Jürgen Klopp

[Shaggy]

I didn’t congratulate Liverpool after title win, says Klopp’s former assistant Buvac

In April 2018, assistant coach Zeljko Buvac, once generously dubbed “The Brain” by Jurgen Klopp, left Liverpool after a breakdown of their 17-year-managerial relationship. Neither man ever commented on the reasons for their estrangement. But attitudes don’t seem to have softened much in the interim. Buvac, now sporting director of Dynamo Moscow, told Russian journalist Nobel Arustamyan that he didn’t offer any congratulations to Klopp or anyone else for that matter when the club won their first Premier League for 30 years this summer. “I didn’t,” the 56-year-old said. “I was happy for Liverpool, for the fans, for the players. But I didn’t.” Note the omission of Klopp’s name.

In a segment that ultimately didn’t make the cut of Arustamyan’s YouTube feature, Buvac also said he had turned down many offers from clubs to take over as head coach before agreeing to the sporting director role in the Russian capital: “I don’t want to be a manager now. If Barcelona calls me then of course I’ll think about it but otherwise no. You say I’m here just to stay occupied and wait for a better chance. But if you knew what kind of offers I had rejected during the pause in my career you wouldn’t have said that. But I won’t tell you which clubs”.

The former Mainz 05 midfielder, who had been Klopp’s confidant since 2001, pointedly explained that coaching held no appeal to him, “because it felt like I’ve been the manager for all those 17 years (with Klopp at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool). I did the job of a manager, except speaking in public and giving interviews. Apart from that, I had all the functions and tried to influence my team as much as I could to help them succeed. But I didn’t need that kind of attention.” Klopp will no doubt be delighted to hear that.

Raphael Honigstein

[Irishnev]

Joined 5 years ago today - Then I saw his face, now I’m a believer......

[EwarWoo]

Me thinks he may be a little bitter. Expected to be begged back when things went to **** no doubt only to be proven wrong

[Shaggy]

Longest read ever ffs. Took me 9 minutes to copy and paste it.

A roundabout and a revolution: inside Klopp’s first weeks at Liverpool

James Pearce, Simon Hughes

No managerial appointment in the history of Liverpool Football Club has triggered so much fervour and been so universally welcomed.

Five years ago today Jurgen Klopp arrived on Merseyside and instantly unified a divided fanbase. Frustration and anxiety were swiftly replaced by hope and excitement. He galvanised players and supporters alike.

Owners Fenway Sports Group had got their man — convincing the charismatic German to cut short his planned year-long sabbatical after walking away from Borussia Dortmund five months earlier.

The Kop was in desperate need of a saviour and Klopp didn’t just live up to sky-high expectations, he surpassed them.

It proved to be a journey of sustained progress. He led the squad he inherited to two cup finals in 2015-16 before securing Champions League qualification in his first full season at the helm.

Through shrewd recruitment, expert man-management and coaching acumen, Klopp’s Liverpool evolved into an unstoppable force. After the agony of Kiev in 2018, they returned to the Champions League final a year later in Madrid and lifted a sixth European Cup.

Last season Klopp ended the club’s 30-year wait for the Premier League title as they blew their rivals away, having already won the Super Cup and the Club World Cup. Anfield has been rebuilt as a fortress with Liverpool unbeaten at home since April 2017. It’s been some transformation. Klopp’s place in the club’s pantheon of greats has long since been secured.

The stories attached to the glorious triumphs are well known but this is the tale of Klopp’s first weeks in charge told by those who worked alongside him.

It was just after 5.30pm on Thursday, October 8 2015 when Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool’s Hope Street Hotel.

After the Mercedes V-Class he was travelling in had battled past the jubilant supporters outside, he headed for The Sixth boardroom which provided him with panoramic views of his new home city.

It was there that he penned a three-year contract alongside chairman Tom Werner, chief executive Ian Ayre and agent Marc Kosicke.

A week earlier Klopp had first met with Werner, principal owner John W Henry and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon in the New York offices of law firm Shearman & Sterling on Lexington Avenue. His appointment — four days after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers — was officially announced by the club just before 9pm.

By then Klopp was sitting down having dinner in the hotel with Werner, Ayre, first-team development coach Pep Lijnders, goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, academy director Alex Inglethorpe, club doctor Andy Massey and head physio Chris Morgan.

Achterberg: “The staff who were being kept on were invited to a meal with Jurgen at Hope Street. I remember he was asking me questions about the menu. ‘John, what does this mean? What’s this food?’ I didn’t have a clue what it was! It had some fancy name, not the kind of thing I’d ever order! He was laughing saying: ‘How can you not know when you’ve lived here 20 years?!’

“We had a really good talk over dinner. He asked a lot of questions about the club, the city and the squad. I told him how things worked in England and tried to help him out as much as I could. I’d say us Dutch and Germans are similar — a bit more open and straight-talking. We say exactly what we think. I explained to him that in England sometimes you have to be a bit more careful with what you say.

“We also talked about how the role of a manager is different in England. In Europe a lot of the time the structure means you only coach the players. But in England if a manager wants something to change in the club then he can do it.

“There was always a possibility Jurgen might want to bring in his own goalie coach but he said he wanted me to continue. It was weird because from that first evening it was like I knew him already. The way we talked together it was like we had known each other for 10 years. He was so likable and so positive.”

Inglethorpe: “It was a great way for the new manager to meet the staff and it was a very enjoyable evening. We talked mainly about football in general rather than specifics to Liverpool. It was clear from that first dinner that what you see with Jurgen is what you get.

“He was very authentic and charismatic. When people see him interviewed on TV they maybe wonder whether there’s a different side to him away from the cameras but there isn’t. He’s the same guy. He loves a laugh and a joke and he’s incredibly passionate about football.

“I came away excited about the prospect of working with him. His reputation went before him. It wasn’t just what he had won in Germany but the attractive, attacking style of football his teams played. He seemed like the perfect fit for this club. I thought: ‘This is going to be really interesting to see first hand.’”

Rodgers’ sacking with Liverpool sitting 10th in the Premier League table had brought uncertainty for the backroom staff. With Klopp bringing in Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz as his assistants, Sean O’Driscoll, Glen Driscoll and Chris Davies were told they were surplus to requirements.

First-team coach Gary McAllister also lost his job but was handed an ambassadorial role. Like Achterberg and Lijnders, the club’s head of fitness and conditioning Ryland Morgans was kept on but missed the introductory meal with Klopp as he was away on international duty with Wales.

Morgans: “I can picture exactly where I was when it came on the radio that Brendan had been sacked. I was on the A449 that goes from Monmouth down to the M4 at Newport. I was like ‘oh, wow.’ I was shocked and disappointed. It wasn’t like we went into that game against Everton feeling that Brendan’s job was on the line. A draw away at Everton wasn’t a terrible result but when you look back now clearly it was more down to some of the results leading up to the derby.

“I remember someone telling me that Jurgen had got the job as I came off the training pitch with Wales. I sat on the team bus waiting to go back to the team hotel at the Vale of Glamorgan reading all about it online.

“My initial reaction was, ‘Oh God, what does that mean for me? What staff is he going to bring with him? Who’s going to get moved on?’ I think that’s a natural human reaction. One of the articles I read named me as being one of the staff staying on which was a relief.

“Then I got a call off Ian Ayre who confirmed it, gave me Jurgen’s number and said: ‘He’d like to speak with you so can you give him a quick call?’ We had a good chat.”

Achterberg: “We had played pretty well against Everton on the Sunday so I didn’t think anything would happen. I was at home after the game that evening when I got a phone call from Ian Ayre to say that Brendan had gone.

“The next day I went into Melwood not knowing what was going to happen. I think Sean O’Driscoll knew what was coming for him because he wasn’t keen on travelling in and ended up being told over the phone.

“Pep was next in and then me. We got told the club wanted us to keep working and keep that continuity. It was only a small squad to work with that week before the new manager arrived.”

Lijnders: “Jurgen said to Mike Gordon: ‘Listen, this is the staff I want to work with, plus I’ll need a goalkeeper coach and a sports science guy.’ But Mike told him ‘Pep has to stay. I promise you will like him.’

“When Brendan got fired, to be honest I was really upset. I saw it on the news and called him straightaway. Twenty minutes later Mike Gordon called me. In your lifetime there are moments that you will never forget and that was one of them. Why people will always be very important to you.

“Mike explained everything to me. He said ‘Pep, you’re here, you will be part of the set-up with the new coach but I need you to help me.’ They needed a week to get everything organised and he wanted me to take the training. I tried to keep Melwood alive and keep everyone going.

“When Jurgen got the job, Mike called me again. I thought it would work well between us but you can never be 100 per cent sure until you meet someone. I had the big flipovers in our coaching office so when Jurgen walked in he was like ‘oh, I like it’.”

Other staff members were relieved to hear they were being kept on as well. The medical department would become a key area in the development of the club under Klopp. For the time being, physios Matt Konopinski and Pedro Philippou were staying.

Konopinski: “I’d worked under four different managers in the previous six seasons at Liverpool, so I was used to change happening. For others, the process might have been more unsettling. Naturally, when there is change you start to wonder what it might mean for you. By the time Jurgen arrived, I was able to treat it as routine — the sort of thing that happens at every major football club. But maybe I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been.

“Between Rafa (Benitez) and the point of Jurgen’s arrival, we had a series of British managers. Each one had a similar idea what a sports science and physiotherapy department should look like but the view is different in Europe. In Germany, the physios are more treatment room-based and the sports science team are in the gym and out on the pitch.

“In the English model, exercise is part of the package physios deliver. That understanding starts at undergraduate level at university. There was a large cultural shift for us all but part of the deal when you work at a big club is the understanding that whoever the manager is, you have to provide him with what he wants. While you don’t want to be pushed too far away from your own principles, you have to be flexible if you want to survive at any big club because one-size doesn’t fit all in football.”

Philippou: “The televisions are on in a lot of rooms across Melwood. In the hours after Brendan left there was a bit of conversation about (Carlo) Ancelotti coming in but quickly, it moved on to only being about Jurgen. As the week progressed, it became pretty obvious that he was the frontrunner. The players and staff see this on Sky Sports News, which is a constant at each football club I’ve worked at (including Chelsea and Watford).

“When something important like this happens there isn’t a great deal of time between the media announcing it and someone at the club confirming to staff that a deal has been agreed. What I do remember is, everyone was very excited. Jurgen’s reputation preceded him. Nobody asked, ‘why him?’”

Klopp, wearing blue jeans and a black shirt and jacket, had arrived with Kosicke and was immediately greeted by head of media Matt McCann. He was shown around the stadium by Werner and Ayre, went into the home dressing room for the first time and conducted the obligatory photo shoot, including posing by the iconic “This Is Anfield” sign.

The long-serving steward on the door of the Centenary Stand was Martin Clifford.

Clifford: “I said: ‘Welcome to Liverpool Football Club Mr Klopp’ and he replied: ‘Thank you, please call me Jurgen.’ A mate of mine had moved to Germany to teach English and he was messaging me to say I was all over the TV coverage there. My phone started going crazy as they kept showing the footage of Jurgen walking in.

“We’d been told to prepare for a big press conference a few days before and we all knew who was coming. Everyone was excited about it. We were going to get heavy metal football. It was time for a change.

“The journalists were saying they hadn’t seen a press conference so packed since Jose Mourinho went to Chelsea the first time around. It was some debut performance. When he sat down that day everyone listened. What he said was absolutely spot on.”

Klopp described himself as “the Normal One” and urged fans to “change from doubters to believers.” “Please give us time. When I left Dortmund my last sentence was: ‘it’s not so important what people think when you come in, it’s much more important what people think when you leave.’ If we want, this could be a very special day. If you are prepared to work for it, if you are patient enough. If I’m sat here in four years, I think we will have won one title in this time. If not, the next one (job) may be in Switzerland,” he smiled as the assembled media descended into laughter.

The Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was watching from a hotel room while on international duty with Belgium.

Mignolet: “He spoke so well. It was very impressive. From that first day I think he made a very strong connection with the supporters. My agent at the time had done a few deals with Dortmund so he knew what Jurgen was like and spoke very highly of him.

“It’s never nice when a manager gets the sack because it means the club is in a bad position. You can’t be happy because staff members are losing their jobs. We had got a text on that Sunday evening to say that Brendan had been sacked and then a few days later we got one to say that Jurgen was going to be the man to take over.

“We knew a while before the official announcement. I’d say all the players in the WhatsApp group were excited about the prospect of working with Jurgen. He was a big name who had achieved a lot at Dortmund.

“First of all, I wanted to know what the situation was with the goalie coach as that affects me the most on a day to day basis. I was really happy to hear that John (Achterberg) was staying as we had a good relationship.”

Achterberg: “I think that first press conference said a lot about what Jurgen is like as a person. I’m not sure he really thought about what he was going to say. It’s the same with team meetings. He may have a few ideas but most of what he says just comes naturally. He speaks from the heart.

“His ability to connect with the players and the fans with his words was there from the start. I don’t think that happens with every manager. He didn’t just change at mood at Melwood, he changed it on the field and in the stands.”

Klopp went from Anfield to Melwood to meet the players who hadn’t gone away with their countries. Legendary gateman Kenny Grimes, who served the club for more than a quarter of a century before retiring earlier this year, was waiting for him.

Grimes: “When Jurgen’s car arrived the big electric gates wouldn’t open! We had to go and do it manually. We had to be quick on our toes as there were quite a lot of fans outside taking pictures.

“As he came through I said ‘welcome boss’ and he said ‘thank you very much’ followed by that big smile of his. Within a couple of days you could sense the change in the mood at Melwood. Brendan Rodgers had been there three years and I’m not sure he even knew the names of us security staff on the gate.

“From the start with Jurgen it was always ‘Kenny, how are you doing?’ He always seemed to have time for everyone, no matter what role you did at the club. Rafa Benitez was probably the closest we’d had to Jurgen.”

On the Friday evening, after a long day, Klopp decided to head out for something to eat and drink with his wife Ulla. One of the first fans to meet him was Rebeckah Vaughan, the owner of dog hotel No More Kennels, in the Old Blind School bar and restaurant on Hardman Street, a short walk from the Hope Street Hotel.

Vaughan: “It was really weird because I didn’t recognise him at first. All the girls I was with were saying ‘oh my god that’s Klopp, that’s Klopp!’ Then they all decided it was me who was going to go and speak to him. I didn’t approach him as I felt that would be bad manners so I approached his wife as he was sat with his wife and another couple.

“I just went over and said, ‘I am very sorry to intrude but this is a huge thing for us, a huge thing for Liverpool. Do you mind if we come and say hello? We actually can’t believe you are both sat in front of us right now!’ She was so sweet and so lovely, she was like, ‘yeah of course. Do you want to join us for a drink?’

“We then offered to buy the drinks and called the waitress over and we were like ‘give them whatever they want’ — which they wouldn’t accept!

“They were just so humble, so lovely. They chatted to us, his wife was saying she loved the Liverpool fashion, she was excited to go shopping. She said she loved how all the girls in Liverpool look. Then we got a couple of pictures, thanked them and went back to our table.

“Nobody else recognised him. He had a cap on, they sat in the corner. They weren’t ordering anything fancy, they were just drinking pints. There are people who like to get recognised and then there are others who play it right down. That’s what they were like, they were quiet and respectful.

“He said: ‘Do you follow the game?’ and we were saying ‘yes of course!’ He was being super friendly. The photo (below) went viral on social media. It was crazy! I couldn’t believe it. It went all over the world, we were even on Swedish news! I just think he is amazing.

“In Liverpool he is God to us and the fact I got the first picture with him in Liverpool is unbelievable.”

The following morning Klopp was at the Kirkby academy, stood alongside Inglethorpe and youth coach Michael Beale, to watch Liverpool Under-18s in action against Stoke City.

Inglethorpe: “I knew Jurgen was coming along and it was great for the boys. I remember Ovie Ejaria scored the only goal and we won 1-0. With the change of manager that week, the boys would have been acutely aware that the main man was there watching.

“We were at that stage as an academy when we were growing and it was clear that he was really interested in what we were trying to achieve. Most of our conversation was about the game itself and English football in general. It was all very relaxed.

“Jurgen had a history of putting his faith in young players and being a big supporter of them but we had to play our part too. We had to develop players who Jurgen could get excited about. That was the key. You can be a massive advocate of young talent but you still need good players to be passionate about.”

Corey Whelan was captain of Liverpool Under-18s that day.

Whelan: “We found out he was coming in 40 minutes before we were going out to warm up. Michael Beale was like, ‘Listen, it is a big game. You are playing for Liverpool and representing the club but it puts an added incentive that the first-team manager is going to be here today.’

“The lads at that point were just excited. We knew at the time we had a really good team and we knew that we could impress. We walked past him at half-time as we were going into the dressing room and he just said hello and shook peoples’ hands.

“A few of us went down and trained at Melwood soon after so we were around him pretty much straight away. We got a feel for what his sessions were like. The intensity was so high and to see what he does to get the best out of his players on a day to day basis. It was good to go down there for the best part of a week. It was a nice environment because he was new to the club and I think he was learning a lot about the club.

“He spoke every day before training and said, ‘These are the standards I expect.’ He also always reminded us that we needed to have fun as well: ‘Smile, enjoy it’. We were training there in the international break and he wanted us to be free to express ourselves. He made the environment comfortable and welcoming.”

After the under-18s game, Klopp was met at the academy by Carl Spellman of Premiership Chauffeurs. Affectionately known as “Spelly”, he has driven Liverpool staff and players since 2007. He soon formed a close bond with Klopp and his family.

Spellman: “The first time I met Jurgen properly was on that Saturday when I picked him up from the academy. It was my job to give him a lesson in how to drive over here. Jurgen got in the front and straightaway there was that big smile. ‘Carl! I already know all about you. My wife and son have told me how helpful you were yesterday.’

“I’d collected Ulla and Dennis from the airport on the Friday and spent most of the day with them. I took them around the shops and to look at some apartments. When Jurgen got mobbed going out for a drink in town I think he realised he couldn’t stay in the city centre for long so they moved from the hotel into an apartment near Sefton Park for a bit before moving to Formby.

“As we were pulling away from the academy that day, Jurgen said: ‘It’s my passion to develop these young players and bring them into the first team.’ He’s certainly delivered on that when you look at Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams.

“We drove to the other side of Kirkby, towards Fazakerley. I pulled over in a country lane and we swapped seats so Jurgen could drive. Ulla and Dennis were in the back. I said ‘right, you’ve got to remember when you get to a roundabout you have to look right rather than left over here.’

“The first big roundabout was down towards the M58 as we were on our way to look at houses in Formby. I was shouting ‘look right, look right’! Jurgen was looking left! I said ‘that’s left, not right!’ He slammed on the brakes. He realised what he had done and we all had a bit of a laugh.

“Ulla and Dennis then each had a go driving and I gave them a few tips. I whispered to each of them they were the best out of the three for some family banter. I know what it’s like getting in a car in a different country and it can be daunting.

“Jurgen was so inquisitive, asking questions about the city. He knew so much already. He was talking about the Beatles. He had clearly done his homework. He was saying how it was a real working-class city and there were similarities with Dortmund given the passion of the people for football. He was asking me about the nightlife. He had two sons in their 20s and wanted to know where they should send their friends when they came over to visit.

“What struck me from the start was how friendly and warm they were. What a lovely family. There’s no doubt having them behind him has been key to Jurgen’s success. I started driving Jurgen around regularly and we hit it off straight away. He quickly became not just someone I worked with but a really good friend. I was quite close with previous managers, but Jurgen took it to another level. Jurgen is an open book. So honest.

“After going house hunting in Formby and seeing one they liked, Jurgen got in the front and I was driving. He asked how long it would take to get from where we were in Formby to Melwood. We needed to swap over cars. I said 35 to 40 minutes. As I pulled up at Melwood he stopped his watch and said ’33 minutes Carl.’

“He wanted to know exactly how long the journey would take each day if he was living there. His attention to detail was there straightaway.

“One thing about Jurgen is that he’s never, ever late. With Jurgen he’s always outside waiting for you even when you’re five minutes early.

“He’s a dream to work with. All the drivers say the same. He’s so personable. He phones drivers up to wish them a happy birthday. ‘How’s your family? Is your son still playing football?’ He remembers little things, he makes you feel special. He cares. He wants to know what’s going on in your life. Tell him something and he never forgets. As a character, he’s second to none. He’s a friend for life. I’m just the driver but he makes people feel special. Imagine what it’s like to play for him? You’d be prepared to run through brick walls for him. You know he’s got your back.”

Klopp also scheduled a meeting back at Melwood with the club’s medical staff.

Konopinski: “All of us were in the physio office waiting for him to come in and speak to us. The physios were in there, along with the sports science staff and a few coaches. There was a lot of anticipation. I can remember Pep Ljinders being a bit nervous. Prior to that, Chris Morgan (the senior physiotherapist) and Andy Massey (club doctor) had been for a meal with him. Chris had told us that he was really charismatic.

“It soon became clear that he isn’t the sort of manager to come across to the medical department and tell us how to do our job but it was clear that there were certain things he expected. Right at the top of his priorities was making sure the players felt like they were getting what they needed. Whatever was the best for the player was the best for him.”

Philippou: “His English really impressed me and his methods of communication were clear from the start. He had a big smile on his face and he was friendly. He was very positive. Not everybody who works for Liverpool is actually a Liverpool fan, though once you work for the club it is impossible not to want the team to do well. As a Liverpool fan, I was really, really happy that he came in as manager. I knew it was going to be the start of something special.

“The style of the football that Jurgen wanted to play would have a big impact on the physiotherapy department. He came in mid-season and when that happens, any manager doesn’t have the opportunity to lay down the foundations for what he wants in pre-season. This means he’s not only playing catch-up, he’s trying to implement what he wants while there are games to prepare for and points to be won.

“Considering the demands for high energy there was an added expectation on the player’s physical capacity and understandably, this placed an added pressure on us. We appreciated there would be more injuries and more of an onus to ensure the boys recovered quickly and then became fit enough to play.

“There was a system for injury prevention but it was in its infancy compared to now, five years later where every player is micro-managed and it’s easier to see whether someone is in the red zone and therefore close to injury. The schedule in the season was a busy one because of the Europa League, with games every three or four days. I don’t think Jurgen got enough credit for reaching two finals that season considering the challenge in front of him when he was appointed.”

Konopinski: “Managers who try to be across everything straight away tend to put too much strain on themselves and the people they work with. Jurgen didn’t try to impose his personality and beliefs onto staff, he let it happen naturally. With Jurgen over time, you’d find yourself talking away with him in the canteen while looking at the options on the salad bar.

“The next weeks were a blur. I felt like I personally got to know Jurgen a bit more on the trip to Tenerife a few months later. I would say it is a strength of his that he knows exactly when it is time to be serious and when it is time to engage on a social level and relax.”

On Monday, October 12 2015 Klopp oversaw his first training session at Melwood but he saved his first big presentation for when the entire squad reconvened following the midweek internationals.

He was mindful not to over-burden players with too much information too soon, later explaining he was wary of “trying to fill a glass with a bucket”.

On the board in the meeting room Klopp wrote:
T – TERRIBLE
E – ENTHUSIASTIC
A – AMBITIOUS
M – MENTALLY-STRONG MACHINES

Mignolet: “He wrote it down and then expanded on what it all meant. I remember him saying that terrible was how opponents were going to feel after going up against us for 90 minutes. Then he talked about enthusiasm, ambition and mental strength. It was all about being part of a team — everyone working together and being a machine to break opponents down.”

Klopp sensed that the squad felt weighed down by expectation levels and pressure. He told them: “The only criticism which is really important is mine.”

It wasn’t just the players who felt energised. Prior to one team meeting, Klopp asked all the staff at Melwood to pass individually through the press room.

Mignolet: “We didn’t know what was happening. They all came through like a train. Jurgen said: ‘Who are all these people?’ Everyone said: ‘They’re the staff.’ He said: ‘No, we’re all one family, the Liverpool family. Everyone has to know everyone’s name. These people are here to help you perform. Jurgen’s point was that everyone is a part of the puzzle. That set the tone for everything that came after. The feeling did change.”

Jose Enrique (former Liverpool defender): “He changed everything. When he asked them to walk in front of us one by one we were all thinking: ‘What the hell is this?’ He said: ‘All these people are here to make your life easier. Do you know their names? They are as important as any player or coach. Make you sure you always respect them.’”

Lijnders: “In that meeting, he created the responsibility we had to each other, the responsibility to perform and he told us: ‘Everyone is responsible for everything’.”

Konopinski: “When Brendan (Rodgers) arrived, he did more of a presentation but Jurgen made the players sit down in the press room and he had all of the staff walk in front of them. Essentially, he was saying: ‘This is your support network. You have a lot of people helping you out. Respect them and work with them.’ It was a walkthrough, a sort of procession. The staff entered through a door on one side of the room and left through another.”

Grimes: “I was on the gate at the time so I didn’t walk through the room in front of the players but I heard all about it. There’s no doubt the players’ attitude changed towards us. That came from Jurgen. Previously, sometimes they used to drive straight past you but after that they started to let on a lot more. Everyone just seemed happier and more relaxed. There was never any airs and graces with Jurgen. The culture changed. Jurgen made you feel part of Liverpool FC to a much greater extent.

“I had to retire due to my health earlier this year and I really miss the place. Jurgen sent me a video message a few months ago which meant a lot. He has said he will show me around Kirkby when they move to the new training ground. I feel very humbled by that gesture. I got invited down to Anfield to have my photo taken with the Premier League trophy the day after the presentation. That completed my set. The Premier League trophy was the only one I hadn’t had a photo with.”

Klopp had just three days working with his squad following the internationals before the first game of his reign away to Tottenham on Saturday, October 17. Preparations were hit by two major setbacks. A scan revealed that Joe Gomez had ruptured his ACL playing for England Under-21s against Kazakhstan on the Tuesday night. Then on the Thursday Danny Ings did likewise in training at Melwood.

Mignolet: “It was devastating. Joe had done so well since arriving from Charlton that summer and then we lost Danny too. It was so unfortunate. He was just running and then turned. He walked off the pitch and no one really knew what had happened. It didn’t look that bad so when we were heard he had done his ACL we couldn’t believe it.

Morgans: “I wasn’t stood too far away when Danny did it. I don’t remember anyone being anywhere near him. He just put his foot down, went to turn and his knee went. It was gut-wrenching for everyone. Every bad injury hits you hard, especially when it happens to such a great lad and a top professional. It wasn’t great for the team and certainly not great for the manager who had only just walked into the building.”

Konopinski: “I looked after Danny and Joe when they got injured a couple of days apart. I remember being in the treatment room thinking, ‘How the hell has this happened?’ Statistically, any squad is likely to get an ACL every two years and we had two in the space of three days. We weren’t nailed on sure Danny had done it but once we got the scan back it was clear. It was devastating. I can’t be certain but I do wonder whether Danny’s injury accelerated Jurgen’s decision to play Roberto (Firmino) as a centre forward. Danny had started the season so well in difficult circumstances given the struggles of the team.”

Keen to foster a sense of unity and togetherness, Klopp brought in new rules about players eating together and reinforced that Melwood was a place of work, not for hangers-on. Time off was reduced as gradually training became much more intensive.

James Milner: “Sometimes you think you’ve got an idea of what a manager might be like, based on what you see on TV and in the press and what you might have heard from other players in the game. They’re not always how you think they’ll be. Sometimes you’re very pleasantly surprised by a manager. Other times you find yourself surprised in the opposite way. There are also some managers who are all charm in front of the cameras and totally different in front of the players.

“With our manager, what you see is what you get. When he arrived, he said in a press conference that he was the ‘normal one’. That really is what he’s like. He’s bubbly and he likes a joke. Whenever a manager comes in, he needs to get his ideas across and his style across as quickly as possible. It’s always going to be more intense at the start, when he’s figuring the players out, testing their characters, pushing them, challenging them, seeing what they’re made of.

“The first session we had with our gaffer was during an international week. It was so physically intense, with so much sprinting and high-intensity running, that one of the young lads was sick at the side of the pitch. He came down hard on us quite a few times at the start, but now, because the squad we have is so good and because he knows we’ll put everything into every match and every training session, he rarely has to do that.”

Morgans: “When I got back to Melwood on that Wednesday I was wondering how my job was going to change? What does he want done differently to the previous manager? Is the work of the new staff he’s brought in going to cross over with my work?

“From the first day Jurgen was great to work with. He’s very much a people’s person. He was the same behind the scenes at Melwood as he was in front of the media. There wasn’t another version of him. He liked a laugh but he also demanded very high standards. From the start he had a real knack of making everyone feel like they were part of what was going on.

“He carried people with him. When a new manager walks in every player is thinking ‘does he rate me?’ They want to impress. They want to make a positive impression. We only had a few days to prepare for Tottenham. Then we had Rubin Kazan in the Europa League, back to the Premier League and then the League Cup. There wasn’t really the time to do much on the training field in those early weeks.”

Lijnders: “Of course it needs time but from the start I had a really good feeling. Jurgen is a true leader. He’s inspirational and motivational. How he gave colour to this project and development to this club is from another planet in my opinion. I think everyone who works with Jurgen has the feeling he really cares about you and your development.”

Mignolet: “All managers have different ways and their own ideas. We started to do a lot more high intensity work in training when Jurgen arrived. One other change he brought in was that we had to train close to the same time as the kick-off time for the upcoming game. So if we had a late afternoon or evening game, we wouldn’t train in the mornings like we usually did. We had to adapt as players. No longer was it train in the morning and then have the afternoons free.”

Achterberg: “We had a lot of injuries near the start and that Dutch guy (fitness coach Raymond Verheijen) was hammering Jurgen on social media, saying that he was working the players too hard. But he was talking rubbish. The reality is we hardly trained in that initial period because we had so many games.

“Jurgen spent the time he had trying to get the organisation of the team right. He made it clear ‘this is what I want from you, this is your role in this team.’ He had to do it step by step and he was careful not to give too many instructions in one go.

“Gradually we saw improvement and the fitness levels went up over time by increasing the tempo of training. Jurgen made the players sharper in mind, sharper in their movements and sharper in their decision making. He raised the bar in every department but that took time.

“It wasn’t like he had them running like crazy on the first day. It was more tactical. Trying to be compact when we defended. One of his sayings was ‘if you go forward then you also have to make sure you run back.’ He kept it simple before we played Tottenham. It was about creating solid foundations.”

On Thursday, October 15 Klopp conducted his media duties at a packed Melwood prior to the showdown at White Hart Lane. Liverpool were 10th in the Premier League table having taken 12 points from their opening eight games.

“We have to start new,” Klopp said. “I’m not interested in what the faults were a few weeks ago. I only think about being stable. I know how I want us to play.”

On the reception he had enjoyed from supporters since arriving in the city, he said: “I’ve felt that the people think it’s not too bad that I’m here. But in this moment it’s a little bit strange because we haven’t played. If they love me after the match then that’s more what I want. Let’s start playing well and then we will see how the relationship will develop.”

Klopp’s options were severely depleted as Liverpool headed for the capital. As well as Gomez and Ings facing long spells on the sidelines, Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Jon Flanagan, Dejan Lovren and Jordan Rossiter were all ruled out by injury.

His first line-up was made up of a back four of Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno with Mignolet in goal. Lucas Leiva, Emre Can and Milner were in midfield with Philippe Coutinho, Divock Origi and Adam Lallana operating further forward. Origi, the only fit striker, was making his full league debut.

“We need to open our chests,” was Klopp’s message to his players.

What followed was a performance high on perspiration but low on inspiration. A scrappy contest ended goalless but Klopp had something to build on. His impact was clear as Liverpool dug deep rather than buckle when their backs were against the wall.

The abiding image was of a shattered Lallana being embraced by Klopp on the touchline after Joe Allen replaced him. “I saw many good things,” Klopp said. “We can work with this.”

Neil Atkinson from the podcast and website, The Anfield Wrap, was in the away end at White Hart Lane, which was adorned with banners celebrating Klopp’s appointment.

Atkinson: “Everyone was really excited about what they were going to see from the manager. It was a bit of a thrill, a bit of an adventure. It was an international break so there was a lot of build-up time towards it and I think a lot of people really wanted to go but we already had tickets. Everyone just wanted to buzz off him really.

“The journey down to London was a bit mad because it was the day Howard Kendall passed away. The sad news was breaking about that so we were all talking about Howard very warmly.

“When we got into the ground the away end was absolutely buzzing. It was a really intense game because that Spurs side under Mauricio Pochettino played really aggressive football and were really aggressive in the press. All the Liverpool players ran and ran.

“One of my overriding memories from it is of Divock Origi running channels endlessly. Everyone always cites when Lallana comes off and sort of half collapses into Jurgen’s arms. Lallana put a massive stint in but all of them had, Lallana wasn’t alone in that.

“They had all absolutely ran their hearts out and the away end was buzzing really. There was no expectation that Liverpool were going to become absolutely brilliant overnight so everyone was quite sort of happy with the 0-0. We didn’t get beat and it was a nice day watching the new team.”

Mignolet: “It wasn’t a bad game considering all the injuries that we had. You could see the work ethic. Everyone wanted to do well. As a goalie it was a good feeling to come away from Tottenham with a clean sheet. We’d only had a couple of days to work together but you could see the manager’s influence with how we pressed. It was always going to take more time to really put his stamp on things.”

Jordon Ibe was also involved in Klopp’s first game as he came off the bench for Coutinho late on.

Ibe: “I remember feeling this hand on the back of my head at the end of the game and I was like, ‘Jeez, that hurt.’ The manager was just trying to show how he felt at the end of the game. He was happy with the result and my performance but he wanted more. It was early days and he was building relationships but you could see the respect the older players had for him.

“With the younger ones, he was a bit more aggressive because I guess they’re the ones who need to understand the game a bit more. But he does it in a way that makes you feel like there’s no pressure. The work off the ball was the most important thing to him, winning tackles. Say you might lose the ball four times, you won’t hear anything from him, unless you don’t work to get it back. When you win a tackle, you see how excited he gets — it’s as if it’s a goal. Every second matters if you want the result.”

Teenager academy graduate Connor Randall trained with the squad ahead of the game against Tottenham and was an unused substitute at White Hart Lane.

Randall: “In the pre-match meeting in the hotel a few hours before the game he named the squad and it was great for me to be on the bench, I wasn’t really expecting it. To see him standing in front of you was probably a bit surreal. You could see him getting animated. It was great to see that first hand and to hear the message he was putting on the pitch, talking to his staff, shouting to his players.

“He hadn’t been in that long so his message before the game was just express yourself, enjoy your football, be relaxed. He was trying to promote the message of everyone working hard for the team. It was that early on so it was just a case of go out and express yourself.

“You could get a real sense of what he was like with his players and what he’d be like to work under. He brought in a lot of different stuff, some complicated shooting drills which took everyone a few days to get used to.

“I think everyone was probably most intrigued about how he got his teams playing the way he did. Borussia Dortmund were so fit and athletic and had that stamina in games — the way Liverpool are now. It wasn’t just boring running it was a lot to do with what he wanted in the game — counter-attack, defend.”

Klopp’s appointment potentially provided an opportunity for some players who thought their Liverpool careers were over. After the draw with Tottenham, there was a debrief at Melwood two days later…

Ryan McLaughlin: “I had trained with the first team for the first time when I was 17. By the time Klopp became manager, I was 21 and I’d since been on loan at Barnsley as well as Aberdeen. I hadn’t played a competitive first-team game for Liverpool so I was building towards a career elsewhere but when Klopp came in, it gave me a bit of hope that things could happen at Liverpool.

“He inherited a problem at right-back because of injuries. I had a good relationship with Pep Ljinders and we spoke a lot. He called me and asked whether the loan with Aberdeen could be cut short. You could do that with EFL loans but not with international loans.

“I was gutted because I’d always felt like Pep and Alex Inglethorpe wanted me to do well. Alex told Klopp how direct I was. Pep was at Melwood every day and leading the sessions. It hasn’t surprised me that he and Klopp have got on so well because they’re both very passionate and very intense.

“They want full commitment in training and they’re straight up. If you do well, you know. If you do badly, they try and help you do better. If you made a good pass he’d shout, ‘Dani Alves!’ but if you put one astray he’d remind you that you can do a lot better.

“The agreement between Liverpool and Aberdeen meant I trained at Melwood most Mondays and some other days. This would allow Klopp to have a look at me. It was usually a Monday and this meant I was involved in the post-match debriefing after the draw at Spurs. He was buzzing about the first 20 minutes of the game especially, when the counter-pressing met his expectations. The message was: ‘we need to do this for 90 minutes but don’t worry, we’ll get there. It takes time.’

“Most of the players had been away on international duty. Given that the most experienced lads had only done a couple of sessions with him, he was really encouraged. I decided to sit right at the front of the group. I was desperate for him to notice me.

“He spoke for a bit about how the team can stop the opponent from switching the play from one end of the pitch to the other. That’s always the danger with counter-pressing, if you all go hunting it can sometimes take one long pass not just to relieve the pressure but put Liverpool on the backfoot. That happened a couple of times against Spurs but it didn’t cost Liverpool.

“I got the impression that Klopp was prepared to be patient. The style of football involved a lot of running and he understood that the players would not be fit enough straight away to execute exactly what he wanted. Clearly, though, he wanted to see a buy-in to the new ideas but that was never going to be a problem because of Klopp’s reputation and success. Most players will speak about new managers and fresh starts but Klopp is a massive name and this created a different sort of buzz. He’s an A-list manager. The first thing you think when you see Klopp up close for the first time is, ‘**** me, he’s tall.’”

It was not just the young players who Klopp made an impression on.

McLaughlin: “It was noticeable how the more established players were a bit quieter in his presence. Usually, the area where everyone puts their boots on at Melwood is lively but I got the impression everyone was watching each other and a bit nervous because everyone was keen to make the right impression and say the right things. Klopp would walk in and initially, the place would fall silent. It was a respect thing. In the training, there was a spring in everyone’s step.

“I got the same feeling when I trained in front of Klopp as I had when I trained with Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez. You’re desperate to make a good impression and this brings a lot of pressure. We used to do rondos (a keep-ball exercise) at the start of every training session and you say to yourself, ‘Don’t **** up…’ because straight away if you do, you lose respect.

“Under Klopp, it felt like a trial every time you kicked a ball because he was watching everything. It felt like his eyes was everywhere. Other managers let the coaches do the warm-ups and sit in the office until the session starts but Klopp was always there judging whose touch was good and whose touch was bad. It means that standards as soon as you set foot on the grass always matter.”

In five years, Liverpool would be European and Premier League champions. It was not possible to predict exactly that from Klopp’s opening week, but among players, staff and supporters the signs were there that something special was beginning.

Achterberg: “What I liked early on was that Jurgen kept saying how much he loved this squad. He knew the window was shut and he couldn’t change anything. He immediately got a lot more out of players who had been struggling to perform. He told everyone that it was a fresh start and everyone would have a fair chance.

“It was clear that he had been assessing the squad for a couple of weeks before he took over. He had been watching the games and already had a lot of knowledge about the players. He changed the mindset of the players just like he did with the fans. You had the feeling that we were on the road to achieving something special.”

[Exiled_red]

Longest read ever ffs. Took me 9 minutes to copy and paste it.

I'm off work next week so I'll see if I can get through it then.

[Shaggy]

It's a good read.

Enjoyed this bit.

On the Friday evening, after a long day, Klopp decided to head out for something to eat and drink with his wife Ulla. One of the first fans to meet him was Rebeckah Vaughan, the owner of dog hotel No More Kennels, in the Old Blind School bar and restaurant on Hardman Street, a short walk from the Hope Street Hotel.

Vaughan: “It was really weird because I didn’t recognise him at first. All the girls I was with were saying ‘oh my god that’s Klopp, that’s Klopp!’ Then they all decided it was me who was going to go and speak to him. I didn’t approach him as I felt that would be bad manners so I approached his wife as he was sat with his wife and another couple.

“I just went over and said, ‘I am very sorry to intrude but this is a huge thing for us, a huge thing for Liverpool. Do you mind if we come and say hello? We actually can’t believe you are both sat in front of us right now!’ She was so sweet and so lovely, she was like, ‘yeah of course. Do you want to join us for a drink?’

“We then offered to buy the drinks and called the waitress over and we were like ‘give them whatever they want’ — which they wouldn’t accept!

“They were just so humble, so lovely. They chatted to us, his wife was saying she loved the Liverpool fashion, she was excited to go shopping. She said she loved how all the girls in Liverpool look. Then we got a couple of pictures, thanked them and went back to our table.

“Nobody else recognised him. He had a cap on, they sat in the corner. They weren’t ordering anything fancy, they were just drinking pints. There are people who like to get recognised and then there are others who play it right down. That’s what they were like, they were quiet and respectful.

“He said: ‘Do you follow the game?’ and we were saying ‘yes of course!’ He was being super friendly. The photo (below) went viral on social media. It was crazy! I couldn’t believe it. It went all over the world, we were even on Swedish news! I just think he is amazing.

“In Liverpool he is God to us and the fact I got the first picture with him in Liverpool is unbelievable.”

[Harv]

Im not reading that, its far too long

Why's his hat blurred out in that picture though?

[Alex]

Got a drawing of a giant cock on it

[Mr Pink]

Im not reading that, its far too long

Why's his hat blurred out in that picture though?

It says “Make Anfield Great Again”

[Buzzo]

Excellent article.

It's not that long FFS

[Harv]

I have to scroll 11 times to get to the end of it. Thats beating the previous record by 5. Its mega!

[Fivex]

- 10 presses of Page Down for me.. on my ultra-widescreen monitor.

Must be over a hundred thumb brushes on a phone.

[Irishnev]

Wondering if this is a Shaggy edit......

Achterberg: “We had a lot of injuries near the start and that Dutch guy (fitness coach Raymond Verheijen) was hammering Jurgen on social media

[Buzzo]

I loved the guy on the gate wading into Brendan

“As he came through I said ‘welcome boss’ and he said ‘thank you very much’ followed by that big smile of his. Within a couple of days you could sense the change in the mood at Melwood. Brendan Rodgers had been there three years and I’m not sure he even knew the names of us security staff on the gate

[Shaggy]

Wondering if this is a Shaggy edit......

Achterberg: “We had a lot of injuries near the start and that Dutch guy (fitness coach Raymond Verheijen) was hammering Jurgen on social media

No edits at all here. "That Dutch guy" is a lovely little dig. Haha.

I loved the guy on the gate wading into Brendan

It's quite amazing how *everyone* loves Klopp. That comment from a driver, I think it was, about how amazing he makes him feel, "and I'm just a driver - imagine how he makes the players feel".

Been said many times before but he could stand for election anywhere and win. He must be one of the most charismatic human beings on earth.