Jurgen Klopp’s Evolution in Liverpool

On 1 June 2019 in Madrid, Jurgen Klopp became the sixth manager to win the Champions League. A defensive masterpiece followed Mohamed Salah's early penalty and a Divock Origi close as Liverpool won the continental title for the sixth time, and there are some good reasons why Jurgen Klopp's Evolution in Liverpool has reached a vital level.

was essentially a one-club man as a player. He doesn't care about money, as it is all about passion. you wouldn't hear much news of

Jurgen Klopp salary

in the media. The headlines are about Jürgen Klopp teams coached or his success on the pitch.

His playing career was not particularly noteworthy. Compilations of satisfyingly well-hit volleys by a floppy-haired Klopp, who wheels away in what would later become a world-famous teeth-clenched, fist-pumping celebration, are easy to come by.

He was, however, a pretty average footballer with vital intelligence and a shaky first touch, as he conceded. Following the sacking of manager Echard Krautzun in 2001, Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel turned to a 35-year-old Klopp, with the club facing relegation to the third division.

Heidel wanted someone who could encourage the players and bring back previous coach Wolfgang Frank's old 4-4-2 system, which went against the popular German convention at the time. The Mainz 05 was an outstanding opportunity for some reasons.

How did Jurgen Klopp's Evolution Started?

Jurgen has the character of being a manager who can also be a director, even with unknown but hard-working players and low-cap transfer budgets. Many believe

Jurgen Klopp’s Evolution in Liverpool

started here; while there is some truth now, it is often overlooked that Jurgen’s first job was in a crisis period at Mainz.

Following the resignation of Eckhard Krautzun, Klopp was named as the club's manager on February 27, 2001, after retiring from playing for Mainz 05 in the 2. Bundesliga. Klopp took command of their first match the next day, and Mainz 05 won 1–0 at home against MSV Duisburg.

Klopp went on to win six of his first seven games in charge, ending 14th and escaping relegation with one game remaining. Klopp led Mainz to fourth place in the league in his first entire season in command in 2001–02, using his preferred pressing and counter-pressing tactics to miss a promotion.

In 2002–03, Mainz finished fourth again but was denied promotion on a penultimate day due to goal difference. Klopp guided Mainz to a third-place finish in the 2003–04 season, winning promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history after two seasons of failure.

Mainz finished 11th in their maiden top-flight season in 2004–05, despite having the league's poorest budget and the minor stadium. In 2005–06, Klopp's side finished 11th again, earning qualification for the UEFA Cup, albeit they were knocked out in the first round by eventual champions Sevilla. 

were relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season, but Klopp elected to stay with the club. Klopp resigned at the end of the 2007–08 season after failing to secure promotion the following year. He completed with a 109-win, 78-draw, and 83-loss record.

Klopp's Mainz almost lost out on promotion the following two seasons, but his charisma spread over the Rhineland like a virus. Klopp, the son of a traveling salesman, had learned the value of rallying the crowd behind him and his product.

In their training sessions, Klopp and his coaching team, which included Zeljko Buvac, who eventually accompanied him to Dortmund and Liverpool, innovated, honing a swashbuckling, high-pressing style that became known as 'Gegenpressing' and 'heavy metal football.'

To help train players to always be attentive for second opportunities, unconventional training methods such as erecting barriers around the penalty area when practicing shooting - so that the ball would rebound unpredictably back into play - would be used. The crucial factor was running. Always on the move. Klopp and Mainz, unlike Dortmund and especially Liverpool, had limited room for error in the transfer market.

The manager became a one-man 'Moneyball,' focusing solely on the human side of the game rather than the statistical. Klopp, by now one of the most important individuals in the club's 100-year history and the great up-and-comer in German coaching, addressed the Opel Arena post-game with a microphone in hand after demotion was confirmed back to the second division.

They returned in 2009, albeit without Klopp. The German quit a year before they were promoted before accepting a job with Borussia Dortmund, one of the country's top clubs.

The Journey of Jurgen Klopp’s Evolution

Fifty-four-year-old Jurgen Klopp's evolution is rooted in the modern academy of Eintracht Frankfurt. Klopp's time at Borussia Dortmund between 2008 and 2015 shaped him into the man, manager, and entertainer he is today. While his Liverpool side in the English Premier League is currently playing some of the most exciting football in Europe, it is no doubt that his time at

between 2008 and 2015 shaped him into the man, manager, and entertainer he is today.

When Klopp arrived at Dortmund, he immediately set about restoring the club's reputation as a Bundesliga powerhouse. BVB would be undefeated at home for the entire league season, with perhaps the best performance of the season coming against Schalke when Dortmund rallied back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3.

Jurgen has the character of being a manager who can also be a director, even with unknown but hard-working players and low-cap transfer budgets. Many believe

Jurgen Klopp's evolution in Liverpool

started here; while there is some truth now, it is often overlooked that Jurgen's first job was in a crisis period at Mainz.

Borussia Dortmund missed out on European qualification due to goal difference in the final game of the season. Still, a sixth-place finish demonstrated that Klopp had his team back on track after a difficult period. BVB's rise up the table was aided by their growing familiarity with Klopp's new playing style of high pressing and quick counter-attacking.

Mats Hummels, Sven Bender, Nuri Sahin, Neven Subotic, and Kevin Grosskreutz all had fantastic seasons, but Lucas Barrios led the way with 19 goals to propel Borussia into Europe for the first time in seven years. Klopp's side had a shaky start to the season, losing 2-0 at home to Bayer Leverkusen, but they immediately blew away the cobwebs with a run of six straight wins in the autumn, followed by another seven shortly before the winter break.

In the second half of the season, elimination from cup competitions played in their favor, and with new blood in the form of Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski, there was no stopping the Black-and-Yellows from celebrating their first league triumph since 2002 with two matches to spare.

Whatever else he achieved in his career - like credibility and many articles on how Jürgen Klopp teams coached, which made him proud - nothing can ever compare to the 2011/12 season. Dortmund were beaten three times in the first six league games of the season, but they used that disappointment as motivation to produce their best domestic season ever.

BVB did not lose another game the entire season, winning the league by eight points over Bayern, setting a Bundesliga points record while playing some of the most exciting football ever witnessed by German fans. The season's conclusion could not have been more perfect.

Dortmund embarrassed Bayern Munich 5-2 in the DFB Cup final, with Kagawa scoring seconds into the match and Lewandowski grabbing a hat-trick as Dortmund won the league and cup double for the first and only time in club history. Borussia Dortmund had unfinished business on the continent heading into 2012/13, and something clicked in the side's collective thinking the moment they were put in the so-called "group of death" alongside Manchester City,

, and Ajax.

After winning their group, Dortmund advanced to the quarter-finals, where they faced Shakhtar Donetsk and Malaga. In the last four, Dortmund faced Madrid again, and Lewandowski made history by scoring four goals in the first leg, putting Dortmund in their first Champions League final since 1997.

Germany's two top clubs competed in one of the classic European Cup finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Dortmund lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich thanks to an Arjen Robben goal, but Klopp's team was back where he wanted them: among Europe's finest.

Furthermore, after years of possession-based domination in Europe, Dortmund's exhilarating style of "heavy-metal, "Gegenpressing-focused football was a breath of new air, and Klopp, as its conductor, had established himself as one of the world's greatest tactical minds. 

Dortmund's international profile had skyrocketed since Klopp's arrival, but in 2013, he was faced with a new task. Pep Guardiola arrived at Bayern Munich with a star-studded ensemble that included Klopp's former favorite

.

Borussia Dortmund fared successfully in Europe once again, reaching the Champions Championship's last eight, but fell short of Guardiola's Bayern Munich, who won the league with a league-record 90 points. Klopp's side advanced to the DFB Cup final for the second year in a row, but were defeated by their perennial rivals from Munich, who won in Berlin for the second year in a row.

Klopp's ability to put a brave face on things was put to the ultimate test in his final season with the Westphalians. In the first half of the season, things looked to get worse for BVB, who suffered ten Bundesliga defeats and finished second from the bottom during the winter.

Klopp's fortunes changed in the spring, as a strong finish to the season saw BVB finish seventh and qualify for Europe. Indeed, given the circumstances, Dortmund's Ruckrunde may be considered one of his most successful spells in command, with the club reaching the DFB Cup final for the third consecutive season.

All about Jurgen Klopp’s Evolution in Liverpool

Europe was enamored with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona's possession play during this time, but Klopp thought their passing game to be monotonous. Barca's determination to win the ball was something Klopp respected. Honestly, who wants to discuss Jurgen Klopp salary at Liverpool rather than his absolute achievements?

Liverpool's transformation under Jurgen Klopp has been massive in every way, not just in terms of the club's substantially improved fortunes on the field but also in terms of the general tone and vibe off it. Klopp, of course, is the mastermind behind it all. He is the primary decision-maker, and he is the one who has nurtured a team that follows his own set of football ideas. 

He is the one who has unlocked the full potential of the individual footballers he has at his disposal and brought them together to form the world's most complete squad. Some were already there when he arrived, while others were brought in from other places to assist him in carrying out his long-term goal.

Then there's his unique relationship with the fans and how he's completely fulfilled his pledge to 'transform doubters into believers,' infusing confidence, pride, and belief in a group of fans whose collective morale had been shattered before he arrived. 

While Klopp succeeds at developing footballers from a sports standpoint, he has also established a culture inside the group that allows him to rely on his players to demand excellence and set an example for younger players.

The impact of Pepijn Lijnders has been well documented in recent months, and long-serving assistant coach Peter Krawietz has been a critical figure in Klopp's reigns at both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. Still, it's worth noting that Klopp specifically credited Vitor Matos – the newly-appointed elite development coach – for his role in the win against Everton.

Matos, who joined from Porto in October and held the UEFA Elite Youth A License, has taken over Lijnders' previous role as the link between the academy and the first team set up and works closely with U23 manager Neil Critchley in developing young players in line with the first team's playing style, as evidenced by the performances of Neco Williams, Curt Jones, Harvey Elliott, and Yasser Larouci against

.

During Klopp's tenure, he has also added Andreas Kornmayer (first-team fitness coach) and Mona Nemmer (head of nutrition) from Bayern Munich to his back-room staff and Danish throw-in coach Thomas Grnnemark, all of whom have contributed to the club's significant success. In the quest for every possible marginal gain, no stone has been left unturned.

Knowing one's skills and limitations and being able to delegate responsibilities to people around them who are experts in their disciplines is a critical component of becoming a genuinely excellent manager.

Klopp has constructed a rock-solid support structure around him to implement his vision at every level, from his back-room team to senior figures within the squad whom he trusts implicitly to reflect his fundamental beliefs, piece by piece, during his term. He brings it all together, yet it's a classic case of the whole being more significant than the sum of its parts. It's starting to bear fruit in a big way now.

4 Things Jurgen Klopp did differently at Liverpool

Rome was not built in a day, and this is the story of

Jurgen Klopp’s Evolution in Liverpool. 

In the beginning, few would imagine how it would take shape; few would tell Jurgen Klopp’s name would be among the best Liverpool managers in history.

In contrast to Jose Mourinho's "Special One" introduction to the English press, the German called himself "The Normal One" and was modest about his achievements and what awaited him at Liverpool.

He was well aware that the task at hand was not one to be taken lightly. Now let's take a look at 4 Things Jurgen Klopp did differently at Liverpool and take a closer look at Jurgen Klopp's evolution in Liverpool.

Signing Virgil Van Dijk

It might be argued that the purchase of

in the winter of 2018 marked the start of Klopp's Liverpool's resurgence. Let's go beyond this and discuss a heated issue. Jurgen Klopp might even deserve to get into Liverpool managers' hall of fame for the markets and his improvement over the years.

Some of the profits from the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona were used to buy the tall Dutchman. It was a significant sum of money, but it could not have been spent more wisely.

The previous summer, Klopp chose Van Dijk as his preferred defender, prompting the defender to submit a transfer request to Southampton. The club declined this request. Liverpool, on the other hand, were not intimidated and waited many months before signing him in the middle of the 2017/18 season. "Southampton has gotten a fantastic deal.

Yes, Van Dijk is a good player, but at €85m? No, he's not worth it," Alan Shearer said at the time of the deal's announcement. Van Dijk fit right in with the team right away, and he played as if he'd been there for years. He tightened up Liverpool's porous defense, as the Reds barely conceded any goals in the second half of the Premier League season.

It's also unlikely that the club would have reached the Champions League final that season if he hadn't joined, such was his impact on the team. Van Dijk has subsequently developed into one of the top defenders in the world, finishing second in the 2019 Ballon d'Or voting.

Inserting Mohamed Salah to the Team

Salah was one of Roma's greatest players during his time in Rome, but he was unreliable; he required five opportunities to score once, and many in Italy believed Roma had the better of the trade when it was announced. Salah, like Van Dijk, was quick to adapt to his new surroundings in Liverpool.

In his first season, he terrorized defenders, requiring no time to adjust to a new league. It certainly helped that he was given more space than he had in Serie A and made the opponents pay for it.

The goals came thick and fast: 32 in 36 Premier League games in 2017/18, 22 the following season, and 19 in the title-winning campaign. Salah couldn't seem to stop himself from scoring.  With

and Roberto Firmino having a terrible season, he almost single-handedly pulled the club to fourth place last season.

In just 151 games, he became the quickest Liverpool player to reach a century of Premier League goals this season. In retrospect, Salah was a steal, deserving every penny of the €44m plus bonuses he received from the club. It's now debatable whether he's the best in the world. Not many people would have predicted that four years ago.

Sorting the Midfield

Whether it be due to Injuries, unavailability, or lack of form, Liverpool was unable to field anything like a settled midfield. While that has seemingly made little difference to their attacking exploits the cover for the defense hasn't been consistent.

Gini Wijnaldum's loss has been felt in that regard, although Liverpool haven't been helped by Fabinho, their best defensive midfielder, having failed to start more than half the games. Klopp made it to sort out the midfield with Thiago and Keita on the line. It could be his third-best job in Liverpool's evolution so far.

Defensive Rotation and Tactical Change

Although there have been noticeable changes to Liverpool's approach this season - the defense is taking a higher line with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip's back fit, and Trent Alexander-Arnold has regularly drifted into central positions - recent results suggest they may have become a little easier to read. However, Liverpool has shown no signs of moving to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-4 formation this season, as they did on occasion last season.

Last month, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders observed, "Our game needs freshness; we want our players to be surprising." That will be our goal. With qualification for the Champions League knockout stages secured, the last two group games, like the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City at home before Christmas, are an opportunity for periphery players to get some playing time.

Not least among them are the center-backs, with

, Joe Gomez, and Nat Phillips all vying for playing time. Given that there are three Premier League games in the middle of the month, Klopp will undoubtedly look to deploy all of his defensive alternatives to avoid weariness.

Stability and Jurgen Klopp's Evolution in the Near Future

With numerous vital players in the current Liverpool squad over 30, including a trio of 29-year-olds leading the line, the term 'aging' has been associated with Jurgen Klopp's first great team.

With Klopp's contract set to expire in 2024, there's a growing sense that Liverpool will need to slash costs and spend big if they want to develop the next great Klopp team.

play in a 4-3-3 formation off the ball, with four defenders at the back, three in the middle, and a front three that presses high and wide.

The Reds now have a numerical advantage in defense, making them difficult to break down. Liverpool's assault resembles a 2-3-5 formation, with the center-backs and midfielders in reserve and the full-backs joining the attack, but it is easy to say that

Jurgen Klopp's evolution in Liverpool

is something that we will not see soon.

This indicates that we now have most players in the attacking third, with one player in each of the pitch's five'stratas' (wings, half-spaces, and center). Importantly, this means Liverpool has a perfect balance in attacking and defensive transitions, with five players in defense and five in the attack.

The achievements are to be remembered, and Jurgen Klopp, as one of the legends among

Liverpool managers

, deserves enormous respect. Liverpool had the youngest average starting lineup of any Premier League side during the 2017/18 season. They also changed their starting lineup the most of any Premier League team that season. It's been about consistency ever since.

Klopp learned the hard way that there was no space for mistakes last season when a single point lost his club the title. Given the competition presented by

, the standards were exceptionally high. Almost every time, Liverpool had to find a way to win. Klopp outlined to me at Melwood earlier this season how his team had grown to be able to deal with anything the opponent threw at them.

With Henderson driving them on, they wanted more. Liverpool's style has evolved so that they can now dominate all opposition and handle all game states. What had been the youngest team in the Premier League two years ago has now matured into the best.

It has been a journey of discovery for the team. A journey with Klopp as the instructor and the players given the freedom to solve problems for themselves has been guided learning. 

It was the perfect show of symbolization. The pictures of Rome, Paris, Wembley, and Istanbul were added along with the beauty of Madrid. It had shown what Liverpool's tomorrow would be, in keeping with the tradition of its glorious past. In a couple of years, there won't be a single supporter in the world to talk about Jurgen Klopp salary or Liverpool's spending on the market.

The idea is progressing, and Jurgen Klopp's Evolution has always proved to be in that way. People do not forget; they do not forget loyalty, and indeed they won't forget how the way

Jürgen Klopp teams coached

: With the utmost enthusiasm.

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