He also had the best part of 60,000 in the palm of his hand, as he demonstrated on his farewell to Anfield. Getting them to sing the name of his successor, Arne Slot, constituted a seal of approval for Liverpool’s next manager, an attempt to smooth his welcome with popularity.
For some, it may have had echoes of Sir Alex Ferguson’s words to supporters on the Old Trafford pitch 11 years ago: “Your job now is to stand by our new manager.” David Moyes lasted 10 months at Manchester United.
It isn’t always easy to follow an iconic manager; Unai Emery, doing outstanding work at Aston Villa, floundered when following Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Slot has Klopp’s blessing and prepared for life on Merseyside by joining in a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at a party as he bade farewell to Feyenoord. The more pertinent part of his new job, however, does not concern the soundtrack.
Klopp’s words on the Anfield pitch were a further indication of his theory that Liverpool 2.0 will not end with his departure. “It’s not an overhaul needed,” he said. Speaking before his valedictory victory against Wolves, he said: “We all agree four weeks ago it was a super squad.”
He has demonstrated loyalty to his players; Slot does not need to show it, but part of Klopp’s skill set was to get footballers to deliver more for him than they had for anyone else. That becomes a challenge for whoever takes over from him.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin May 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin May 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia to sabotage Ukraine peace conference
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused China of helping Russia to disrupt an upcoming peace conference on the war in Ukraine.
UK judges paid £40,000 to sit on top Hong Kong court
British judges are taking tens of thousands of pounds to sit on Hong Kong’s top court despite a pro-China crackdown on dissent in the city.
Wilder reaches a sad end on unique Riyadh boxing night
It was the end for Deontay Wilder in the middle of the Saudi Arabian night when he stumbled one last time in a boxing ring.
Southgate delivers positive update on England's stars
England boss Gareth Southgate has been “pleased with the progress” Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are making as the Manchester United duo look to prove their fitness for Euro 2024.
How Real Madrid created a Champions League dynasty
Spanish giants have secured a 15th European Cup but the win exposes football's biggest issues
History tells us Starmer will face more campaign scares
Former home secretary Jack Straw reflects on a tough week for the Labour leader’s bid to be the next prime minister
Now Trump's been found guilty, Swift could prove crucial to the US election
chief among them – you wouldn’t expect a singer who found fame on America’s conservative country music scene to be particularly high on the list.
Gandhi dynasty heads for third defeat against Modi
The once mighty Congress party has struggled against Hindu nationalist alliance, reports Namita Singh from Uttar Pradesh
Veteran recalls explosion on his ship weeks after D-Day
A Royal Navy veteran has recalled being thrown from his ship after an explosion that killed 31 people just weeks after D-Day.
Abusers getting away with restraining order breaches
Thousands of vulnerable women face the threat of a violent domestic abuser returning to the household, with convictions for breaches of restraining orders plummeting, The Independent can reveal.