The grin has been replaced with a grimace. Jurgen Klopp, the once happy-go-lucky German wise-cracker, now looks to be heavily burdened by the way this season is unfolding for Liverpool. You’ll have no doubt seen the interview he gave to a reporter after Sunday’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton. You’ll have no doubt seen the way his brow furrowed at the accusations being levelled his way.
Many saw that interview as Klopp fighting back against some unfair criticisms. Others viewed it as the illustration of someone looking for others to blame, in this case a Sky Sports reporter. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the image of a man comfortable with the questions being asked of him. It was a manner that he carried into his press-match conference. The pressure is starting to get to the German.
Of course, it’s somewhat understandable that Klopp would feel aggrieved after the award of the penalty kick from which Wayne Rooney scored a largely undeserved late equaliser for the Toffees at Anfield. However, this was more than a reaction to a dubious refereeing decision. This has been building for quite some time.
Klopp, more than once this season, has cut a gurning, grimacing figure, his face contorted into all sorts of shapes that illustrate his displeasure. This tends to happen to managers worn down by the demands and rigours of the Premier League, but it’s all the more jarring when it happens to someone whose charisma was not so long ago considered their defining trait.
To understand what might be eating at Klopp we must look back to the point of his arrival on Merseyside. The hiring of Klopp was a real coup for Liverpool. At the time, the German was the most sought after coach in the European game having performed well above expectations at Borussia Dortmund. Klopp was the man who restored the Westfallenstadion outfit as a true superpower of the Bundesliga. He took them to league titles and even a Champions League final. If he could this in Germany, why couldn’t he do that on Merseyside?
Indeed, Fenway Sports Group and John Henry appointed Klopp to do a similar thing at Liverpool. And initially, he restored the character of the great club. In his first season in charge, he gave them a swagger again. But now, he is expected to do more. This being his third season in charge, the German is expected to deliver trophies, or at the very least challenge for them.
However, Liverpool currently find themselves 16 points adrift of Premier League pace-setters Manchester City. What’s more, Klopp once again finds himself chasing the adversary that bettered so frequently in the Bundesliga, Pep Guardiola. That must grate. Most have looked at Guardiola’s duel with Jose Mourinho as the Catalan’s defining rivalry, but his competition with Klopp is a compelling one too.
Guardiola is setting a standard that nobody can match at present, though. That was shown in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday, with the visitors to Old Trafford establishing an 11-point lead at the top of the table. In fact, this City team might be one of the best to have ever graced the English top flight. That’s not a measure for Klopp to judge himself by.
Liverpool are, by most measures, enjoying a successful season. They are sitting in the top four, easing through to the last 16 of the Champions League with a strong showing in the group stage. Klopp should be satisfied with how things are going, but even greater things are expected of the German. Liverpool is a great club and they are expected to do great things. Nobody is more aware of that than Klopp. And nobody knows how far short they are of doing that than Klopp.
