Modern football is under pressure, especially for managers. Even a long career in the dugout doesn’t make things any easier, as Jurgen Klopp is starting to realize.
Dietmar Hamann
Liverpool runs the risk of not just missing out on the Champions League for the upcoming season, but also of not even being in Europe. At the beginning of the campaign, that was an inconceivable scenario, but now it appears to be a terrifying possibility.
The weekend loss to Wolves was the most recent in a string of outcomes that will worry everyone associated with the team. owners, the manager, the players, and the supporters.
During his post-Molineux press conference, Klopp took issue with one query. This, combined with Liverpool’s recent performance, has reinforced claims that the manager is going through his most challenging stretch at Anfield.
Didi Hamann, a former midfielder for Liverpool, undoubtedly concurs with that assertion. The German stated to the ECHO, via Freebets.com, why he believes his fellow countryman is starting to feel the heat in the dugout.
“If you observe Klopp’s reactions, I believe that he is under pressure at times,” “said he. “The bar has been raised, and it’s also important to note that he led this team for four or five years at the peak of their abilities.
“What they have accomplished is incredible; they set the bar very high last season when they came within a game and a half of winning all four trophies.
“I believe it is typical when a team reaches the conclusion of a cycle that it eventually drops off.
“The problems will be whether Klopp will have the money to spend, whether the owners will give him the money, and whether five or six players are enough, because they will also have to let go of quite a few players, because I think they need five or six players in the summer.
“He is therefore under strain, and I believe he feels it. The club won’t fire him, in my opinion, due of his recent successes.
“But it’s absolutely not gratifying, for him and for the hierarchy, when you sit 10th in the table and when you surrender for the first time in 30 years three times in three consecutive away matches.”
In a news conference early in the season, Klopp refuted claims that he had been “too devoted” to some of his players, which had been made by various media outlets. Hamann supported Klopp in this regard and clarified why the Liverpool manager had very few options due to a shortage of transfer finances.
Hamann remarked, “Well, if you don’t have any money to spend, then your hand is compelled to be faithful.
We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, so I wouldn’t criticize Klopp for being overly loyal. The owners were asked if he wanted new players, but they declined since they lacked the funds and indicated they would do it in the summer rather than right away.
“Loyalty doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, and sometimes you have to be loyal because you have to play the players who are there if you can’t bring in new players.”
Following their weekend loss to Wolves, the Reds are now on a terrible run of play. With no victories in their previous four Premier League games, this outcome places Liverpool in 10th place overall.
Hamann played for Liverpool for a total of 283 games. The 49-year-old has discussed what he believes is wrong with the current club and why he believes it is so “simple” for other teams to defeat them.
Things definitely appear to be getting worse, according to Hamann.
“Other teams treat Liverpool the same way they used to. Liverpool used to intimidate opposition teams because they were so relentless in their effort, game management, not blowing many opportunities, and clinical in their execution.
“At the moment, it’s just too simple to make things difficult for Liverpool. They don’t seem to have any responses whether you are physically aggressive with them or if you disagree with them. And with games against Everton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Manchester United coming up, that’s a terrifying notion. Thus, it doesn’t appear good.
Many of the players appear to be “physically and mentally exhausted,” in Hamann’s opinion, making Jurgen Klopp’s job “difficult.”
When asked how things could be made better, Hamann responded, “Well obviously the management requires an awful amount of money to be able to solve things, and so far he hasn’t managed to accomplish that.”
“It will be very impossible to bring the team’s freshness back during the season because the players are psychologically and physically exhausted.
“When Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz return from injuries, who have been good and crucial players for the squad, that is my biggest hope,” said the player.
But when you play with Joe Gomez, you can see that he hasn’t made much improvement at the back. Many of the guys that Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have aren’t any better than they were a few years ago. I don’t think too many of the midfielders they currently have belong there for the upcoming year.
“I don’t see things getting better in the immediate term, so I think it will be a difficult season and a long three to four months for Liverpool. Before they get better, things can get worse. They just need to hope that these players recover. If they can eliminate Real Madrid, they might qualify for another round of the Champions League, but that will be challenging.
In the background, there is discussion concerning the club’s long-term future with relation to ownership, notwithstanding the club’s lack of transfer business and recent poor record. If interested parties can provide a fair price, FSG is open to further investment and perhaps a full sale.
Despite the uncertainty, Hamann thinks that the players shouldn’t be impacted by such rumors. However, it was noted that despite the takeover rumors, Klopp has excellent cause to be preoccupied with other matters.
Talk of a takeover doesn’t bother you as a player, according to Hamann. Why? “Because your contract is with the club, not the owners.The club will continue to exist even if there is no sale, and if there is a sale, the club will continue to exist as well. And occasionally, it may be advantageous.
The owners receive a lot of criticism, but in my opinion, they have been excellent managers since they have avoided going bankrupt while continuing to make investments that will allow Klopp to create a competitive team.
Naturally, there is a risk that if new owners take over, they may promise to spend a lot of money. However, investing a lot of money doesn’t result in goals scored or championships won, as evidenced by Chelsea.
The takeover might limit how much money Klopp has to spend in the summer, but I don’t believe the players will be impacted.
Thiago Alcantara is one player who has received criticism from Hamann in the past. Hamann has questioned whether Thiago is suited to Liverpool’s brand of play ever since the midfielder joined to Anfield in 2020.
Hamann hasn’t held back with his assessment of the present options available to Klopp when discussing midfielders and the need for reinforcements.
“You have to be able to pay to have Thiago Alcantara,” he continued. And I don’t think you can carry him if your team is not strong in possession.
He is a player who neither wins you balls nor assists on goals nor scores goals, according to the coach.
Therefore, my constant criticism was, “What does he truly do? Although he’s attractive and entertaining to watch, he only had three or four assists and one goal in the Premier League last year. He is not a defensive midfielder, he cannot be tackled, and he cannot win the ball for you.
Harvey Elliott is a talented player who needs to have the opportunity to grow. This is the situation right now. Fabio Carvalho barely ever appears.
“Fabinho has been acting strangely, and he’s been the center of that team. James Miller is nearing the end of his career, Curtis Jones hasn’t made much improvement, and Jordan Henderson comes and goes from the team.
So who do I like to see at the club for the upcoming season, out of all these players? In order to give the young ones an opportunity to develop or advance, I would say that I would keep them.
How many of those players would make the squads of some of the top four teams, if you were to look at the midfield?
How many of these players would make the squads of Arsenal, Newcastle, or even Manchester United? There probably wouldn’t be very many.
Liverpool’s recent slump has been exacerbated in part by their inability to score. The Reds have only managed six goals in six Premier League games since club football resumed after the World Cup. On Boxing Day, three of them came against Aston Villa, and at the end of December, against Leicester, Wout Faes scored two own goals.
Liverpool hasn’t scored a goal in each of their last three league games. As a result, individuals like Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez have come under fire.
Nunez has scored once in his past seven games, while Gakpo has featured six times since his £40 million transfer from PSV Eindhoven in January. Hamann cites his personal experience as evidence that both players will require some time to adjust to English football.
Darwin Nunez would be among the top center forwards in the world, according to Hamann, if he could convert some of his opportunities. I’m unsure of whether or how much he can improve. On Saturday against Wolves, he had a chance, but he just crushed the ball.
“I would have expected a man who cost that much money to have a little elegance and cunning, but he doesn’t.
He needs to improve his finishing, although I’m not sure if he can learn it or just get better at it since I’ve never played center forward. Because all of your efforts will be in vain if you are given opportunities but fail to take advantage of them.
“So I won’t be too harsh, but he needs to get better. He has a fantastic all-around game, surprising quickness for a big guy, physical presence, and I like him as a player. He doesn’t score enough, though.
Cody Gakpo wouldn’t be the first player who needed some time to adjust to the English game, so we’ll just have to wait and see, continued Hamann.
“However, after observing his current position, I had assumed that he might play a little deeper and be the center forward or behind Nunez. Sometimes he plays as a center forward, and other times he plays out wide. We’ll have to wait and see if he can pull it off there, but I’m not sure.
“I can speak from personal experience when I say that it took me a while to get used to the English game. It’s different and much faster. Gakpo and I will remain on the fence for the time being.