Liverpool are flying high at the start of the Arne Slot era, sitting on top of both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League table. But none of their fans will ever forget the memorable reign of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp because of how he elevated them into one of the best clubs in the world.
Klopp helped the Reds win their first-ever Premier League title and also clinch the UEFA Champions League. The German gaffer has now assumed a unique role with Red Bull as the one to oversee the football departments of their many clubs around Europe and beyond. But there seems to be some animosity towards him from particular individuals.
During the boring November international break, The Times’ reputed Liverpool correspondent Paul Joyce published an interesting piece signaling some bad decision-making from Klopp in his final years at Anfield. The most shocking revelation from this piece is about how Klopp was thinking of letting Mohamed Salah leave in 2022 and replacing him with Manchester United flop Antony.
Indeed, it claimed that Klopp was impressed with Antony’s heroics at Ajax and thought of him as an ideal Salah replacement before the Egyptian winger signed a new long-term contract until 2025.
Not just that, it’s also been indicated that Liverpool’s Chief Executive of Football, Michael Edwards, left the club in 2022 because Klopp wanted a bigger say and control over the signings made by the club. Edwards returned to a new role at Anfield after Klopp departed the club.
Earlier on in April 2024, Joyce also told GiveMeSport that Darwin Nunez would face questions over his long-term future at Liverpool after Klopp’s departure. He was dubbed a ‘Klopp signing’ and that the recruitment team had preferred to sign Christopher Nkunku over him.
Nunez is often mocked as one of the worst signings made by Liverpool in recent years, mostly due to his tendency to miss clear-cut chances, and this update was seemingly meant to belittle Klopp’s talent-spotting ability.
Joyce is considered as one of the most trustworthy sources of anything Liverpool FC out there. He has some strong connections within the club, but these recent discreet digs at Klopp has many accusing The Times journalist at trying to besmirch Klopp’s reputation when it’s really not necessary.
There is a feeling that Joyce probably has links either to the Liverpool owners FSG (Fenway Sports Group) like chairman John Henry or at least someone close to him. Some fans are accusing Reds’ owners at getting the Times’ reporter to spread the negativity around Klopp. This could be a way of getting back at Klopp for leaving them last summer, only to join up with a role with Red Bull months later.
Some fans have turned the table on pointing at the problems faced by FSG and Michael Edwards since Klopp’s departure. The Reds were only able to sign one player in the summer window, that too in an injury-prone Federico Chiesa. They are yet to make major strides in convincing either Virgil van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, or Mohamed Salah to sign new contracts with the trio’s contracts expiring at the end of June, 2025.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s former sporting director Jorge Schmadtke signed most of Liverpool’s current starting midfielders (Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister) in his short stint at the club. He was recommended by Klopp and managed to do much more good than harm to the club. The attempts to make Klopp look foolish has definitely blown in Paul Joyce’s faces.
Perhaps both him and other journalists will think twice before trying to turn any Liverpool fan against the German gaffer knowing just how beloved he still remains among the fan base.
