The 2023-2024 Football Thread

[laptech]

Storm in a teacup. Mo tore his hamstring playing for Egypt in the AFCON. It happens. He’s returned to rehab with Liverpool’s medical staff to get him back into shape to play football for Egypt and Liverpool as soon as possible.

What people want and the rate at which muscle tissue heals are two unrelated things. Unless Liverpool are lying about rehabbing him (for what purpose?) all the alleged furore over it is just noise for clicks.

I think many were aware it was a hamstring injury but not how severe it was and in interviews when pressed on the matter Egypt's manager kept on downplaying how serious the injury was, possibly due to not wanting to give the teams rivals an edge because if their rivals were to know the extent of Salah's injury and how long he would be out for, they could plan their team accordingly, giving them an advantage.

I have to admit, if I was a rival team manager, knowing one of Egypt's best players was going to be out for nearly the rest of the tournament would be perfect because knowing he would not be facing my team, I would be able to set the team up differently, possibly better due to knowing Salah would not be in the Egypt team. It would make such a huge phycological advantage. Well I think it would, hence why I can understand Egypt's manager frustration at Klopp telling the world just how bad Salah's injury is

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Mo Salah's injury. Where you do stand on the issue of his injury and the level of his injury being exposed and discussed by Klopp to the UK press and the backlash this has created with Egypt's national team manager who has complained about Klopp talking about the injury to the press?

I can understand the Egypt's managers concern about Salah's level of injury being exposed to the UK press because it allows their rivals in the AFCON competition to alter how they prepare their own team knowing Mo Salah will not be playing. It kind of gives Egypt's rivals an edge knowing Salah will not be playing.

When the injury to Salah was first talked about by Egypt's manager, he was very cagey about telling the press just how bad the injury was, basically he was playing down the severity of the injury but once it got announced that Salah would be returning to his club side to commence surgery/fix to his injury, Klopp then spoke about his players injury in more detail which annoyed the Egypt manager.

What do you lot think? Was Klopp right to expose just how bad Salah's injury was thus handing Egypt's AFCON rivals an advantage on how they should set up their team knowing they will not be facing Salah OR is the Egypt manager making too much of a fuss over this?

Liverpool pay his wages and likely his insurance. Effectively (in the way that footballers are more-or-less property of the clubs they play for) they are able to comment on their player as they "own" him.
The national team doesn't really have a say on whether Klopp does or doesnt make statements about Salah.
It'd be the same for any player.

 

[timber]

A bit flabbergasted

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1750830869638422719

 

[daneoni]

Huge blow for the scouse

Xabi Alonso being touted as a possible replacement

 

[laptech]

A bit flabbergasted

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1750830869638422719

Well I was not expecting that. Reading about it on the BBC website it also mentions that the following people will be leaving the club also, and i quote: 'Liverpool assistant managers Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, as well as elite development coach Vitor Matos, will leave the club along with Klopp.'

This is going to be devastating news to Liverpool supporters.

The thing is though, there have been a number of people within the footballing industry who have been saying for a number of years now that once Klopp has won everything with Liverpool, he will leave the club and he has done that, won everything with the club so why continue? He say's he is leaving because he is running out of energy which fair do's to the man, it is not easy to keep on trying to win everything year after year, even if they don't, just trying to zaps a huge amount of energy out of a manager.

Now the question will be, will Liverpool suffer the same fate as Man United, struggle to find a manager that can get them to win things on a regular basis.

 

[laptech]

just putting it out there, Jose Mourinho is free hehe

 

[Apple fanboy]

just putting it out there, Jose Mourinho is free hehe

lol.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A bit flabbergasted

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1750830869638422719

More than flabbergasted; he has been superb for Liverpool.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

just putting it out there, Jose Mourinho is free hehe

I would never appoint Jose Mourinho to anything.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Well I was not expecting that. Reading about it on the BBC website it also mentions that the following people will be leaving the club also, and i quote: 'Liverpool assistant managers Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, as well as elite development coach Vitor Matos, will leave the club along with Klopp.'

This is going to be devastating news to Liverpool supporters.

The thing is though, there have been a number of people within the footballing industry who have been saying for a number of years now that once Klopp has won everything with Liverpool, he will leave the club and he has done that, won everything with the club so why continue? He say's he is leaving because he is running out of energy which fair do's to the man, it is not easy to keep on trying to win everything year after year, even if they don't, just trying to zaps a huge amount of energy out of a manager.

Now the question will be, will Liverpool suffer the same fate as Man United, struggle to find a manager that can get them to win things on a regular basis.

I think he is probably painfully aware that he will continue to play second fiddle to Man City and as such is not going to dominate here.
He is also in with a decent shout of going out on a high with some silverware.

Yes Liverpool will be worse off as they struggle to fill the void. But I’ve never been a fan of Klopp. His influence on the English game will not be missed.
If he had his way the PL would be 6 clubs with 11 substitutions each game.

Given Liverpool’s stance on the ESL I hope they struggle for years to come.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I would never appoint Jose Mourinho to anything.

I would. A non league side. That would be quite entertaining!

 

[timber]

I agree that he doesn't want to lag behind City for the foreseeable years but I do think he is a great manager and quite entertaining at the same time.

When he left Dortmund I was happy for him to go to Liverpool as it seemed a perfect fit (for both).

I wonder if PSG wants to get a proper manager to really do something with all that cash. It's about time. Well, no it isn't. I like how it's going

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have just read the report in the Guardian - seeking more information and greater detail - about Jurgen Klopp's stated decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

It appears that he is feeling somewhat burned out, for it is reported that he said that he was 'running out of energy'.

Moreover, others in the senior management team at Liverpool also look likely to depart, which is a considerable blow.

According to the Guardian, "The assistant managers Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, and the elite development coach Vitor Matos, will also leave at the end of the season. Lijnders wants to pursue a managerial career."

 

[laptech]

I think he is probably painfully aware that he will continue to play second fiddle to Man City and as such is not going to dominate here.
He is also in with a decent shout of going out on a high with some silverware.

Yes Liverpool will be worse off as they struggle to fill the void. But I’ve never been a fan of Klopp. His influence on the English game will not be missed.
If he had his way the PL would be 6 clubs with 11 substitutions each game.

Given Liverpool’s stance on the ESL I hope they struggle for years to come.

When it comes to the likes of Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal their league dominance has always been affected by a great manager leaving, years of being in the wilderness of not winning the league until the right manager comes along:-
Liverpool - 30 years before they won the league again (1989-90 Kenny Dalglish to 2019-20 Jurgen Klopp)
Man United - 26 years before they won the league again (1966-67 Matt Busby to 1992-93 Alex Ferguson)
and 12 years and counting (2012-13 Alex Ferguson to .......)
Arsenal - 19 years before they won the league again (1970-71 Bertie Mee to 1988-89 George Graham)
and 21 years and counting (2003-04 Arsene Wenger to ......)

Will history prove itself again with Liverpool as it has done so for both United and Arsenal?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Terrible news to wake up to today.

But it has been a good run, and Klopp leaves on his own terms after delivering the goods.

I hope I am wrong, but whatever comes next is going to be a downgrade over the last nine years.

 

[daneoni]

Even if you love a particular job, its still a job.

And people eventually run out of steam.

8.5yrs and 466 game managed and counting.

WIll be interesting to see the effect on the team.

 

[laptech]

The natural progression for Klopp once he has taken a year out to recharge his batteries is to move into managing a national team side before he actually has to retire from the game. I do not think he will move to a Saudi club. There is the possibility of working with a MLS club. He could upset the apple cart and move into women's football which is something no world class male manager has done (yet).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Actually, I am truly sorry to see Jurgen Klopp take the decision to depart from Liverpool at the end of the season, but - and this is key - this is a decision that he has made.

He has not been eased out, or forced out, or fired; he is choosing to depart on his terms, and, critically, choosing to depart at a time of his choosing.

He has been an excellent manager for Liverpool, not just in terms of footballing success, and trophies, but in giving belief and confidence and hope back to Liverpool, and has also been an exemplary role model as a manager in how to lead with intelligence and empathy, with pride, passion, but also with integrity and an awareness of ethics.

He brought plenty to the Premier League, as a manager and as a man.

I, for one, will miss him.

 

[Silencio]

This is almost like Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill leaving Man Utd at the same time. There will be a lot of change at Liverpool, and it will inevitably be a bumpy ride.

Yeah, rivalry aside, I have a lot of respect for Klopp. I did always worry about him burning out — he was always such a high energy guy, and it must be very difficult to sustain that for as long as he did.

Xabi Alonso is the natural replacement, especially since the Real Madrid job appears to be off the market for a while longer. Klopp and Alonso's football are not terribly similar, but Liverpool will have to evolve with the inevitable departures, anyway.

 

[laptech]

Klopp did an interview for the clubs TV channel and he stated quite categorically that he will never manage an English football team again. I am sure there are many English club owners out there going 'damn, we could have done with having him'.

 

[laptech]

The most important thing with Klopp leaving is that he has not let the team rot away. Usually when a manager leaves of their own accord/retire, they tend to leave the team in a state of disrepair meaning the next manager coming in needs to start a rebuilding exercise. This will not be the case with Liverpool. The first team is in good health/standing, so is their reserve team and their youth team. No rebuild required, no new player investment required, nothing really. Klopp will be leaving the club in very good standing. It will therefore make for an interesting choice who the next manager will be.

 

[laptech]

Another 'what is your thought/opinion on this' question. I notice the UK media are using the words 'trophy laden' to describe Klopps tenure at Liverpool. When you consider the following, do you think it is right to call his time at Liverpool 'trophy laden'?

Now for the specifics. It is common knowledge that 4 primary trophies can be won in one calendar season, the league title, the FA Cup, the league cup and one of the European trophies depending on which one is entered. Then depending on results, there is the Charity shield, the European Super Cup and the FIFA World Club cup. Making a total of 7 trophies that can be won in a calendar season, results dependant. Klopp has won 6 trophies in what will be 9 years at Liverpool. So, that's 9 years multiple by 7 trophies making it 63 trophies that could have been won in those 9 years. a near impossible task but it shows how many trophies could be won. Now compare that to a 9 year period of Alex Ferguson's reign at United from 1998 to 2007 where he won 14 trophies. If you go from 2005 to 2013 when he retired he won 10 trophies.

So, given the above, are the UK media wrong to be using the wording 'trophy laden' to describe Klopps tenure at Liverpool?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It is interesting (and, I think, a mark of the affection, esteem and sheer respect that Klopp commands in Liverpool), that while reports relate that he informed senior management (the owners) of his intention to resign and leave Liverpool this coming summer as long ago as last November, nevertheless, not a hint, not a whisper, not the merest whiff of this story had reached the media before today.

In other words, there were no leaks whatsoever.

That is astonishing in a football world where everything - pride, principles, players, hallowed heritage, grounds, tradition, and yes, gossip, information, and rumours - would all appear to be all too readily for sale.

Yet nobody - in, granted, what must have been a very small, but tight, and secure circle - seems to have considered leaking this information, this story, before today, when it was announced, officially, by the club.

That is an astonishing testimony to the respect in which Klopp is clearly held in Liverpool.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just came across a wonderful quote from Jurgen Klopp, dating from 2015: "It's not so important what people think when you come in. It's much more important what people feel when you leave."

Bravo.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

This is almost like Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill leaving Man Utd at the same time. There will be a lot of change at Liverpool, and it will inevitably be a bumpy ride.

Yeah, rivalry aside, I have a lot of respect for Klopp. I did always worry about him burning out — he was always such a high energy guy, and it must be very difficult to sustain that for as long as he did.

Xabi Alonso is the natural replacement, especially since the Real Madrid job appears to be off the market for a while longer. Klopp and Alonso's football are not terribly similar, but Liverpool will have to evolve with the inevitable departures, anyway.

I think Klopp may leave Liverpool's squad in somewhat better shape than Ferguson did when he retired. But otherwise the comparison is apt and I completely agree that we are in for a period of uncertainty. what FSG do with it next is a gigantic question.

The fact of the matter is that there is no good blueprint for continuity after an exceptional manager leaves. Unless it's a chaos blueprint like Real Madrid and Chelsea...'just hire whomever the most hyped manager is right now and hope for the best.' It's like Roman emperors - the empire flourishes under a good one, but if his successor is a dud, or even 'good' but out of his depth or faced with unforeseen disasters to try and fix, things go to pot fast.

Everyone's talking about Xabi Alonso, and the early signs point to him being a genuinely good manager, but crowning him as Klopp's successor is emotion and an easy headline connecting some obvious dots...not a considered opinion. As you point out, he doesn't play the same type of football, so it means big change no matter what. Even if Xabi is a desirable candidate I wonder if we should bring in a sacrificial lamb first, our version of David Moyes or Unai Emery...

Publicly, the whole thing is up in the air. But if FSG really were informed of this months ago, they should already have a plan for what to do next. As a cynic and pessimist, my gut tells me this could be the point at which the FSG ownership passes its peak and takes its first steps towards they day they are run out of town. I hope I am wrong, but replacing Klopp is impossible and even achieving the next best thing (whatever that looks like) will be difficult. I accept that, but the process will expose FSG and they certainly have their work cut out for them.

And Man City are set to tighten their cold, ruthless grip on English football even further in the short term. Ugh.

I do respect for Klopp leaving on his own terms though - a real sign of wisdom in my eyes. He will go out having done everything asked of him, with an unblemished legacy and general goodwill. Having the self-control to go out on top is very difficult. If he's feeling some burnout I would, even as a Liverpool fan who wants him to stay, say he is right to go now. He came in, won things, played fun and attractive football, and left of his own accord when his stock was high. You can hardly do better than that.

But he's going to break English hearts in a knockout tournament at the helm of Germany someday. 😆 I'd love to see him go back to Germany and take titles off Bayern with Dortmund or some other team.