Keegan hopes Liverpool stay patient with Klopp
Kevin Keegan has urged Liverpool to stick with Jurgen Klopp, insisting the German remains the perfect fit at Anfield.
This weekend marks the second anniversary of Klopp’s arrival on Merseyside, yet he heads into next Saturday’s meeting with Manchester United under pressure after just one win in seven games.
Much like Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle side of the mid-1990s, Klopp’s Liverpool are devastating going forward but disastrous at the back.
Yet Keegan, who won three league titles, two UEFA Cups, the FA Cup and the European Cup as a player with Liverpool, insists Klopp is still the right man for the job.
“I think he’s a great manager. He fits Liverpool, he gets Liverpool,” said Keegan at an Aspire Academy event.
“There are a lot of teams in the Premier League struggling in defence. All the rules have been changed to suit attackers – yellow cards, red cards.
“It’s no fun being a defender. If a defender misses three tackles he’s off so it’s no wonder they are cautious.
“I don’t think Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea are great defensively. It’s not just a Liverpool problem.
“Nowadays everything is built for teams to go forward, which is great. Who shows highlights of defending?
“Yes they are conceding goals and they say it’s a bit like my (Newcastle) team, but at Liverpool fans want to see a good game of football and they want the team to have a go.
“I think Klopp is the hand-in-glove type guy. You can understand what he is saying, he doesn’t talk in riddles, he says what he thinks.
“I hope they have patience with him if it doesn’t actually go quite right because he is the right guy.”