Posts Tagged ‘Jurgen Klopp’
Transfer balls: Fekir news and Klopp’s Dembele to Liverpool confession
Is the job of a journalist to talk truth to power or to spin a story from ether? The BBC says Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp “admits he would be interested in Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele became available”. Admits? It’s a confession that also interests the Sun, which declares: “‘NOW I’M INTERESTED’ – Ousmane Dembele: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits interest in transfer for Barcelona star.”
Lots of admitting from Klopp in his admiration for a player who joined Barcelona from the German’s former club Borussia Dortmund for £135m. Says the Sun:
…Dembele has been linked with a move away and Klopp got the ball rolling on a deal when asked, after his side’s disappointing loss to Chelsea, that he will be bidding.
It was during the post-match press conference that Klopp was asked about transfers. Had Liverpool signed Lyon captain Nabil Fekir for £60m? “During the game, we agreed a deal?” said Klopp. “I would be surprised about that to be honest. No comment.”
How about Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele?
“Who was the second name? Dembele? Oooh, is he on the market? Now I am interested!” said Klopp. “I never comment on transfer rumours. I have already said much more than I usually do.”
Klopp laughed off the questions. But tbis is how it a reported in the Mail, Mirror and Express:
Daily Mail: “Jurgen Klopp keen to bring in Barcelona £95m flop Ousmane Dembele.”
Daily Express: “LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he would love to sign Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele.”
Daily Mirror: “Liverpool ready for talks to sign Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele”
Total balls.
Such are the facts.
Posted: 7th, May 2018 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Liverpool: Klopp isolated after his ‘master of training’ leaves
Liverpool will be moving on without Zeljko Buvac, the sallow one with the indy band hair sat next to Jurgen Klopp in the dugout. Liverpool’s 56-year-old assistant manager has left until the end of the season for “personal business” – it’s personal and it’s none of your business.
Although the Daily Record says Buvac (aka ‘The Brain’) and Klopp fell out. The Sun notes: “The relationship had broken down, and the players have been told Buvac is gone.”
Buvac, who became Klopp’s assistant at Mainz in 2001, has made no comment. Liverpool says he’s still employed by the club.
It’s an odd time to change the hierarchy. The pair were so tight having been at three clubs together over 17 years. Buvac once told the Sunday Express: “Both of us were looking to become managers and we promised each other, ‘If I am the first manager, I will take you and if you are the first manager you will take me’.” Klopp called Buvac the “master of every form of training”.
Who next?
Posted: 30th, April 2018 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, News, Sports | Comment
BT Sport dismisses Jurgen Klopp’s latest excuse for a Liverpool defeat
When Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup by West Bromwich Albion, the game was marred by referee Craig Pawson pausing the the action several times to ask the video assistant to investigate a number of decisions. The first half lasted 50 minutes (BBC). Pawson did his best to stymie all the verve and drama of a Cup tie by taking “three minutes and 53 seconds” (Guardian) / “almost 3 minutes” (BBC) / “well over 3 minutes (Telegraph) ‘ “four minutes” (Times) to award Liverpool a penalty. It was awful.
Klopp was happy:
“Is it nice that West Brom celebrate a goal then somebody tells them it’s not a goal? No, but I think it’s important if a goal needs to be disallowed, it is disallowed. Normally after a game I have to explain to you a defeat which was not deserved because we didn’t get a penalty or they scored another goal.”
So he was not going to moan. Until he did. Klopp was unhappy, accusing broadcaster BT Sports of pressuring the officials to reduce injury time. Klopp told media:
What I heard was that the actual extra-time in the first half should have been 10 minutes. It was only four minutes. I heard that television said it (can’t be) longer than four minutes.
Of course that’s not possible, you can’t cut match time because there is something else to broadcast. I don’t know what was afterwards, maybe the news or something. It was 10 minutes and so you need to play 10 minutes longer. You cannot say it’s now a little bit too long.
BT Sport host Jake Humphrey called Klopp’s claim “laughable”. BT Sport’senior director Simon Hughes added:
I directed the match and I can categorically state that at no point did I (can add ‘have I’ or ‘would I’ to that) ever try to influence the officials, including the allocation of stoppage time. Not only would it be unprofessional, it would also be utterly futile…
So far this season, Klopp has attributed disappointing Liverpool results to the wind, a dry pitch and a midweek tactical session being skipped due to illness.
Posted: 30th, January 2018 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, News, Sports | Comment
Liverpool balls: Klopp and the Crystal Palace ‘mass walkout’ that wasn’t
Did you see the “MASS WALKOUT” at Anfield as Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace?
What happened was that as the game wound down fans started to leave. This is pretty routine.
Jurgen Klopp admitted he was left feeling ‘pretty alone’ as he witnessed an Anfield exodus after losing his unbeaten record.
The Liverpool manager looked around the stadium in the moments after Scott Dann’s header had secured a 2-1 win for Crystal Palace and was visibly taken aback by the sight of supporters heading for the exits rather than staying behind to try and launch a late rally.
Said Klopp:
“The goal was on 82 minutes – 12 minutes to go – and I saw many people leaving the stadium. I turned around and, I watch my team and I felt pretty alone in that moment. We decide when it’s over. But between 82 and 94 minutes you can make eight goals if you want and we have to work for it. It feels so bad because it was not necessary.”
What the Mail fails to report is what else Klopp said. The Guardian fills in the blank:
Klopp said his frustration was not with the early leavers but his team’s inability to convince supporters that a point could be salvaged against an impressive Palace team. “I am not disappointed about this,” he clarified.
“They have reasons [for leaving] and maybe it is easier to go out, I don’t know. Don’t make a big thing about this but we are responsible that nobody can leave the stadium before the final whistle because anything can happen.”
No pop at the fans at all, then.
Klopp Watch: Liverpool’s new Avram Grant, Sefton Park stalkers and dreaming of Stuttgart
Klopp Watch: Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has been speaking to German newspaper Bild:
“There is no doubt, this is a huge challenge, for me and my coaching team. We knew that full well [when we accepted the job]. Liverpool have not had any success for a long time and they’ve changed the manager all the time. And now they have appointed a German who is no miracle worker. Progress is not possible without a bit of time…
“I spoke to the people in charge of the club at length. [There are no targets for this season], just simply to play football with a recognisable brand…
“Whether there is money to spend in January or not doesn’t interest me. We are only in October and I don’t even know how many games we’ve got until the transfer window opens and therefore we will have a look at the players at our disposal first.”
What about the language?
“We will all have English lessons. I was relieved after the first press conference. I have said some stupid things in my life. But never in English… Did I dream about becoming a Liverpool manager when I was a kid? No, I dreamed about playing for Stuttgart, and that didn’t work out. But I am totally humbled to be here. It is almost a bit bizarre: there have been so many good and successful German managers and yet no one has been here.”
The Mail picks up the story. It also publishes paparazzi photographs of Klopp, his wife, son, son’s girlfriend and dog stood by a wall in Sefton Park. This is the Mail that swore off paparazzi photos after Princess Diana died. One photo is captioned:
Klopp’s wife Ulla bends down to stroke her pet dog while the Liverpool boss looks on along with his stepson (second left at back) and his girlfriend (third right), his driver (second right) and a club liaison officer (far right)
In another caption, the Mail reads his mind
Klopp will be hoping to be settled in his new apartment before Liverpool’s next match against Tottenham
The Guardian says “Klopp is expected to deliver – and fast“. We hear more from Klopp:
“People should not make me out to be like Jesus, I don’t walk on water.I understand that there are huge expectations surrounding this club, and expectations are important in life, not just football, but I hope no one really thinks I can perform wonders. Of course I cannot. I am not really enjoying all this attention, to be honest. I didn’t ask for it and I am hoping that after the initial big hype we can all cool down a little and get to work.
“I am glad everyone seems happy I am here, but some people seem to think that because Jürgen is here everything will change. I can’t promise that. Some things will change, for sure, and I might be different to other managers in some respects, but we cannot change the whole world in one day. I am sure Liverpool fans are clever enough to understand that we need time. If things need changing I want to do it as soon as possible, but patience is important.”
Paul Wilson adds:
Time is what every manager asks for, with Brendan Rodgers no exception. The trick is to buy it with results, visible improvement and perhaps even silverware. As Klopp attempts to move from trophy manager to manager responsible for trophies, he can be under no illusions that being in charge of Liverpool at the moment is anything other than daunting.
Sky Sports has news of ‘The Normal One’.
Jurgen Klopp had no plans to call himself ‘the Normal One’ before Liverpool unveiling
It too has read the Bild interview:
Speaking to the media for the first time since taking over at Anfield, Klopp was asked about how he compared himself to Jose Mourinho who labelled himself ‘The Special One’ when he became Chelsea manager in 2004.
Klopp delighted reporters with his tongue-in-cheek response, saying: “I’m a very normal guy from the Black Forest. I’m the normal one, maybe.”
But, speaking to German newspaper Bild, Klopp says it was an unplanned remark.
“No, I hadn’t thought about that at all,” Klopp said.
“I was asked and simply answered. Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut – but that is quite difficult at a press conference.”
Not that being the Normal one is original.
The Guardian tells us:
Avram Grant described himself as the “normal” one as he vowed to coach Chelsea in his own way after taking over from ‘the Special One’. Grant was unveiled as first-team coach at Stamford Bridge this evening, taking over from Jose Mourinho following the shock events at the club this week, but he made a less dramatic immediate impact than his predecessor.
More Klopp Watch most days.
Posted: 12th, October 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp is ‘waiting for Bayern Munich’ who aren’t waiting for him
Jurgen Klopp would be a good fit for Liverpool. But the Daily Mail says the German is “ready to snub Premier League to replace Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich”. To which you have to wonder, are Bayern Munich ready for Klopp, who managed rivals Borussia Dortmund and has stated a desire to look for a “project“.
Sami Mokbel has the news for Daily Mail readers:
Jurgen Klopp wants to ascertain his chances of landing the Bayern Munich job before considering a switch to England.
Says who?
Sources claim Klopp is actively plotting his next move and is keeping his options open knowing the managerial landscape will change over the weeks and months of the season.
How can he actively plot anything in the knowledge things change? Is Mokbel seriously suggesting Bayern will sack Guardiola – and that the Spaniard will be sacked before the Liverpool board calls time on Brendan Rodgers time at Anfield?
But it is understood Klopp is keen to discover where he stands in Bayern’s list of potential replacements for Pep Guardiola before making a decision on his future.
Go that? If Klopp is at, say, number, 3 on that list, say, will he sit tight and wait? What about number 2, or number 9 or number 312? What is his plot?
Mokbel than gets to the only fact of his entire article:
Guardiola’s long-term future is unclear with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.
PS: Back in April 2015, Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern’s honorary president told Sky Germany:
“Of course I could imagine Klopp as Guardiola’s successor. When I was president, we often talked about Klopp and believe he would fit very well at Bayern. Klopp is definitely an option at Bayern. The question is, how long Guardiola will be in Munich. I hope for a long time, but Klopp would be considered….
“I can’t imagine Guardiola would leave in 2016. He likes Munich. He has had success with the team and he knows that he can succeed in the future. He has everything he wants.”
To which Klopp said: “I couldn’t care less what is said about me.”
Posted: 17th, September 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comments (2)
Klopp Balls: Dortmund Manager Wants Arsenal Job, Get Liverpool Job And Waits For Manchester United Job
The Daily Express has been planning Jurgen Klopp’s future. Apparently, the German manager of Boruisia Dortmund is desperate to work in England. The Express says Klopp is to manage Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
September 5: “Man Utd News: Klopp to succeed Van Gaal”
Novermber 10: “WENGER OUT! The FIVE contenders to replace Arsene at Arsenal (with Klopp top target)”
November 21: “Let’s talk! Jurgen Klopp issues come-and-get-me plea to Arsenal”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 24th, November 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment
