Jurgen Klopp took us all by massive surprise on Friday when he confirmed that he’d be leaving Liverpool at the end of this season, and one pundit can’t get his head around why the 56-year-old would depart this year.
The Reds’ first match since that shock announcement saw them brush Norwich aside 5-2 to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup earlier today, and it was a game which saw academy duo Conor Bradley and James McConnell provide three assists between them.
There were also comebacks from injury for Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Pat Nevin was astonished at the timing of the German’s decision to move on from Anfield.
The former Chelsea winger said: “Liverpool have so many options now. The young players are not bit parts filling gaps. They are serious players and it’s very exciting for Liverpool as everyone is coming back. Looking at the options he’s got now, why is Klopp leaving?”
Klopp attributed his decision to depart at the end of the season to feeling that he’s ‘running out of energy’ (liverpoolfc.com), and the exertions of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world for almost a decade while trying to compete with a dominant Manchester City side must surely take their toll eventually.
Nonetheless, you can see why Nevin might be surprised that the 56-year-old wouldn’t want to stay on and oversee a revitalised Liverpool team challenging for (and hopefully winning) major silverware with so many promising youngsters supplementing a formidable senior squad.
Sadly, the German’s mind is firmly made up, but at least he has the capability of leaving his successor with a group of players who, with the right guidance, look capable of spearheading another glorious era in this club’s iconic history.
Klopp might only have four more months at the helm, but just imagine how good the likes of McConnell, Bradley and Jarell Quansah will be in the future with even that bit of time under his tutelage.
One thing looks for certain – the 56-year-old will be bequeathing his replacement with an extremely strong deck from which to plot future success at Anfield.
The post ‘Why is Klopp leaving?’ – BBC pundit can’t believe Liverpool manager’s decision after Norwich romp appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
