Klopp-fever: Liverpool boss dazzles media at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp has been given a rapturous reaction by fans and the media after being unveiled as the new manager of Liverpool, and in a message to the Anfield faithful the charismatic German urged the supporters to "change from doubters to believers".

Klopp declared himself happy with the squad he has inherited and said it would be "cool" if the players were able to adapt to his methods when he takes charge of his first game against Spurs next week.

"Winning is important but so is how you win and how you play the game," he declared. "I believe in a playing philosophy that is very emotional, very fast and very strong. My teams must play at full throttle and take it to the limit every single game."

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It was a typically entertaining performance from Klopp who invoked 'jumpers for goalposts' ("we can put some sticks in the park and play football, it's still the same game"), referenced Robbie Williams ("we have to – it's a song – we have to entertain them") and expressed a visceral desire for the job ("I want to smell it").

He also played to the gallery by talking up Anfield, Liverpool's former players including "Stevie G" and the club's status. "It's the biggest challenge in world football," he said of his new job. "But I was never the guy for the easy way."

Klopp also dazzled when he was paraded before the media on Friday morning, declaring himself to be the "normal one". But it was also clear that he understood the level of scrutiny he will be under. "Everyone has warned me about the British press – it's up to you to show me that they are all liars," he said.

The reaction was overwhelmingly positive on Twitter.

Klopp "delivered a masterful performance" at his unveiling, says the Liverpool Echo. "For 28 minutes the charismatic German coach had the world's media... and the millions of fans watching across the globe enchanted. This was box office with humour, humility and ambition in equal measure."

Klopp-fever is "sweeping the nation" proclaims the Daily Mail, and the Daily Telegraph says his "performance was pitch-perfect". He has "a smile as wide as the Mersey and the popular German's arrival at Anfield appears to have united supporters before a ball has even been kicked".

Klopp agrees Liverpool deal but transfer committee remains

08 October

Jurgen Klopp has agreed to take over as manager of Liverpool, following the departure of Brendan Rodgers at the weekend.

Negotiations were concluded on Thursday and Klopp was expected to arrive on Merseyside late on Thursday to sign a three-year contract with the option of a fourth, reports The Guardian.

His arrival means changes at Anfield with several members of the backroom staff losing their jobs. First team coaches Gary McAllister and Sean O'Driscoll, who were brought in as assistants to Rogers in the summer, will not be part of Klopp's set up.

"It is tough on the duo, who had little time to work with the squad and have overseen training this week," writes Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph. "But Klopp has his own close-knit group."

The German manager will bring his long-term associate Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, his assistant in Dortmund, when he takes up the post.

"O'Driscoll left the Football Association following the offer from Rodgers, while McAllister was wanted to ensure a link remained at senior level with the Liverpool legends of the past," says Bascombe.

"It remains to be seen if Klopp is open to the idea of bringing a former player on board, but there has certainly been nothing to indicate that will be the case so far."

Glenn Driscoll, the head of performance, and Chris Davies, the head of opposition analysis, will also leave their roles.

"The revamp is taking place ahead of Klopp's arrival on Merseyside later today with the 48-year-old set to be unveiled as Liverpool's new manager tomorrow if everything goes to plan," says The Times.

But despite the changes in personnel some of the more controversial aspects of the Anfield job will not change.

"When appointed, Rodgers's replacement will work within the existing structure and what has become known as Anfield's 'transfer committee'," says the BBC.

Liverpool to unveil Klopp on Friday, Rodgers for England?

07 October

Jurgen Klopp could be unveiled as Brendan Rodgers's successor as Liverpool manager this week.

The German coach, who is currently without a club after leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season, is expected on Merseyside for talks on Thursday as "Liverpool continue to make headway in negotiations", says The Times.

Klopp has reportedly made it clear that he is willing to take on the role and "has been sufficiently encouraged by the discussions to make plans to fly to the UK to complete the formalities of his move".

Liverpool are equally bullish about their chances of landing Klopp, despite reports of concerns over the club's structure and transfer policy. The Daily Mail reports that the Reds "are so confident of landing the charismatic German that they have begun planning his introductory press conference".

That will apparently take place on Friday and the paper adds that Klopp has arranged a series of meetings next week with those Liverpool players that are not away on international duty, and their agents.

Meanwhile, ousted Liverpool boss Rodgers could be in line to pick up an even more poisoned chalice after the Daily Telegraph claimed he was in line for the England job.

It says Rodgers is "on a list of 'home-grown' managers the Football Association will consider should they decide against renewing Roy Hodgson's contract".

A poor performance from England at the European Championships next summer would bring the curtain down on his reign and with English candidates in short supply, Rodgers, Roberto Martinez of Everton or even David Moyes could be in the frame.

Jurgen Klopp 'agrees Liverpool deal' as FSG sack Rodgers early

5 October

Jurgen Klopp is being tipped to take over as Liverpool manager following the departure of Brendan Rodgers who was sacked by the Anfield club on Sunday, hours after the Reds drew with Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Rodgers was given his marching orders after the game against Everton, even though the result left the Reds unbeaten in six games and just three points away from the top four.

Before the game it was widely assumed that defeat would leave Rodgers fighting for his job, but the fact that he was fired after a draw at Goodison Park has prompted many to speculate that a replacement was already waiting in the wings.

Most believe that Klopp will be the man to take over as Liverpool's owners "intend to have a new manager in place for the Premier League trip to Tottenham on 17 October", according to the BBC.

And Metro goes as far as to say Klopp has already signed a three-year deal to take over at Anfield. It cites Bosnian news outlet Pravdabl, which apparently got the scoop through Klopp's assistant Zeljko Buvac.

Others are slightly more circumspect. The Daily Mail reports that Klopp will only agree to join the Reds "if he is given final say on transfers" but says he is the club's preferred manager.

"It is understood that Klopp and Liverpool have already been in contact and it is the club's eagerness to recruit him while he is available that was the driving force behind a decision to sack Rodgers that was actually taken more than a week ago."

The decision to sack Rodgers came as a shock to many, reports the Liverpool Echo. "Jamie Carragher's open-mouthed reaction to the news being announced in Sky TV's temporary studio at The Emirates stadium was matched around much of Merseyside," says the paper.

But it suggests that Fenway Sports Group may have felt obliged to act as a result of problems at other clubs. "The uncertainty surrounding the managerial situations at Manchester City, United, Chelsea and possibly even Arsenal may have accelerated FSG's thinking.

"If City endure another poor Champions League campaign, if Jose Mourinho's meltdown at Stamford Bridge continues – and on Saturday night he almost seemed to be saying ‘sack me if you dare' to Roman Abramovich – and if Arsene Wenger's enduring Arsenal reign continues to lurch from carnival to catastrophe, there could be some enormously attractive posts to fill next summer – posts that managers of the calibre of Klopp and Ancelotti would leap at."

Everton v Liverpool: fate of Rodgers hangs in the balance

02 October

Everton must be licking their lips ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool. The Toffees have not won the Merseyside derby for five years, but a long overdue victory against their reeling rivals could plunge the Red half of the city into crisis and spell the end for Brendan Rodgers.

In 2010, Everton's 2-0 victory helped undermine the regime of the unpopular Roy Hodgson. But a win on Sunday could have a more immediate impact on the future of Rodgers, who endured yet more boos at Anfield after another substandard performance in Europe against Sion on Thursday night.

A dismal start to the season combined with discontent among Liverpool fans means that Rodgers, who was lucky to escape the axe in the summer, must now be close to the edge and Everton would love to be the ones to give him the final shove over the edge. Some Reds fans may secretly be praying for the same result.

Rodgers sent out a second string side against Sion in the Europa League, a clear indication of where his priorities lie this week, says the Liverpool Echo. But even without Daniel Sturridge and a raft of other first teamers, the 1-1 draw meant it was another "desperately disappointing night" for Reds fans with frustrations boiling over in the stands.

Once again Liverpool lost their way against opposition that should have been routed, says the paper, while the Anfield faithful were "so utterly lacking in belief in their side that they were filing towards the exits of all four stands with several minutes still left on the clock".

The match ended "in disillusionment and mounting concern", says The Times. Rodgers has spoken of "hysteria" and an unidentified "group" who want him out, but "it is results, the latest being a disappointing home draw against Sion, more than anything else, which have put his job in jeopardy, regardless of any perceived plot".

The stakes are high this weekend. "Everton are the worst opponents he could face next but they are also the best opponents. Defeat could put his job in even greater jeopardy but victory could change the mood at a stroke."

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has sought to paint his side as underdogs and increase the pressure on Liverpool ahead of the game. "If you look at the amount of money Liverpool have spent in the last three seasons they need to be favourites and carry the expectation," he said.

But no matter what kind of smokescreen Martinez tries to throw up, it is a case of 'if not now, when?' for Everton ahead of this game, says the Daily Telegraph.

"If Rudy Gestede can expose the seemingly eternal defensive flaws of Simon Mignolet, Martin Skrtel, Emre Can and Mamadou Sakho, then Romelu Lukaku, in the form he showed during the last half-hour of that remarkable revival at the Hawthorns, should have a field day. If they can't beat this Liverpool side - modest improvement against Villa notwithstanding - they ought to pack it in."

Sturridge key to Liverpool says Rodgers, after spending £100m

29 September

Under pressure Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has claimed that his side would be in the Champions League this season if Daniel Sturridge had not missed most of last season through injury.

Sturridge made just seven starts in the Premier League last season as Liverpool limped home in sixth, but he scored twice against Aston Villa on Saturday to mark his return after his latest lay off.

"His performance offered a reminder of how much his finishing skills had been missed during a five-month absence," says The Times, which also claims that the absence of Sturridge from the Liverpool side last season was a key factor for the club's owners when they chose not to sack Rodgers in the summer.

Asked if the striker's injury woes had undermined Liverpool's campaign, Rodgers said "yes" because he was an "elite" player

"Rodgers's assertion that Sturridge could have been the catalyst for a better season had injuries spared him is not without merit and he expects the 25-year-old to lend his claim further credibility in the coming weeks," says the Times.

The Reds boss did not address the fact that last season's problems came despite the fact that Liverpool spent more than £100m on new players including forwards Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic, none of whom made a significant impact.

A similar amount was spent this summer, with Rodgers given a greater role in the process, and in addition to Sturridge, Rodgers can call on Christian Benteke, Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi.

Yet the Liverpool manager clearly believes that Sturridge is the key. "His importance to Rodgers, who has come under pressure in recent weeks, is obvious," states The Guardian.

He may have a point. The Daily Telegraph notes that since Sturridge joined Liverpool in January 2013 the Reds have won 61 per cent of the games in which he has played. He has lost only eight of 57 games in the Premier League, although he was playing alongside Luis Suarez in most of those matches, adds the paper.

Without Sturridge, the Reds' win rate is just 46.5 per cent.

"Sturridge's return offers Rodgers hope, but the Merseyside derby will offer a greater clue as to whether Liverpool have rediscovered their form," warns Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph.

Liverpool crisis: FSG are as much to blame as Rodgers

25 September

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he needs to improve results to keep his job after a poor start to the season which has included a five-game winless run prior to Wednesday night's penalty shoot-out victory over Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup

Asked "whether he accepted that his position is under serious threat, Rodgers provided a realistic response," says The Times. The Reds manager told reporters: "I do not shy away from the fact we need to get results and perform well."

He said it would be "complacent" not to be concerned, but insisted that he could "thrive on that fear [of the sack]".

However, he may not have long to enjoy the pressure, as he has now been installed as the bookies favourite to become the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season.

He is "on the brink", says Alistair Tweedale of the Daily Telegraph. "Liverpool's fans are losing patience, with results and performances doing little to convince that this season will be any different from last. Rodgers has spent £291m on new players since moving to Anfield and had very limited success with the vast majority of those signings."

That is not the only statistic that damns him, adds Tweedale, who points out that Liverpool's possession stats have fallen every season under Rodgers. Liverpool have scored only four goals this term and have a conversion rate of below seven per cent.

But Rodgers's travails are in danger of eclipsing the role of the football club's American owners Fenway Sports Group. "Question of whether the club he manages are giving him, or his potential replacements, the best possible chance to succeed is in danger of being lost in the clamour for change," writes ony Barrett in the Times.

There has been "minimal" focus on FSG, he says. When they inherited the club in 2010 they had a plan, he writes, but Rodgers is "all that remains of that blueprint". The director of football role is long gone from Anfield and the transfer committee that replaced has not been a success.

"Regardless of Rodgers's failings, FSG needs to ask itself whether or not it has given him the best possible opportunity to deliver," says Barrett. "Rodgers has long harboured doubts about whether he can succeed given the conditions that he works under, while FSG has had its own concerns about the Northern Irishman's willingness to work collaboratively. Those mutual misgivings coupled with Liverpool’s slump mean that Rodgers is at growing risk of being replaced."

Should Liverpool line up Klopp or Ancelotti before Rodgers axe?

24 September

Liverpool may be into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup, but they needed penalties to see off League Two side Carlisle at Anfield and another unconvincing performance has increased the pressure on Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, with more and more fans turning against him.

Anfield is running out of patience with Rodgers, says Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail, and any early-season optimism has swiftly evaporated. "Narrow 1-0 wins against Stoke and Bournemouth in their opening two fixtures masked the reality of yet another expensively-assembled squad who look devoid of direction," he writes.

"The situation is made all the more difficult with high-profile managers Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp both likely to be tempted by the option of returning to the dugout at the Merseyside club."

Not for the first time since his arrival at Anfield in 2012, Rodgers is in charge of a team in transition, but the excuse is "sounding increasingly tired", says Jonathan Wilson in The Guardian, and "Anfield is ripe with the stench of resignation".

The manager has also started tinkering with his formations, something that infuriated the fans last season. And his experiments are not working. Wilson points out that Liverpool have taken only 16 points from their past 15 Premier League games. "There is an understandable restlessness," he says. "A sense that the pattern is repeating."

Rodgers now finds himself mentioned in the same breath as Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat and Newcastle manager Steve McClaren as one of the leading candidates to become the first managerial casualty of the season.

"The Premier League's outstanding manager 18 months ago has lost his lustre at Liverpool, whose performances have been – on the whole – excruciating all season," says the Daily Telegraph. "His summer signings have not convinced and Liverpool were jeered during the Capital One Cup tie against Carlisle. The next few weeks look decisive."

Even before the narrow escape against Carlisle the shadows of Ancelotti and Klopp were hanging over Anfield as much as the cranes constructing the new Main Stand, says Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph.

Rodgers is being forced to endure the "unedifying cult of the next Liverpool manager being prematurely ordained while the current one fears being devoured in his office", he adds. Yet it would be unprofessional of Liverpool to begin the search for a new manager while Rodgers is still in the hotseat and Bascombe believes that his reign is "not beyond salvation".

There is a different view in Ireland, where the Irish Independent says Liverpool "would be negligent" if they had not sounded out Klopp and Ancelotti as replacements for Rodgers who "clearly should have lost his job last summer".

"Liverpool’s fiercely loyal supporters tend to be the last to turn against one of their own, but Rodgers has used up all his credits with fans who would now welcome his departure. That moment will now come sooner rather than later," it declares.