THE transfer window has, mercifully, slammed shut, writes DAVID WEBBER. The hum of rumours and ‘ITKs’ cluttering up Twitter can at least subside, and with the Main Stand finally completed, the season can start in earnest when we welcome the Reds back to Anfield on Saturday.
With the amount of hype that our new Main Stand has received, I’m half expecting UNESCO to grant it World Heritage status in the not too distant future, but our early season form means it will provide an impressive backdrop to what promises to be a rollercoaster of a season.
Of course, new stands don’t win games and for some, the redevelopment of the Main Stand is a convenient smokescreen for a disappointing summer in the transfer market.
You know the narrative by now: key positions not filled, the need of a new left-back, not enough leaders. Even Kloppo has started to get it in the neck. Considering letting Mamadou Sakho go out on loan? Not binning Alberto Moreno? No plan B(urnley). Is he really an improvement on Brendan…?
Only yesterday, here on TAW, Paul Cantwell was casting green eyes up the East Lancs Road; comparing Manchester United’s capture of Henrikh Mkhitaryan with that of Sadio Mané, and criticising FSG’s “penny-pinching” signing of Loris Karius.
FSG’s “reckless, pie-in-the-sky, penny-pinching economics” was, according to Paul, making the Reds mediocre. All because we’re signing no-name players for smaller fees from smaller clubs.
I’m not having a pop at Paul here. It’s this bald market-logic that loads of fans have fallen for. Just sell the club off to the highest bidder; who cares whether they’re in Boston, Beijing or Bootle? Try to blow our rivals out of the water. Titles are decided and ambitions are realised only through the flexing of financial muscle.
Here’s the uncomfortable bit though. It’s pretty clear that Jürgen Klopp doesn’t think or work like that. So as fans, should we think like that?
Klopp is an alchemist. His tenure at Borussia Dortmund proved that, with dozens of unknown players signed relatively cheaply from smaller, if not “mediocre” clubs only for them to become part of Germany’s genuinely “golden generation” under his tutelage.
And we’re starting to see improvements here at Anfield, too. In less than a year in the job, players including Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi have all improved almost beyond all recognition from their first season at the club.
Given his record in this respect, does anyone doubt Klopp’s ability to help turn around the Liverpool careers of Alberto Moreno or even the bombed-out Mamadou Sakho?
Elsewhere, Klopp is polishing the exquisite Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino. He is fine-tuning the Rolls-Royce engine of Emre Can, and bringing into the mix some exciting young talent in the form of Kevin Stewart and Sheyi Ojo.
Allied to some astute summer signings — the aforementioned Mané and Karius, alongside the talented Marko Grujic and Georginio Wijnaldum — these are exciting times to be a Red.
Yet the biggest asset that the club has, you won’t find in the club’s accounts.
While financial experts will tell you about the new multi-million pound TV deal divvied up amongst the twenty Premier League clubs, FSG will talk about the increased revenue, and potential naming rights associated with the new Main Stand. They will boast of an ever-expanding suite of sponsors and partners. They may even mention the club’s billion-pound Forbes valuation.
All of this however is just on paper.
Beautifully, and rather brilliantly however, football isn’t played on paper. In fact, football played on paper is, as Mark Hannan would tell you, fugazi.
“It’s a whazy. It’s a woozie. It’s fairy dust. It doesn’t exist. It’s never landed. It is no matter. It’s not on the elemental chart. It’s not fucking real.”
What is real is how the Reds compete on the pitch. How they are set up. How Jürgen gets the most of the players at his disposal.
The reality, of course, is that the Reds are not the finished article. Yet — and here’s the rub — there is little value to us in signing players who are. Because once those players have peaked, there’s only one way they will go.
Improvements and reinforcements will almost certainly be made in January, but what excites me between now and the end of the season is watching those players that do pull on the Liverpool jersey improve and develop.
And there’s no other coach I’d rather have to oversee this than Jürgen Norbert Klopp.
I don’t care what a player has achieved elsewhere. I want players to be winners at Liverpool Football Club — because when those Reds win we all win.
Up the golden Reds.
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You had me up until the “exciting young talent of Kevin Stewart” bit.
Very romantic article in the main.Nothing has changed since JK took over,still signing middle of the road players.Cannot remember when I was truly excited by a new signing.
If you can’t get excited watching Mané when everyone else can, I think it says more about you.
– Mane doesn’t excite you over Ibe? The Emirates already forgotten?!!
– Karius doesn’t excite you as an upgrade on Migs?
– Matip doesn’t excite you as a ball – carrying upgrade on Skrtel & Toure?
– Wijnaldum & Grujic don’t excite you over Allen & Rossiter.
Pace, power, composure, strength, height, experience yet potential have all been added to this squad.
And goals.
Suarez ? Studge? Couthino ?
None, absolutely none of these excited you ?
Mate, footie may not be your thing.
Can we ever expect Michael Owen to speak sense??
The conspiracy of rival club fans trolling lfc sites seems ever so true
Does anyone know when the window on talking about the window closing closes?
Pmsl Colm.
hahah! For my next article I’ll mention how long it is before the transfer window reopens. Surely SS have got a screen ticker for that… ;)
Jesus, don’t be given them any ideas.
Repeat every day 10 times for the next 6 years as you have been for the last 6.
“A work in progress”
“The project”
“Not the finished article”
Speaking of repetitive.
The thing is, though, if we had gone out and at least bought a top drawer left back (maybe even a dm if we were filling frivolous) most support would have been delighted with the window and our net spend would still still have been way behind top spenders. Big Klopp fan but think he has made an error with left back and the fact that it is such a clear and obvious error will be a kick in the nuts every time it is exposed this season.
and I am sure you’ll be looking for every time it’s exposed with a magnifying glass -even if its not there. Same goes for any game Mignolet has to play in goal.
Left back is a clear weakness and we have not addressed it, when we could have. That is frustrating and it will likely cost us. Hope I’m proved wrong. Hopefully Mignolet won’t be playing first team much longer when Karius is back so less fussed about that.
Well, given that everyone has the solution – who is it that Klopp should have signed? Who is it that you know for sure fits the style of play, has the right attitude, etc that Klopp didn’t approach?
I for one wouldn’t want Ibrahimovic (even on a free) anywhere near LFC. Pogba for £85m!! No chance.
There may be some romanticism to this article but also some realism. The club is on a sound financial footing since FSG took over and the revenue has increased year on year. Remember the ‘spade in the ground’! I can’t wait to see the new main stand, thank you FSG!. For sure there will be some bigger signings ahead and I’ve no doubt they will provide the money for JK for the right player if he comes along (and wants to join us..).
In the meantime let the club grow again from where we were in Jan 2013 after H&G nearly screwed us. Were on the right track. Bring on the the rest of the season!
What can I say mate, I’m just a old romantic…
What Klopp can achieve in Germany with tyros and journeymen trundlers may not translate to the Premier League. The notion some blinded acolytes have that we are blessed and honoured to have him as our manager is absurd.It is the other way around.
Journeymen trundles like Gundogan, Lewandowski, Reus and Hummels? You’re clueless, pal.
Well when them lot from up the lancs began to be successful. Where they buying supposed “finished articles”. I would say Klopp is doing something similar to how Ferguson started. I know financial landscapes are different but Leicester City proved what’s possible.
Here’s another point – A large part of what makes Klopps philosophy tick is the lack of established stars. He demands excessive workrate both on and off the ball and a very structured way of defending and attacking (it looks fluid, but its very methodical). I’m not sure some of the expensive stars fans are wishing we’d thrown our “extra” cash at would buy into this. Not fully. There are, of course, exceptions. Luis Suarez under Klopp would’ve been… *holds back a tear*
His tenure at Dortmund has shown us it usually takes young, hungry, impressionable players who trust the manager 100% and haven’t hit the big time yet, but will do anything to get there – be lovely if we could show them the same faith that Klopp has
You are correct on the main point here: Klopp doesn’t believe in throwing money around. The finger pointing at FSG is misguided. Money was available, Klopp didn’t want to spend. He clearly stated his transfer philosophy this summer. Supporters either get over it or be prepared to be unhappy. This season is on Klopp, not FSG.
Not quite – Klopp wanted to spend. But only on the right lads. That last bit is pretty key here.
If he wants Dahoud next summer for 30m, he isn’t going to blow however much on a player to simply fill in. He seems like he’d rather take a lad we already have and shape him to do a job. These lads are all professional footballers. Its not that hard to make a midfielder play a slightly different midfield role – not in Klopps eyes anyway.
Next summer Dahoud will only have a year left on his contract.
Setting aside the rumour that he can go for £8mil next summer, being in his last year of his contract I can’t see £30mil being asked for him.
“Blind acolytes feeling blessed and honoured..”
Well, our timing happened to be fortuitously spot on, Klopp couldn’t wait cos he clearly already had a soft spot for us. So I’d say I feel blessed.
Less than a season (and two cup final runs later) he clearly loves us and can’t wait to start building up a “bastion of invincibility”.
That a man of such wit, integrity and humility would fall in love with Liverpool – as an entity – is not a surprise.
That people calling themselves reds are questioning Klopp, to me at least, is a big fucking surprise.
Wrong reply below…
As for Dahoud, he certainly was worth 30m to them after already selling their two other quality midfielders.
The notion a manager, any manager, is going to come into any FSG franchise, and change thier business model is pie .in.the.sky.
The transfer policy, the salary caps are put in place by FSG. It is these that decide who Klopp can choose, assuming they have given up on moneyball with the sabermetrics.
Nice to see we’ve moved on from a Donut franchise to a FSG one- must be moving up in the world…
Thanks for the balancing ‘article’ :) TAW with some lovely romanticism by David thrown in for good measure.
Gives us a chance to take a breather and look forward optimistically to this weekend. Burnley debacle 1st H aside, we took 4 from 6 available AWAY to CL contenders- and deserved 6.
With 8,500 extra newly polished voices roaring the Reds on Saturday- this could be the start of something beautiful! ( How’s that David?:-))