As with all high-profile managerial departures, the real blame for Jürgen Klopp’s departure rests squarely with the players.
The critical difference in Liverpool’s situation was that he told them they were very good much quicker than he expected. Time will tell whether Klopp’s last big Anfield decision was the right one, but he no longer believes they need him like they used to.
Klopp gathered his team at the training ground shortly before 10.30am on Friday to deliver the news, which he first told Fenway Sports Group chairman Michael Gordon in November.
As is often the case with Klopp, the conversation was partly instinctive and partly premeditated.
He told the players he would only leave Liverpool in a strong position. If he thought more work was needed to get them back to title challengers or major trophy winners, the sense that the work was not done would hold him accountable. There was a strong hint that he could have gone sooner had it not been for last season’s turmoil.
Now Klopp is confident that he will leave a legacy for his successor to be proud of, rather than a new construction project.
Klopp carried his secret for two months. He was relieved to be out in the open. The interesting timing may be explained because as Klopp’s coaching staff began making plans for their next recruitment, it was bound to leak.
The same can be said if Xabi Alonso’s latest press conference bears all the hallmarks of a shrewd coach picking his own team, but Liverpool will inevitably start looking for the agent of the manager they are looking for; We can say that assuming they haven’t already done this. words carefully.
The conversation in November included asking if he would change his mind
Klopp’s first call to Gordon before the Christmas program gave no clue as to what was to come. He simply requested extra time to discuss an important issue at the next meeting. He was later told that Liverpool would need a new manager in the summer of 2024.
Gordon asked if there was a chance he could change his mind.
When the answer was no, the manager, who will lead the search for Klopp’s successor, offered his thanks for his incredible work in rebuilding Liverpool. Gordon knows well enough that Klopp is a man of his word, even if in this case it is the exact opposite of what the club wants to hear.
Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan reflected on the shock in the city as he sat next to Klopp at Friday’s press conference. But within the Fenway Sports Group, that doesn’t mean they were completely surprised or had no idea such a day would come.
When Klopp signed his final contract extension in 2022 – a four-year contract expected to run until 2026 – he said he fully intended to complete it.
But Gordon’s relationship with chairman Tom Werner and principal owner John W Henry is so strong that part of their discussions was an open dialogue in which Klopp would be honest enough to say when the time was right, regardless of the year the deal was made. .
A long-term contract gives the manager and the club breathing room without the media or fans having to devote time to future negotiations.
Bulletproof from owners but paid the price last season
For those who believe there should have been more – Klopp rubbished some wild theories about continued transfer disappointment at Friday’s press conference – one wonders why the manager’s words that gas had to be run out and a break was needed went unheeded.
The difficulties of last season took their toll, especially when he was asked to provide a persistently detailed summary of something that was inexplicable even for Klopp.
He misjudged the pace of his midfield. As a result, he expended more energy than he intended in publicly disclosing the problem and then trying to fix it.
Whatever Klopp’s private thoughts, he has a policy of never openly criticizing his players’ performances. Being taken so much blame for the team’s failure to finish in the top four, despite the board’s internal support and enduring affection for the Kop, left him and others more draining than he had ever imagined.
What Klopp discovered during this period was that no matter how poor Liverpool’s performance was, they were bulletproof as far as the owners and fans were concerned. Removing him was never on the agenda. The only way Klopp could leave Liverpool was on his own terms.
This seems like the biggest blessing. In a world where Jose Mourinho’s severance pay is £80 million, this could also be considered a curse.
Where unsuccessful managers are let out the back door, Klopp has been at the front of the house, declaring that it is such grueling press conferences that he will miss least when he takes at least a year off.
Just like Bill Shankly in 1974 and Kenny Dalglish in 1991, there was no obvious hint of this announcement. At least not off the field.
And yet maybe it was there. Ask those closest to Klopp about his management style this season and they will notice a difference.
There was a greater willingness to take risks with team selections and substitutions; His desire to bleed academy players has only increased and a few days ago someone was heard saying on the training ground that ‘he’s handling it like it’s his last year’, although he didn’t realize how accurate that observation was.
Klopp’s biggest concern when announcing his departure was that his words might suck the energy out of the group, although he insisted he was “all in” for the remainder of the season.
A few minutes after the end of training, Klopp walked past the dressing room, fearful of the gloomy silence. Instead, he overheard joyful voices talking about their determination to make this a season to remember.
Klopp’s job at Liverpool isn’t quite done yet, but in that moment he’s even more convinced that he’s come a long way from enough to ensure the long farewell will be an enjoyable sprint in pursuit of more emotionally charged celebrations.