It wasn’t long ago that Chelsea fans were doing their utmost to force Thomas Tuchel into the argument about who is the best manager in the Premier League.
But even during Liverpool’s Covid-riddled, injury-savaged season of 2020/21, Jurgen Klopp finished above his German counterpart domestically.
Last term, Manchester City got 93 points, Liverpool 92, with Chelsea 18 behind on 74 – despite having spent £100m on striker Romelu Lukaku.
It should never have been a discussion. Pep Guardiola and Klopp are the managerial behemoths and everyone else swims in their wake… and Tuchel’s sacking proves it.
If the ‘Best of the Rest’ gets the boot after six games, how good really were they?
Tuchel spent £253m this summer (Transfermarkt) on the likes of Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly, yet somehow got worse.
Chelsea toiled to a 1-0 loss away to Dinamo Zagreb last night, with a miserable looking Tuchel telling the press yet again how poor his team were. Enough was enough, thought Todd Boehly, who channeled his inner-Abramovich to give Tuchel his marching orders this morning.
Seems Todd Boehly is of a similar mindset! https://t.co/zoQUNOAIw2
— Jordan Chamberlain (@Jordan_AC90) September 7, 2022
Antonio Conte is a top manager and will get the best out of his Spurs side. But with Conte, it never lasts. The angry Italian stays two or three seasons at a top side (often winning lots, in fairness) before he takes on the board, his own players and leaves a club in turmoil. He wins, but at a long-term cost.
Klopp and Guardiola have been in their jobs for seven and six years respectively and their genius is not only in their tactical understanding of the game, but in their ability to keep large squads of superstars happy and working for them for so long.
They never throw their players under the bus. Privately they’ll obviously have doubts and issues with certain individuals, but it never manifests itself in the media. Take Klopp right now with Naby Keita. Is something going on behind the scenes with the Guinean? Definitely. Will Klopp discuss it openly? Absolutely not. Remember years back when he decided Mamadou Sakho wouldn’t play for us again? He kept that private, too.
Other managers will enjoy good seasons and become the flavour of the month. Mikel Arteta is on the up right now, as is Graham Potter. Both may eventually join the elite, but right now, they’re not in Klopp or Pep’s league.
Perhaps Potter will get the Chelsea job and get a chance to prove otherwise, but managing big egos with huge expectations is a different game. Just ask David Moyes about the Manchester United job.
Where Klopp and Pep differentiate is the money they’ve had to spend, and also the squads they walked into. Pep had David Silva, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero – genuine world-class players – and in fairness, he got the best out of the ones he trusted and has bought well to form the most consistently impressive side on the planet. He’s had the benefit of billions, but don’t be fooled into thinking anyone could achieve what he has – he’s exceptional.
Klopp though has been neck and neck with Pep on a fraction of the budget. Insanely, Erik ten Haag already has a bigger net spend than Klopp, despite having only been in charge at Manchester United for three months.
Can you imagine the squad Klopp could’ve built if he’d been able to buy the best players on the market – most of who wanted to play for him due to his footballing style and charisma?
Such is the pull of working underneath him and playing at Anfield, he’d have been able to snare the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe if Liverpool spent like City.
Still, we don’t – and while it’s annoying – especially this summer when the midfield was once again ignored – it means our achievements mean a little more.
Let’s see what Klopp can get out of his current squad before next summer’s much-needed overhaul. Don’t rule out more greatness – and be careful not to laud the next pretender to his throne too early.