment process has to be greater than Rodgers's was and that the blueprint he puts in place is adhered to without deviation or compromise."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Has Liverpool been weakened by Jürgen Klopp’s ‘seven-year itch’?
feature After seven years at Anfield, critics are wondering whether his magic is wearing off
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League all-star game: ‘incredibly arrogant’ or natural ‘evolution’?
Talking Point Managers and pundits dismiss US-inspired idea from Chelsea co-owner
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Who is Darwin Nunez? The ‘modern striker’ signing for Liverpool
Why Everyone’s Talking About Portuguese club Benfica confirm a deal for the Uruguay international worth up to €100m
By Mike Starling Published
-
Uefa Champions League final: blame game begins for chaos in Paris
feature Liverpool call for an investigation as Uefa are accused of a ‘narrative of lies’
By Mike Starling Published
-
2022 Uefa Champions League final: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid preview, predictions and TV
feature Everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s showpiece in Paris
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
2022 FA Cup final: Chelsea vs. Liverpool preview, predictions, kick-off time and TV coverage
feature Premier League rivals go head-to-head in another Wembley final
By Mike Starling Published