Liverpool heart has been ripped out and FSG have big questions to answer after Jurgen Klopp exit

Liverpool owner John Henry and manager Jurgen Klopp

There is a famous clip from back in 1974 in which a roving television reporter – the late journalist turned music mogul Tony Wilson, no less – accosts a number of people on the streets of Liverpool to inform them Bill Shankly had announced he was leaving his role as Reds boss after 15 years.

“You’re having me on, aren’t you?” came the response from one disbelieving younger fan.

Some 17 years later, there was as identical response from those who were told Kenny Dalglish had decided to quit, mere days after Liverpool had drawn 4-4 at Everton in one of the most epic FA Cup ties of all time.

LIVE: Jurgen Klopp announces shock decision to leave Liverpool

Now Reds supporters are reliving those moments in similarly unexpected, unwanted fashion.

And it will pose a question no Liverpool fan wanted to consider but to which they will forever recall the answer: where were you when Jurgen Klopp revealed he was stepping down as manager?

While there had been no inkling of Friday’s shock announcement, journalistic instinct among those who regularly follow Liverpool suggested something wasn’t quite right this week. There appeared no real reason for Klopp’s regular Friday press conference to be brought forward a day, nor for the usual briefing of Matt Beard, the manager of the women’s team, to be shifted to Saturday.

Nobody, though, had anticipated the real reason the decks were being cleared. And in a sport in which hyperbole and overstatement are wearying trademarks, the news Klopp is calling it quits is a genuine bombshell.

Not for the hierarchy at Liverpool, however. They had been informed by Klopp in November of his intention to leave and have subsequently been considering their succession plan.

And it will be a major overhaul, with assistant managers Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, elite development coach Vitor Matos and, as was confirmed a little later on, sporting director Jorg Schmadtke all on their way. The beating heart of the football operation at Liverpool is being ripped out.

Of course, Klopp was always going to leave at some point. In fact, this summer was when he was initially expected to depart before signing a two-year contract extension in April 2022 with Liverpool chasing down a quadruple. Was Klopp, an emotional person, caught up in the moment back then? It’s a possibility.

On a human level, the decision for Klopp to call time on his reign is understandable. Almost nine years in such a high-profile, intense job takes an enormous toll, with only Shankly and Bob Paisley having been in charge longer since the war. For sure, Klopp’s name stands alongside those Liverpool managerial greats.

But attempting to keep up with and occasionally surpassing Manchester City – and all the unique advantages they have enjoyed – has been exhausting, an achievement the value of which will surely increase over time, not least if City are found guilty of any of the charges brought against them. Any censure will only be felt after Klopp has gone.

The game has also changed during his tenure, from the divisive implementation of VAR, question marks over Financial Fair Play to the seemingly inexorable growth of media outlets desperate to dissect his every word and action. That’s a pressure with which few can truly empathise.

Take these telling comments from Klopp in his announcement. “I am still a normal guy, I just don’t live a normal life for too long now,” he said. “I don’t want to wait until I am too old for having a normal life. I need to at least give it a try at one point to see how it is and will I miss it.”

Worth remembering, too, is Klopp was the Liverpool manager throughout the covid era, a time during which his enthusiasm waned with supporters locked out and the team struggling with relentless major injuries. He could easily have gone then. Instead, Klopp masterminded an unlikely Champions League qualification and the following season came agonisingly close to a clean sweep of trophies.

However, the struggles last season were perhaps a sign. Building a new team is difficult and takes time. The Reds are ahead of schedule in that regard this term, but now aged 56 and having spent almost nine years away from his native Germany, few can begrudge Klopp stating he doesn’t have the energy to commit fully to a new cycle. The manager, as he did during seven years at Mainz and a further seven at Borussia Dortmund, has given the club everything. And, unlike so many others, he knows when it is time to stop. A well-deserved sabbatical of at least a year awaits.

There will be other questions. What impact, if any, will this have on the contract situations of the likes of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold? And will it, in the short term, make recruiting players that little bit more difficult? Liverpool alone is a major lure for any player, but the stability of the Klopp era and the personality of the manager himself have swayed many a signature.

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group now face a major decision. Unlike when Shankly was followed by Paisley, after which came Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish, there is no obvious successor from within. The next manager will come from the outside.

Klopp was the ideal, in some ways the only, choice for Liverpool, without doubt FSG’s greatest coup, a union that was always going to work. It will be impossible to replicate that, but anyone with experience of working at Anfield or other major clubs will be an attractive prospect. For good reason, then, has Xabi Alonso been named the early favourite to succeed Klopp given his outstanding work at Bayer Leverkusen.

But with Schmadtke also going, it paves the way for a completely new model at Anfield. Will FSG opt for a different route? These are the conversations that will have been taking place in the corridors of power over the last few months. Ensuring any period of uncertainty is limited will be hugely important.

At least, as Klopp stated himself in his announcement, he has left whoever takes over a Liverpool squad ready to fight in the present while having clear potential for a successful future. It is the perfect leaving present that will be hugely welcomed by whoever takes over from the German. He leaves with Liverpool on the up once again. And as was shown with Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish, a successful club can continue without Klopp.

That said, there won’t be anyone quite like Klopp ever again, the manager who broke the mould and dragged Liverpool back to the summit. Ending a 30-year wait for the championship alone would have been enough to secure legendary status. That Klopp also won a sixth European Cup and helped the Reds become world champions for the first time, along with other silverware, demonstrates his impact at the club that goes far, far beyond what happens on the pitch or the training field. His ethos has made modern-day Liverpool what it is today, his presence felt in every corner of the club.

But assessment of Klopp’s reign can come at a later date. By making the announcement now, the manager has fended off potential speculation over his future and allowed focus to be primarily on continuing the development of his new-look Liverpool team.

One thing is for sure, though. When the German finally waves goodbye to Anfield for good at the end of the season, it will be one of the most emotional occasions the stadium has ever seen. Until then, the farewells can wait. There are trophies to be won.

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