Hope and excitement as Klopp can unite Kop

No managerial appointment in Liverpool’s illustrious history has triggered as much fervour as the arrival on Merseyside of Jurgen Klopp. No managerial appointment has been so universally welcomed.

The charismatic German arrived at the city’s Hope Street Hotel just after 5.30pm on Thursday to put pen to paper on a three-year contract. Fenway Sports Group have got their man and it represents the biggest coup of the American owners’ five-year reign. Shows of ambition don’t come much greater.

Little wonder that beaming Kopites were rushing to raise a glass of Dortmunder. They can scarcely believe their luck.

Klopp is a born winner whose services have been coveted across the globe since he walked away from Borussia Dortmund to take a sabbatical back in May.

The 48-year-old boasts a glittering CV having worked wonders at Mainz on a shoestring budget before transforming Dortmund into the most exciting team in Europe.

Klopp didn’t just bring glory to the Westfalenstadion but he did it in the most swashbuckling of styles. Back-to-back Bundesliga titles, the German Cup, three German Super Cups and a trip to the Champions League final followed.

He inherited a team which had fallen on hard times. He walked into a club with passionate supporters starved of success and longing to be part of something special. Sound familiar?

Now the challenge facing him is to repeat the trick at Liverpool.

For far too long a cloud has hung over Anfield. Visits to L4 have been endured rather than enjoyed.

It’s a frightening statistic that since the start of last season 16 different visiting clubs have headed for home with something to show for their troubles. Klopp’s arrival fuels the belief that the fortress really can be rebuilt.

He has a track record of producing the kind of bold, fast-paced attacking football Reds fans adore. He also has previous for developing young talent into the finished article. No wonder the legendary Franz Beckenbauer has described it as the perfect fit.

Klopp’s famed motivational skills will be crucial to get more out of an under-achieving group of players, who have taken just 12 points from their opening eight matches to sit 10th in the Premier League.

At Dortmund he was a master at harnessing the support of the fanbase. That will be a powerful tool for him as he looks to mastermind the Reds’ revival.

Since the agony of seeing Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge flounder in April 2014, Liverpool have been on a downward spiral. Brendan Rodgers’ team lost their identity and their supporters lost their mojo.

With Klopp installed as the club’s 20th manager, smiles have returned to faces. Suddenly, enthusiasm abounds. Try laying your hands on a spare ticket for Rubin Kazan at home now.

There is no magic wand and it won’t be as easy for him to succeed in the Premier League as it was at Dortmund. There he had the mighty Bayern Munich to leapfrog, here there’s Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

There is also the small matter of a transfer strategy which prioritises unfulfilled potential over proven talent. Yet that is an issue for another day.

For owners John W Henry, Tom Werner and Mike Gordon, they have finally secured the services of the coach they had always wanted since they bought Liverpool five years ago.

When both Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish were sacked, Klopp was offered the chance to head for Anfield but on both occasions he informed the Reds he was committed to Dortmund.

Once FSG learned a few weeks ago that Klopp was ready to end his sabbatical, the decision was taken to pull the plug on Rodgers’ tenure. They felt they had to move quickly for fear of Klopp being snapped up by a rival club.

Klopp had spent much of his time off relaxing with his wife Ulla on the picturesque German island of Sylt where he owns a holiday home.

He would regularly go walking with his loyal dog Emma - named after the legendary Dortmund striker Lothar Emmerich, who played against Liverpool in the 1966 Cup Winners Cup final at Hampden Park.

But during that spell away from the game the fire was still burning bright in his belly. He was just waiting for the right offer to come along. For a man who gazed in wonderment at the great Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s, the opportunity to awaken the sleeping giant just couldn’t be spurned.

The odds on Liverpool winning the Premier League title have been slashed from 100/1 to 40/1.

With Klopp on board, Kopites are daring to dream once again.

Source: Liverpool Echo

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