Talksport
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Not only are Liverpool failing miserably in their Premier League title defence but even making it into the Champions League spots is a major concern.
But should we have seen this coming? We all know what an excellent job Jurgen Klopp did at Borussia Dortmund before things tailed off in his final season.
Relegation was a genuine concern for Dortmund in 2014/15. They were just afloat of the drop zone two-and-a-half years after lifting a second successive Bundesliga title.
It would be lazy to suggest exactly the same is happening at Anfield this season, however, there are certainly similarities there.
Much to the frustration of some Liverpool fans, the club didn’t break the bank in the transfer market last summer.
Nevertheless, they made exciting acquisitions, including Diogo Jota and Thiago Alcantara.
It’s not in the club’s business model to throw loads of money at what needs fixing and the same can certainly be said for Dortmund.
Like Liverpool, they didn’t spend hugely but made a few signings in the summer of 2014, including of Italian striker Ciro Immobile from Torino.
Liverpool haven’t been helped by Thiago and Kostas Tsimikas failing to settle in at the club so far. Again, it bares a remarkable similarity to Dortmund’s business in 2014/15, with the signing of Immobile failing to have the desired effect.
“Germans are so much more conservative and aim to achieve profit. Dortmund have no debts – they own their own stadium and so on,” president of the Borussia Dortmund fan club London Ben McFadyean told the Liverpool ECHO last year.
“The straightjacket that was imposed on Klopp in his last two seasons – perhaps one of the reasons he ended up leaving – made him somewhat restricted.
“The Immobile signing really broke him – he didn’t fit into the mentality and he brought the atmosphere down.”
As for matters on the pitch, both Liverpool and Dortmund’s seasons made contrasting starts.
The Reds began 2020/21 like they were ready to retain their crown, while Dortmund were as low as 15th after nine Bundesliga matches.
But false dawns in the league are a running theme of the two Klopp sides, with Liverpool’s 7-0 win over Crystal Palace in December leading to suggestions it was their league title to lose. They’ve won three of their last 13 league matches since running riot at Selhurst Park.
As for Dortmund, they were suffering from false dawns in October and November. Impressive results in the Champions League were often followed by yet more league setbacks. They found themselves 18th in the German top flight at the end of November.
European form has also been a nice remedy from a turbulent campaign for this Liverpool side. They qualified for the last-16 with a match to spare and are in a good position to reach the quarter-finals as they hold a two-goal lead against RB Leipzig. Dortmund topped their Champions League group, although they were well-beaten by Juventus in the last-16.
Both Liverpool’s class of 2020/21 and Dortmund 2014/15 had their pride dented by losing to their local rivals. The Reds were outplayed by Everton last month, while Dortmund were beaten by Schalke despite Klopp’s vow to not only win but to ‘put some things right’.
The bad results inevitably damaged morale and took their toll on the manager.
Klopp has had a number of frosty exchanges with the media this term, including a huge showdown with BT Sport’s Des Kelly over fixture scheduling.
Meanwhile, Klopp snapped at a reporter who suggested his team’s style was being found out before a clash against Paderborn.
“I am not looking for a fight so I will even answer this stupid question,” an irritated Klopp replied.
“If you say we have been ‘found out’ what does that say about the opposition coaches? Were they unable to see what our game was in the last few years?”
All these setbacks on and off the pitch have led to suggestions Klopp could leave Liverpool, admittedly most of them from disgruntled supporters in the immediate aftermath of a bad result.
With Dortmund at risk of relegation at one point, Klopp had to answer questions about his future, declaring he would not step down ‘under any circumstances’ in December 2014.
Five months later he waved goodbye to the adoring Westfalenstadion crowd as he pulled the curtain on his seven-year spell at the club. History shows us nothing should be ruled out at this stage.
This Story First Appeared At The Talksport
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