Klopp to focus on brand of football at Liverpool
Funds for January transfer window don’t interest me, says new manager
Klopp has a contract to manage the Merseyside giants until June 2018 and will take charge of his first Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP
BERLIN:
Developing a recognisable brand of football this season is the only target that Liverpool’s owners have set new manager Juergen Klopp, the German told Bild over the weekend.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager was unveiled as Brendan Rodgers’ successor on Friday and sparked excitement by saying he could win Liverpool the Premier League title in the next four years but, in an interview with the German paper, called for patience because of the enormous challenge he faced.
“There is no doubt, this is a huge challenge, for me and my coaching team,” he said. “Liverpool have not had any success for a long time and they’ve changed the manager all the time. And now they have appointed a German who is no miracle worker. Progress is not possible without a bit of time.”
Read: Rival clubs beware Klopp promises ‘full throttle’ football at Liverpool
Klopp, who has reportedly signed a three-year contract, also said Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, did not expect him to deliver either a trophy or Champions League qualification in his first season.
“I spoke to the people in charge of the club at length. [There are no targets for this season], just simply to play football with a recognisable brand. Whether there is money to spend in January or not doesn’t interest me. We are only in October and I don’t even know how many games we’ve got until the transfer window opens and therefore we will have a look at the players at our disposal first.”
Read: Klopp emerges as clear favourite for Liverpool job reports
Klopp also said he had no intention of poaching players from his former club Dortmund for the Reds. “That is in no way my approach,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2015.
Developing a recognisable brand of football this season is the only target that Liverpool’s owners have set new manager Juergen Klopp, the German told Bild over the weekend.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager was unveiled as Brendan Rodgers’ successor on Friday and sparked excitement by saying he could win Liverpool the Premier League title in the next four years but, in an interview with the German paper, called for patience because of the enormous challenge he faced.
“There is no doubt, this is a huge challenge, for me and my coaching team,” he said. “Liverpool have not had any success for a long time and they’ve changed the manager all the time. And now they have appointed a German who is no miracle worker. Progress is not possible without a bit of time.”
Read: Rival clubs beware Klopp promises ‘full throttle’ football at Liverpool
Klopp, who has reportedly signed a three-year contract, also said Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, did not expect him to deliver either a trophy or Champions League qualification in his first season.
“I spoke to the people in charge of the club at length. [There are no targets for this season], just simply to play football with a recognisable brand. Whether there is money to spend in January or not doesn’t interest me. We are only in October and I don’t even know how many games we’ve got until the transfer window opens and therefore we will have a look at the players at our disposal first.”
Read: Klopp emerges as clear favourite for Liverpool job reports
Klopp also said he had no intention of poaching players from his former club Dortmund for the Reds. “That is in no way my approach,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2015.