Klopp: This job was never difficult for me because I love working with people

[TLW]

Jurgen Klopp has spoken further about his upcoming Liverpool departure saying that he is having to prepare himself for a quieter life.

 

The end to German’s tenure at Liverpool is now under two weeks away and  the reality  has now well and truly sunk in for players and fans alike.

 

Liverpool in the Klopp era have basically won every major honour there is, but more important than that, is the strong bond between manager and fans.

 

Each party is on the same wavelength and that does not only confine itself purely to Football as Klopp clearly has a humanitarian side that enhances that relationship further.

 

It is for that reason that despite nothing of significance being on the line for the last home game of the season against Wolves, it is certainly going to be a special occasion as we are farewelling a talismanic figure  in Liverpool's modern history.

 

Speaking after the 4-2 victory against Spurs, the manager took us further into his psyche and reasoning of his decision.

 

It has been fascinating how he has been drip feeding these snippets of his inner feelings bit by bit, almost like a storybook one chapter at a time.

 

On this occasion, he discussed the day to day running of a Football club still has him excited but it is the bits surrounding that which he finds the most taxing to deal with.

 

"Since it's clear that I will finish and with other clubs looking for managers and you hear what a manager needs to do and needs to have, I always ask myself 'Did I have all that when I arrived here?' It has to fit and I think we were all lucky.

 

“ It was a win-win situation from the first day. I enjoyed each second of it, it's absolutely great. All the responsibility and love that grew over the years is a big part of the decision I made, so I'm absolutely fine and at peace with the decision.

 

“I didn't think it was too difficult, to be honest. This [media] is very difficult most of the time. It is very draining when you always have to talk and explain things and most of it you can't explain

 

“When you're winning it's fine because then you can speak about individuals, fantastic performance and stuff like this but we cannot do the same when we are losing. You can't single out a player and say he was particularly bad so let's talk about that for the next 10 minutes, so that cuts off 50, 60, 70 per cent of the things you can say - but and you're still asking! That part is a lot.”

 

It is highly natural for a successful manager like Klopp to embrace adulation, soak it up and want more and more.

 

But this is where the German is different to many of his contemporaries as he explains further.

 

 

“Being the manager of Liverpool; the pure football side, coaching the team, doing the stuff we do, growing together as a unit, I love that part. I'm not the right man to do that anymore. But what is really hard is you, the outside world.

 

“I’m not an outside person. Until today, I don't understand why people wanted an autograph from me but it happens quite frequently.

 

"That's all things I need to stop at one point. Just going home and sitting down for a moment and seeing how that feels. People ask me 'Will I miss it?' Probably, but I don't know. I never had it. So that's all fine."

 

And asked if he has any piece of advice for his successor in Arne Slot, Klopp said:

 

"I think understand a little bit of football, that's my skill. I love people, especially football players. So from that point of view, it wasn't difficult. I enjoyed it a lot."

 

 

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[coachpotato]

We’ll miss him. 
But, LFC has had plenty of personalities in the past who we’ve also missed.

It’ll be lump in the throat time when the final whistle goes against Wolves, regardless of the result, but we’ll move on.

But thanks for the memories Jurgen.

It’s been a blast.

 

[Chip Butty]

[Barrington Womble]

The clearest indicator yet what was a driver for him leaving and it's dealing with the press. I believe in Germany the sporting director takes up a lot of that slack. I wonder if that is something we should consider here. The amount of press the manager has to do seems to increase every year, so sharing that burden might help future managers. 

[Pete]

9 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

The clearest indicator yet what was a driver for him leaving and it's dealing with the press. I believe in Germany the sporting director takes up a lot of that slack. I wonder if that is something we should consider here. The amount of press the manager has to do seems to increase every year, so sharing that burden might help future managers. 

Yeah, quite clear he doesn't have a high opinon of the british media and I don't blame him.  That, the shit show that is VAR/PGMOL & being robbed of titles by FC115 charges clearly got to him in the end.   

Thanks Jurgen, enjoy your retirement. 

[Welsh]

Obviously nobody is bigger than the club but I am absolutely gutted he's leaving. It's not just the management side of things, it's also the interviews etc that I'll miss. Such a likeable man.

 

[gkmacca]

Quote

You can't single out a player and say he was particularly bad so let's talk about that for the next 10 minutes, so that cuts off 50, 60, 70 per cent of the things you can say - but and you're still asking! 

 

Great quote. Kenny, of course, felt the same. What irks me is the disingenuousness of the hacks when managers don't just meekly oblige in those situations. 'Ooooh, he snapped at me!' That generates headlines for days after! It's like some twit at a zoo: 'Well, I was poking at this ape through the bars and after a few minutes it went for me! I was SO shocked!'

 

They're either stupid or cynical when they suddenly get all sensitive after post-match interviews end with the manager snapping back. What do they expect a manager to say after most of the players messed up? And the other thing that always gets ignored when these retaliatory acts are blown up into a controversy - the manager has to go through it about ten or more times for all the different TV teams there, in that claustrophobic interview 'space' that the sponsors set up. If someone doesn't crack after all of those they must be on medication.

 

It's the most human ones, with the sharpest wits, who probably find the inanity of the experience the hardest to endure. So, again, it's no surprise why Klopp and Kenny hate it the most.

[liverpoolsno9]

He’ll sit down & give one last interview with LFCTV. All the stuff he hasn’t been able to say, will be said. PGMOL is gonna get it, big time. 

[LFC 6 Times]

I actually am terrified of him leaving. It just feels horrific the thought of him not in the dug out. He’s the one thing that has made me believe and no matter how bad it got I had the utmost faith he’d turn it around. I’m going to shed a tear, that’s for sure.

[3 Stacks]

3 minutes ago, LFC 6 Times said:

I actually am terrified of him leaving. It just feels horrific the thought of him not in the dug out. He’s the one thing that has made me believe and no matter how bad it got I had the utmost faith he’d turn it around. I’m going to shed a tear, that’s for sure.

"Terrified"? Jesus.

[Elite]

He's more than just a manager, he's embedded himself within the club and the fanbase. If he becomes Germany manager I'd want him to win the World Cup and Euros.

[LFC 6 Times]

25 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

"Terrified"? Jesus.

Oh you’re hard

[3 Stacks]

11 minutes ago, LFC 6 Times said:

Oh you’re hard

No, I'm just terrified of disease and death, stuff like that, not of a great football manager leaving Liverpool.

[LFC 6 Times]

31 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

No, I'm just terrified of disease and death, stuff like that, not of a great football manager leaving Liverpool.

Good for you!

[Scott_M]

Working with people?

 

Sounds dreadful.