Grading Jurgen Klopp on Liverpool's 2015/16 Season
Jurgen Klopp arrived as manager of Liverpool in October amid a swirl of anticipation, joining the Reds following a successful seven-year spell in charge of Borussia Dortmund, ending his sabbatical for the opportunity to manage in the Premier League
"From doubter to believer," came his initial mission statement, delivered during an emphatic opening interview with LFCTV, and picking up the pieces from Brendan Rodgers' ultimately failed reign, this was a major challenge.
When Fenway Sports Group cast Rodgers aside following Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Merseyside rivals Everton at the beginning of October—just 11 games into the season—the Ulsterman's squad was one far removed from that which challenged so admirably for the Premier League title in 2013/14.
Gone were some of its key players in Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez, and in came a group of new faces, with £32.5 million striker Christian Benteke at the forefront of a flurry of summer activity.
Liverpool finished the season eighth in the Premier League, with defeat in both the UEFA Europa League final and the Capital One Cup final, but how should Klopp be assessed for his role in the 2015/16 campaign?
Here we analyse the German's influence, on results and on the club as a whole, providing a grade for his first months in charge on Merseyside.
Klopp holds a reputation as one of Europe's most charismatic managers, but also one of its most fearsome.
This became abundantly clear from the start on Merseyside, and Klopp's introduction has served as a breath of fresh air within the landscape of the Premier League: unapologetic in his candour.
Sitting in the German's presence for post-match press conferences, reporters have become familiar with his trademark fury, most notably in criticising an opening question focusing solely on Daniel Sturridge after April's 2-1 win away to Bournemouth.
Furthermore, after his side's final game of the league campaign, a 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion, Klopp sat bemused as a reporter repeatedly asked whether he feared retribution from the Premier League for fielding a rotated lineup.
His rotation in the final months of the season and his approach to Sturridge's varying fitness serve as two salient examples of his managerial style.
Klopp's arrival levelled the playing field, with the 48-year-old unconcerned with reputation.
Against the likes of Bournemouth, Stoke City and Watford in the latter stages of the 2015/16 league season, Klopp utilised his youth ranks, most notably Brad Smith, Kevin Stewart and Sheyi Ojo, allowing himself breathing room in rotating his squad between important Europa League fixtures.
Furthermore, with Sturridge suffering three major injuries throughout the season—first his hip, then his knee, then his hamstring—Klopp took a patient approach to his recovery, with MailOnline's Dominic King revealing in November that he "[would] not consider him for first-team duty until he has completed 10 days of full training."
As a result, when Sturridge was finally able to return to full training alongside the likes of James Milner and Adam Lallana, he was in a position to hit top form, scoring six goals in nine league appearances following his hamstring problem.
Sturridge, Lallana, Milner, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino, Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi were all among those to noticeably improve following Klopp's arrival, and his influence on the squad has been vast.
This, however, did little to improve the Reds' league position, and when considering Klopp's impact on the club within the context of the 2015/16 campaign, that miserable eighth-placed finish weighs heavily on the agenda.
Throughout the season, Liverpool registered some emphatic league results under Klopp, including November's 4-1 win away to Manchester City, with the German's three-man forward line of Lallana, Firmino and Philippe Coutinho employing his high-intensity attacking outlook to devastating effect.
Moreover, January's 5-4 comeback victory at Norwich City showcased a belief and winning mentality instilled by Klopp, with Lallana's last-minute volley securing an unlikely three points in East Anglia.
The 6-0 victory over Aston Villa on Valentine's Day, March's 3-0 win at home to Manuel Pellegrini's City and a 4-0 Merseyside derby win over Everton at Anfield in April showed a glimpse of what is to come under the former Borussia Dortmund manager.
But disappointing losses at the hands of Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Watford, West Ham United, Southampton and Swansea City ensured this remains a work in progress.
Liverpool finished the season with 60 points, two fewer than under Rodgers in 2014/15; the Northern Irishman averaged 1.5 points per game over his eight league games in 2015/16, and Klopp averaged 1.6, serving as scant improvement following FSG's October intervention.
However, given Klopp's rotation throughout the final months of the season, and Liverpool's relative success in cup competitions, there are mitigating factors behind the Reds' poor placing in the Premier League.
Though Klopp treated the FA Cup as an exercise in youth development—fielding Smith, Stewart, Tiago Ilori, Jon Flanagan, Pedro Chirivella, Joao Carlos Teixeira and Jordon Ibe in February's fourth-round replay away to West Ham—his focus on the League Cup and the Europa League was more streamlined.
In the former, Klopp ensured victory over Bournemouth, Southampton and Stoke on the way to a Wembley final against City, while knockout triumphs over Manchester United, Dortmund and Villarreal secured passage to the Europa League final against Sevilla at FC Basel's St. Jakob-Park.
Liverpool's 4-3 quarter-final second-leg win at home to Dortmund served as the highlight of the campaign, with the Reds' fightback capturing the essence of Klopp's "doubter to believer" address.
Ultimately, however, Liverpool fell to defeat in both finals, leaving Klopp without silverware in his first season on Merseyside and facing a campaign without European football in 2016/17, and therefore it is difficult to match October's euphoria with an outstanding grade.
So far, Klopp has made a hugely positive impact on a post-Rodgers Liverpool, and with Marko Grujic, Loris Karius and Joel Matip all primed to arrive this summer, the German is building the foundations for a bright future.
But after a tough 2015/16, Klopp may now have realised the magnitude of the task at hand.
Grade: B
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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