Klopp said he would start work by making Liverpool very hard to beat and on the evidence in North London on Saturday where the Reds claimed their first clean sheet in nine matches, at least the bespectacled manager looked to have started delivering on his promise.
Above all, I was personally pleased with Liverpool’s new pressing tactics – gegenpressing – an acclaimed innovation of their new boss. Klopp had barely two days with his depleted side before taking them to White Hart Lane. But for the first 20 minutes or a little more, the Reds swamped on their hosts like hungry locust and only lacked cutting edge to make their dominance count.
With more practice time with the squad and the imminent return of big first team players gegenpressing will surely last far more than 20 minutes and Liverpool will win more matches than the combination of their draws and losses put together under their new charismatic boss.
In only his first match the Reds ran an incredible 116km together, 4km more than an average Klopp’s team – 12km. They made over 600 sprints and were the first team to outrun Spurs this season. When you remember most of the boys only just returned from international engagements and associated long trips, I found this very impressive.
Am I being too positive? Well I think I’m entitled to be after the torrid three years plus of Brendan Rodgers largely mediocre management. Welcome Her Klopp to the Kop! Welcome gegenpressing!!
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