Liverpool stuck with Klopp while other English clubs play managerial musical chairs.
Last Saturday, Liverpool grasped football’s second most coveted trophy by winning the UEFA Champions League. It’s Liverpool’s first trophy under its current manager, Jurgen Klopp, who has been with the club since late 2015. The win, which came against companion English club, Tottenham Hotspurs, is the only win in three final attempts under Klopp.
Such managerial patience cuts against the grain of English football these days. The trend among English teams is to toss a manager if he doesn’t win quickly. Just look at the situations at Chelsea and Manchester United.
Since Roman Abramovich took over sixteen years ago, there have been 11 managerial changes at Stamford Bridge. And there have been four managerial changes in the six years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure at United.
Yes, Klopp has been close, but (until last weekend) he hasn’t smoked the cigar. He led them to the Europa League finals in his first season and, last year, went all the way to the Champions League final. He lost both times.
But, to its credit, Liverpool were patient with Klopp. Patience paid dividends last Saturday. Yes, some fans and analysts say it was a fluke–that the Reds got lucky after turning a 3-0 first-leg deficit (v. Barcelona) into a 4-3 aggregate score victory–but was it luck?
I look at it this way. This very good club deserved to win. And I don’t think winning will be a one-off for Liverpool. Expect more of the same.
