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Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been ‘worked out’ just yet

Whenever Jamie Carragher criticises Liverpool, the club he adores, and Jurgen Klopp, you know it is worth your attention.

“Certain players have been superb all season,” Carragher said on Sunday. “You can’t expect the likes of Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho to keep up their levels, they need to come out of the team, not dropped, but just taken out for a couple of weeks to freshen them up, but there isn’t the players on the bench to do that.”

The former Reds defender is not alone in his criticism of the lack of depth at Anfield. The enigma that is Raymond Verheijen has taken to Twitter recently, posting a “told you so” barb aimed at Jurgen Klopp, having previously insisted that the German’s training methods and high intensity playing style would see the Liverpool players suffer somewhat of a burnout.

And, with just one win since the turn of the year – against League Two side Plymouth at the second attempt – maybe the Dutch fitness coach has a point?

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has leapt to Klopp’s defence, and it is telling that the Argentine takes such a stance ahead of their trip to Anfield this weekend.

“If you are win you are a genius if you don’t wain you are criticised,” Pochettino pointed out. “You just need to be natural, spontaneous and believe in the way you play. Use your methods. It’s an easy answer: to work in the way you believe you can achieve big things.”

Klopp not alone in his quest for change

Less than a month ago, Klopp was flavour of the month, but only in football can such a popular figure be doubted in the extreme after over a month later.

Pochettino knows all about the fickleness of the game, especially with English football still being stuck in its jingoistic ways.

Now, helped by the fact he has so many English players at the core of his plan, Pochettino has been afforded time to develop a Spurs side for a generation, not overnight success.

So why, just over halfway through his first full season in England, is Klopp’s aptitude as a manager being called into question?

The same can be said for Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho in their respective jobs – both Manchester City and Manchester United are not going to be turned into world beaters overnight. The former faces criticism in an altogether more vitriolic manner, having been such a huge success at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The problem is that the ever-hard-to-please fans of these clubs have seen what Antonio Conte has done at Chelsea, almost literally overnight, and they expect that to be the norm – such accomplishments are phenomenal and such be appreciated not expected.

The other end of the spectrum is what is happening at Arsenal. Fans see the almost constant stagnation in recent years under Arsene Wenger and wonder what is the right amount of time for a manager to be given to get it right?

Projects take time

Klopp himself has admitted that teams may have “found a solution” to the high-octane Reds, and it has been pretty straight forward for teams to get something against Liverpool – sit back, soak up the pressure and break. You don’t many chances to score against the Reds this season with two goalkeepers shorn of confidence and a defence prone to errors.

But Klopp doesn’t have to defend himself. He needs time, like Guardiola, like Mourinho. Carragher is right, there is nowhere near the depth to the Liverpool squad required to mount a serious title tilt.

Carragher was also right to point out that Liverpool should have strengthened in January, but some managers don’t like to delve into the winter window too much, and you can see why.

The summer is a big one for Klopp and Liverpool. Then we can make a real judgement. Liverpool are on the cusp of something, and this recent run is likely to be a mere blip.

A plan B is needed, teams have figured out a way to beat Liverpool, but once Klopp decides what that is, all this talk will be forgotten, and the target will shift to a another struggling coach.

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