Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp applauds the fans after the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. (Peter Byrne/PA Wire/PA Images)

Squad, signings, youth & style – How Jurgen Klopp has fared in 2 years at Liverpool

Sunday sees Jurgen Klopp mark his two-year anniversary as Liverpool manager, having replaced Brendan Rodgers on October 8, 2015.

Here Press Association Sport’s Carl Markham takes a look at the German’s first 24 months in charge.

Squad

Klopp has opted for evolution rather than revolution, reflected in the fact 15 of the players he has used this season were inherited from Rodgers (not including Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana, who have been injured).

Three of those—Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno and Clyne (when fit) would make up his first-choice defence.

He has more depth among his goalkeepers than before and has considerably improved the forward line.

The departments in between still require some work, however.

 

Signings

WATFORD, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 12, 2017: Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring the first equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Watford and Liverpool at Vicarage Road. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Ten major signings have been made during Klopp’s tenure: of those Sadio Mane has been the one stand-out success.

Summer signing Mohamed Salah has shown early signs he could follow suit but fellow new arrivals Andrew Robertson, Dominic Solanke and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have not really had chance to stake their claims.

Last season’s signings midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and defender Joel Matip have been inconsistent.

A deal, which on paper looks a good one, has been done to bring in highly-rated RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita next summer.

But it is probably the signing Klopp could not get done—that of Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk—which has been the most talked about.

 

Development

SINSHEIM, GERMANY - Tuesday, August 15, 2017: Liverpool's goal-scorer Trent Alexander-Arnold applauds the travelling supporters after beating TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2-1 during the UEFA Champions League Play-Off 1st Leg match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Liverpool at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Klopp has blooded a number of youngsters from the club’s academy.

Some of it was more out of necessity rather than design as two busy Januarys meant he had to dip into the reserves for cup competitions.

It was not without merit, however, as it gave chances to the likes of Ben Woodburn—who became the club’s youngest scorer with a goal in the League Cup and has gone on to become a senior Wales international aged just 17—Sheyi Ojo, Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Of those the latter is currently enjoying an extended run in the first team to cover Clyne’s injury.

 

Style

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, August 23, 2017: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp reacts after TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's first goal during the UEFA Champions League Play-Off 2nd Leg match between Liverpool and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The high-tempo, aggressive pressing and pacy counter-attacks synonymous with Klopp took a while to implement.

But the tactics were at their most effective 12 months ago when Liverpool blitzed teams on their way to briefly topping the Premier League last November.

However, opponents began to work them out in the second half of the campaign, sitting deep to make things difficult, and it posed some testing questions.

Although this season Liverpool have shown flashes of replicating that form, crucially they have not been able to convert chances.

 

Key Moments

VILLRREAL, SPAIN - Thursday, April 28, 2016: Liverpool's manager J¸rgen Klopp salutes the travelling supporters after the injury-time 1-0 defeat at the hands of Villarreal CF during the UEFA Europa League Semi-Final 1st Leg match at Estadio El Madrigal. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Four months after taking over Klopp guided the team to the League Cup final where they were unlucky to lose on penalties to Manchester City.

A thrilling 4-3 home Europa League win over Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund felt like a watershed but despite reaching the final and leading at half-time, a second-half collapse saw them lose 3-1 to Sevilla.

Guiding Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table in early November 2016 was followed by a struggle from January, a month which included a 2-0 aggregate semi-final defeat to Southampton which prevented Klopp reaching back-to-back League Cup finals.

Qualifying for the Champions League for only the second time in eight years saw them achieve their target, even if they did limp over the line.

Keeping Philippe Coutinho out of the hands of Barcelona, and his successful reintegration into the team, was significant—as was the failure to persuade Southampton to part with Van Dijk.

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