Jurgen Klopp is a Liverpool legend, but this season has been nothing short of a nightmare for the club. The Reds have looked off the pace since the start of the season, and their campaign reached a new low with a 4-1 loss to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Perhaps, and we emphasize the word “possibly,” his cycle is coming to an end.
Liverpool fell 3-0 down against Napoli by half-time, with Piotr Zielinski netting a brace either side of a strike from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Giovanni Simeone then made it 4-0 for the Serie A giants after just 47 minutes and while Luis Diaz was able to pull back a consolation goal for the visitors, they couldn’t reduce the deficit further.
It means that, since the start of the new Premier League season, the Reds have won just two of their seven games.
Bournemouth and Newcastle were beaten, but Liverpool has struggled against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Everton, and now Napoli during the past month or so.
So Express Sport will now take a look at four reasons FSG would have to relieve the German of his duties, despite the massive show of courage that would involve
Poor results
Let’s start with the obvious, and most simple one: Poor results.
For the most part since succeeding Brendan Rodgers in 2015, Klopp has managed to guide Liverpool to the biggest trophies in the land – often playing some entertaining football along the way.
Yet while Klopp has secured some massive victories, his side is now struggling to rise to the occasion week in, week out.
Defeats to Napoli and Manchester United were bitterly disappointing, especially given how the Reds were outplayed during both matches.
And draws against teams such as Palace, Fulham, and Everton, with all due respect to those three sides, aren’t good enough for a team of Liverpool’s size and stature.
Another loss, against Wolves on Saturday, could be catastrophic.
The main guard exhausted
Liverpool’s best players, those who have been vital to winning trophies under Klopp, now look like they’re struggling to be themselves in the German’s system.
Virgil van Dijk has experienced an alarming dip in form, with the Netherlands international enduring a torrid night at the office as Napoli ran riot.
Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are regressing in the game, despite their status as two of the best full-backs in the world.
Mohamed Salah hasn’t been the same since Sadio Mane left, while there’s a sense Robert Firmino’s best days may now be a thing of the past.
With the main guard toiling, that usually means the writing is on the wall at other big clubs. Liverpool is a different breed – but that doesn’t mean the same can’t be applied here.
Top managers available
Liverpool sacking Klopp would be a huge statement of intent. They’d be rightly criticized for it, too.
But another possible factor that could drive FSG into wielding the axe is the top-quality managers that are currently available to take over.
There’s Tuchel, who was relieved of his duties on Wednesday after overseeing a nightmare start to Chelsea’s season. Given he won the Champions League in 2020, his departure is proof that nobody is safe – regardless of their exploits.
And Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are both on the market, having last managed Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively.
Those three would all be capable of managing Liverpool, though it’s unclear how FSG would feel about the trio at the current moment in time.
It’s beginning to feel like Dortmund again
Towards the end of Klopp’s time at Dortmund, the same complaints existed.
The Bundesliga giants had started to get found out by opposing teams, with their usual pressing game failing to produce the same results as years gone by.
Dortmund, like Liverpool, started to concede first in most matches – giving them far too much to do in matches.
Klopp stuck to his system and style, adamant that it would get the results he needed to ensure Dortmund challenged Bayern Munich for Bundesliga glory.
But, by failing to demonstrate a Plan B like he’s doing now, that one-dimensional approach failed to pay off. If Liverpool keeps on like this, they may be heading for a repeat.
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