Alan Shearer has heaped praise on one ‘special’ Liverpool figure, despite the caveat that he ‘can be annoying at times’.
The BBC pundit was speaking about Jurgen Klopp on The Rest Is Football podcast in response to Gary Lineker’s glowing acclamation of the Reds manager for his ‘entertaining’ brand of football.
The ex-Newcastle striker admitted that the 56-year-old’s passion on the touchline can sometimes be grating, but he’s in awe of what the German has accomplished during his eight years at Anfield.
Shearer said of Klopp: “He is brilliant. He’s different class. His attitude on the side of the pitch can be annoying at times but in a way I admire and like that as well because of how passionate he is and how much he loves his football club and cares about it.
“The football his team plays is amazing at times. He is a special, special manager.”
There are times when Klopp’s passion can cross a line, such as the incident with fourth official John Brooks towards the end of the 4-3 win over Tottenham last April, but for the most part the Liverpool manager’s enthusiasm is infectious.
Besides, he’s far from alone among his colleagues in being animated on the touchline and wearing his heart on his sleeve in post-match interviews. That’s natural given what’s at stake when managing a team in the Premier League.
Shearer might’ve got it wrong in his vocal criticism of Diogo Jota over the penalty incident which led to Mo Salah finding the net from 12 yards against Newcastle on Monday night, but we’re in full agreement with his praise of Klopp as a ‘special’ manager.
Liverpool are blessed to have him, and even though many fans of other clubs bemoan the 56-year-old for being opinionated and forthright, deep down they’d surely love to have him in charge of their own team.
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