Liverpool: Pundit believes Klopp exit plan is ‘brilliant for the club’ despite ‘difficult’ job for replacement
Pat Nevin thinks the timing of Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will leave Liverpool is “a little bit odd” but is “brilliant for the club”.
Klopp confirmed in an emotional statement last week that he will depart Anfield at the end of the season.
His decision comes as he looks to recharge his batteries after eight-and-a-half grueling years in charge of the Reds.
Liverpool are still competing on all fronts having reached the final of the Carabao Cup and qualified for the fifth round of the FA Cup.
On top of that, they are currently top of the Premier League and finished first in their Europa League group.
This means Klopp has the chance to leave the club in the best way possible: by winning a quadruple.
Former Scotland international – and Johnny Nic’s joint-favourite pundit – Nevin has claimed that the timing of Klopp’s announcement could be a blessing in disguise.
This is because the Liverpool hierarchy has been given plenty of time to find the best possible replacement, with “the players not going to not work for him” as well.
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“Well, number one, yes, surprised by the timing, because generally with football managers, it’s usually when they’re having a stinker of a time or the end of a season, you know, there’s usually a big reason for it,” Nevin said. “With Jurgen, I’m surprised because it sounds a little bit odd.
“Yes, they’ve got to a cup final, but yeah, mid-season is strange. However, I would say this. It was brilliant for the club. Absolutely brilliant, not just for him.
“He’s never going to be a dead man walking. He’s never going to be that there. The players are not going to not work for him now because he’s isn’t going to be the manager next season, which can be a common problem elsewhere.
“Not the case on this occasion. He’s far too loved, not only by the players, but by the fans and generally in football.
“But the best bit of it, and I know that sounds really dull, but having done the job as a chief executive myself, the idea of your manager giving you four, five, six months to go and choose the right guy to follow you, to plan ahead, to look at every single possible option and have a relaxed time to do it. That is a phenomenal help.
“And in the meantime, he’s actually left a team that’s damn good, that’s actually been rebuilt, that’s got a feel-good factor about not only the club, but the team, the fans, everything.
“So in actual fact, it is an astonishing and a brilliant move by Jurgen Klopp. If he was going to do it, if he was going to leave in the summer, do it this way.”
Nevin continued: “Now, it may well be that he doesn’t win another tournament this season. You know, it might well be.
“I’d say the likelihood is he will win something because of the way the team’s playing, but if you’re organizing a club, and your manager came and did that for you, you would just hold him around the arm and be his best mate forever.
“You can’t do it a better way, so well done Jurgen. However, it’s still not going to be easy to replace him.
“It’s amazing because you very rarely get a chance to follow a guy who’s done really well, unless he’s going on to bigger and better things.
“So it’s a really, really difficult job that Liverpool have got just now, because of Jurgen’s skills, personality and judgement.”
