Gary Neville says Liverpool cannot improve on Jurgen Klopp. To be fair to the Reds, Manchester City are in the same boat.
Gary Neville discussed Jurgen Klopp’s current situation on his Sky Sports podcast this week. Specifically, he addressed the idea of Klopp leaving Liverpool as his ‘7th season syndrome’ kicked in once again.
The theory – not one that Neville subscribes to – is that things fall apart for Klopp in his seventh season. Things slipped up at both Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in his seventh season – and Liverpool’s slow start suggests it’s happening again.
Neville, though, doesn’t buy into that. He doesn’t think that Klopp, nor Pep Guardiola, would depart their clubs as they’re too ideal. While neither club could possibly do better than their current boss.
“I think [the theory] is unfair,” said Neville. “I’d love Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp to leave City and Liverpool!
“But I just think at the moment when I look at the reason why Pep has not left City is because he’s got everything he wants here.
“I say the same for Jurgen Klopp. Those clubs won’t get better managers either, Jurgen Klopp is an absolute phenomenon. And I think ‘where would Jurgen Klopp go now, which would be better than Liverpool football club?’”
Liverpool can’t improve on Jurgen Klopp
Well, he’s absolutely right. Klopp is the best Liverpool manager since at least Kenny Dalglish in the late 1980s. You can argue he’s the best since Bob Paisley.
Those are incredibly high standards. We’re talking record-setting managers here, managers who have utterly dominated the competition.
That’s the standard Klopp has set and the only thing separating from their trophy hauls has been Manchester City. Without them, Liverpool would have another two or three titles.
But more than that, Klopp is simply the perfect fit for Liverpool. How he wants to build a team fits with the club’s finances. His playing style is one all clubs would love. His personality meshes with the city of Liverpool to perfection – right down to his politics.
To have all of that going for him on top of the success shows just how brilliant Klopp is. Liverpool can’t do better – there isn’t a better manager, in our eyes, let alone a better fit.
And that’s why there was such joy when Klopp extended his contract last season. We’ll be honest – our fingers are crossed that he does the same before 2026.
