- Klopp was asked about whether he’d stay at LFC for as long as Wenger’s been with the Gunners
- Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates tonight with just one point separating the teams
- SEE MORE: Wenger: Ox isn’t a ‘big player’; Arsenal manager stokes fires before LFC clash
Jurgen Klopp doesn’t think he’ll be at Liverpool for as long as Arsene Wenger’s been at Arsenal, but think seven years seems a decent amount of time at a club.
That’s the length he spent at both Mainz and Dortmund before moving on to pastures new.
The boss was speaking ahead of tonight’s match with Arsenal, whose manager Arsene Wenger has of course been at the helm since 1996, when Klopp was still a player.
“Stay here 20 years? Don’t know, don’t know,” he told ESPN. “So far, after seven years, I’ve felt maybe I should move on.
“A few weeks ago, I saw a statistic for the longest-serving coaches in the Bundesliga and I’m the record coach of two clubs — Mainz and Dortmund.
“It would be quite difficult to become the record coach at Liverpool. I don’t know.
“As long as it works really, really well, I will carry on. That means as long as there is space for improvement because even if you win something, which everyone here is desperately waiting for, it could be the moment I say, ‘OK, but now we have to leave.’
“So far I think I have a very good feeling for these moments. In both situations, I think it was the right moment for both sides, for both parties, the clubs and me.
“We will see. I don’t feel I am close to that moment and everything is fine.
“If anyone thinks they can make a career like Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger in clubs, I’m not sure it would be possible.
“I think Arsene gets a lot of criticism. I’ve seen it since I’ve been in England and for sure it’s not right, but he’s still there and he’s doing a brilliant job again. Top five, six, fighting for fourth and being involved in different cup competitions and things like that. He’s obviously still very ambitious.”
For us, Klopp’s seven year plan would take him up to 2022 and we desperately hope he’s added some silverware to the trophy room in the meantime.
The German’s been a revelation since joining in creating an inspiring, attacking football team, but so far we’ve lost both the finals we’ve competed in.
This year, we hope Klopp takes the FA Cup seriously. We crashed out of the League Cup, meaning we can pour our eggs into the better competitions after Christmas.
But knowing his rotation policy, we think we might be seeing a second string against Everton in the Merseyside Derby.