Liverpool: Ex-England man likens Klopp achievements to Ranieri; Reds boss ‘not in the realms of Pep’
Former England defender Danny Mills has played down Jurgen Klopp’s achievements at Liverpool and claims he’s “not in the realms of Pep Guardiola”.
Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager in the summer after Klopp announced earlier this year that he will be leaving at the end of the season to take a break from football.
Mills: Klopp has won one Premier League in nine years
The German has won a Premier League title, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup during his time as Liverpool boss.
He has missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City by a point on two occasions, while he has lost two Champions League finals and a Europa League final while at Anfield.
But Mills has insisted on talkSPORT that Klopp is “not that good” and doubts his status as a top manager by judging him on his time at Liverpool.
When asked by presenter Hugh Woozencroft if he was suggesting Klopp wasn’t that good, Mills replied on talkSPORT: “Well he’s won one Premier League in nine years.”
READ MORE: Liverpool will flounder outside top four without ‘lucky’ Jurgen Klopp…
Woozencroft then asked: “Are you saying Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been that great a manager?”
To which Mills repeated: “He’s won one Premier League in nine years.”
Woozencroft: “He’s been absolutely brilliant for several seasons…over 90 points…over 95 points.”
Mills interjected: “But he came second.”
Woozencroft: “I get that but if you are going up against one of the best of all time, if not the best team we may have ever seen in English football, does it mean you aren’t that good a manager because you didn’t beat them?
“Its not like he finished second to Leicester and then the next year Brighton won the league and then Bournemouth won the league.”
Mills: “Well Claudio Ranieri won it, managers have come into Chelsea and won it in their first season. And they’ve been there like two seasons and won a Premier League.
“So if you are going to go down…what’s better?”
Woozencroft: “He took a team that hadn’t won a title in 24/25 years, got them to winning a Premier League title, brought players out of the academy…”
Mills: “Blackburn hadn’t done it when they did it.”
Woozencroft: “No I know that but Jack Walker bankrolled them. We all know Leicester City is a once in a thousand year achievement.”
Mills: “Chelsea hadn’t done it when Mourinho came in.”
Woozencroft: “They spent huge, huge, huge money to bring Mourinho in, to bring the players in.”
Mills: “Liverpool have spent their fair share.”
Woozencroft: “I think it’s fair to say at the time Chelsea were spending more than any other club in Europe.”
Mills: “Liverpool have been fortunate that they’ve sold players for lots of money. When you look at Coutinho, what a ridiculous fee that was, £120m, never played for Barcelona did he? So they’ve spent money and there wages are ridiculously high.
“Mo Salah is on what? Four or five hundred grand a week?”
Woozencroft: “He’s the only one.”
Mills: “Van Dijk? Alisson? Trent?”
Woozencroft: “They have a couple of players who have a decent salary. I don’t think Trent is on 300 thousand a week.”
Mills: “Thiago came in.”
Woozencroft: “I still don’t think he’s on that big money.”
Mills: “They’ve got lots of big players on big money. They’ve spent money.”
Woozencroft: “I’m not saying they’ve spent no money.”
Mills: “Klopp has been very, very good but he’s not in the realms of Guardiola.”
Woozencroft: “I find that crazy, I do, I find that crazy.”
Mills: “He’s won one Premier League.”
Woozencroft: “What about Champions League finals. How many has he been to?”
Mills: “He’s won one.”
Mills: What did Klopp win in Germany?
Woozencroft: “I get that but you aren’t saying he’s put together a consistent body of work?”
Mills: “He’s won one.”
Woozencroft: “At the time he’s been at Liverpool. Every job is different, you can’t be like they’re all football managers…because what Thomas Frank, for example, does at Brentford is the same job Pep Guardiola does at Man City…”
Mills: “Of course. Jurgen Klopp managed one of the two top clubs in Germany and one of the two top clubs in the Premier League. What’s his trophy record like?”
Woozencroft: “I mean it’s not bad…”
Mills: “Is it? Go down the European list and he’s about 34th. What did he win in Germany?”
Woozencroft: “Title, cup probably. If not two titles actually…Dortmund fans let me know.”
