Ranking the 10 best players who have played under Jurgen Klopp
Very few managers are renowned for their incredible talent to turn promising players into superstars on a regular basis and among the managers active right now, Jurgen Klopp is definitely somewhere near the top of that list.
The charismatic German has an everlasting legacy at Borussia Dortmund. He inherited a side that finished 13th in the league in 2007/08 and in only his third season with the club, he turned them into league winners.
Klopp’s mission to revive Dortmund was not aided by rich owners. Instead, it was down to meticulous planning and scouting. Today, players like Robert Lewandowski or Mats Hummels are household names among football fans and Jurgen Klopp’s role in that is huge.
Even at Liverpool, Klopp’s methods have helped many players improve their game and it is reflecting on the team as a whole.
Klopp has had the pleasure of training and working with many top players and here are the top 10 players to have worked under him.
#10. Roberto Firmino
When Jurgen Klopp became Liverpool manager, it took him a while to realise how to use the players at his disposal effectively and during his search to find the ideal lineup, he played Roberto Firmino up front.
Firmino doesn’t operate as a traditional number 9 who scores a lot of goals, instead, he plays more like a false 9 who drops deep to receive the ball, draws defenders out of position and creates space for the wingers and midfielders.
The Brazilian’s is key to implementing Klopp’s pressing style which sees his team try to win the ball back high up the pitch once they lose possession.
He has already played over 100 games in a Liverpool kit scoring 27 times and assisting 20 more. Although his numbers may not impress many, his importance to Liverpool’s attacking style is huge.
Since the start of last season, he has created 85 chances in 41 Premier League games. To put things into perspective, Premier League’s top strikers like Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku have created at least 30 chances fewer than Firmino in the same period.