After the sacking of two managers in the Premier League at the weekend, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp said he would be on the chopping block. The only thing keeping his job relatively safe is the fact that he had great success with Liverpool over recent seasons.
In addition to reaching the Champions League Finals in 2018 and 2022, he won the tournament in 2019. Plus, he delivered Liverpool its first Premier League title and 19th overall top flight title in 2019/20. However, this season, Liverpool has been drab. The club sits eighth in the Premier League table, eight points back of Newcastle in fourth. The club’s last two games in the league yielded two losses to Bournemouth and Manchester City.
In truth, the club is not dissimilar to Chelsea, which sacked Graham Potter after just 22 league games in charge. There is only four points between the two clubs in the league. Yet, Chelsea is, at least, still alive in the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool crashed out to Real Madrid in a comfortable tie for Los Blancos.
Speaking before a trip to that Stamford Bridge club, Klopp said he should be out of a job right now.
“I am aware of the fact I am sitting here because of the past, not because of what we did this season,” said Klopp.
“If it was my first season it would be slightly different. Yes we have smart owners and they know about the situation, but to be 100 per cent honest, you had better ask them why that is the case.”
Klopp is ‘last man standing’ avoiding Liverpool sacking
This season is Klopp’s worst season, at least based on output. In his first season at Anfield, Liverpool finished eighth, which is where the club is now. Yet, even that season, Liverpool finished as runner-up in the League Cup and Europa League. Since then, Liverpool finished in the top four each season, including that title-winning campaign in 2019/20.
Klopp added in that quote that, if it were his first season, things would be different. However, Klopp did not have the exorbitant spending Graham Potter had this season at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea spent record fees to acquire what is, in essence, an entirely new team.
Liverpool’s owners remain confident that Klopp can build back after this disappointing campaign. Interestingly for Klopp’s situation, though, is the fact that he has spent seven full seasons at each of the three clubs he has managed. This is the seventh full season for Klopp at Liverpool.
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