The Jurgen Klopp effect is already kicking in. The toothy, floppy-haired German has not even agreed to move to Liverpool yet but already there is a buzz of anticipation around a club that is daring to dream again. This is what he does, enthusing and energising clubs from the bottom up, a defibrillator in human form carved out of enamel and hair follicles. In amongst the euphoria, though, is an almost completely ignored note of caution. Does Klopp still possess his old magic?
Little under a year ago, Borussia Dortmund entered the winter break second from bottom of the Bundesliga, denied the ignominy of propping up the table only by virtue of their goal difference. Across the last three seasons under Klopp, they have accumulated 77 fewer points than champions Bayern Munich. At a point when Brendan Rodgers has been axed for losing pace with the Premier League leaders, Liverpool’s owners have turned to a manager who has endured much the same trajectory.
The first image conjured when thinking about Klopp and his Dortmund side is a rather romantic one; a swarm of yellow and black shirts, a team constantly pressing, constantly in transition, constantly entertaining – especially en route to back-to-back titles and in stark contrast to the sideways, prosaic football Louis van Gaal was preaching at the Allianz Arena at the time, and which is now boring visitors to Old Trafford. But that was not the case last year, when the manager’s style began to feel just a little bit dated and tired.
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