proceedings at Stamford Bridge, the
former Borussia Dortmund boss is
beginning to put his imprint on his new
side in the Premier League
COMMENT By Eliot Rothwell at
Stamford Bridge
The contrast between the managers on the
sidelines was huge. Jose Mourinho, the
beleaguered Chelsea coach was aggravated
and antagonistic throughout.
Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, radiated energy
and optimism on the Liverpool bench,
masterminding his first win in the Premier
League.
A 3-1 victory away from home against the
champions reinforced the excitement with
which the German has been greeted at
Anfield. The former Borussia Dortmund
boss is unbeaten since taking over at the
club, returning confidence and swagger to
the side, who put in an accomplished
performance.
Klopp, though, is keen to keep expectations
in check.
“Oh please,” the Liverpool manager
responded when asked about the
possibility of his side winning the title. “We
think about the next game, improving our
game and our style. We can do much
better than today, much, much better.”
But following a comprehensive victory over
the current Premier League champions,
albeit going through a difficult spell
themselves, questions about Klopp’s
ambitions are valid. After dominating
possession at Stamford Bridge with a
carefully executed game-plan, more will be
expected of Liverpool in the coming weeks
and the German looks like the man to
deliver.
There were two phases of Klopp’s plan to
pile more more misery on the Stamford
Bridge faithful. In the first half, Liverpool
looked to dominate possession and packed
their midfield, with no recognised striker
on the pitch. Christian Benteke started on
the bench, while Adam Lallana and Robert
Firmino were often the furthest players
forward.
AVERAGE POSITIONS | Liverpool started
without a recognised striker
No strikers and a bunch of attacking
midfielders allowed Liverpool to control
the game, despite going 1-0 down early on
via a Ramires header. From then, Klopp’s
side dominated possession for much of the
first half, but the tactical arrangement
required a moment of individual brilliance
to get the Reds back into the game.
Thankfully, Philippe Coutinho obliged twice
with spectacular curling efforts.
The Liverpool boss outlined his gameplan
in the post-match media conference,
saying: "Within a few minutes Chelsea
made their goal... but we stayed in the
game, we had our moments. Our build-up
with quick, short passes, that's what we
want to do, it was good."
At 1-1 and with a whiff of victory in the air,
Klopp played his ace, sending striker
Christian Benteke into the fray and
immediately providing a physical, powerful
focal point. The Belgian personified a drive
from careful possession to attacking intent,
as Liverpool looked to win the game,
building on Coutinho’s excellent strikes
with a goal of his own and wrapping up a
memorable win.
ACTION AREAS | Klopp's packed midfield
dominated possession
Every managerial plan needs a bit of luck,
for something to go their way, and without
Coutinho’s long-range inspiration,
Liverpool’s controlled possession may
have come to nothing. Their dominance
was made good by the exact sort of
individual brilliance that a manager cannot
plan for, but it fitted seamlessly into
Liverpool’s ambitions.
Traditionally, it has been Mourinho that
has received praise for attuning his tactics
to specific matches and situations, but with
the Portuguese manager struggling to
retain control of the situation at Stamford
Bridge, Klopp was able to impress himself
upon the game. Where the Portuguese
once excelled, the German is now
dominating.
It looks increasingly likely that Klopp will
outlast Mourinho in the Premier League
this season, with Saturday’s 3-1 win
deepening the chasm between Chelsea and
the top four. And after such a dominant
display at the home of the champions, the
feeling is that the Liverpool manager may
be set to match some of the Portuguese’s
achievements in the coming years.
The signs are promising for Liverpool and klopp
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