Liverpool’s non-international players returned to training yesterday as the club continue their pursuit of Jurgen Klopp to become the new manager.
After Brendan Rodgers’s sacking on Sunday assistant boss Sean O’Driscoll, first team coach Gary McAllister and development coach Pep Lijnders have been tasked with taking care of sessions at Melwood in the interim.
They all attended yesterday to put the small group not selected for their national teams through their paces.
However, the futures of O’Driscoll, a former England Under-19 manager, and ex-Reds midfielder McAllister at the club look to be short-lived.
The pair were brought in this summer as part of a backroom reshuffle which saw Rodgers’s close friend Colin Pascoe and another former player Mike Marsh jettisoned after a robust end-of-season review.
With Rodgers now gone and Klopp being lined up as a replacement the German is certain to want to bring with him Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz – his trusted assistants who worked with him at Borussia Dortmund.
Not among the players who trained yesterday was Philippe Coutinho, who on Monday pulled out of Brazil’s squad for World Cup qualifiers with Chile and Venezuela.
The 23-year-old has a minor groin injury which is only likely to present a short-term issue and the hope is he will be available for the trip to Tottenham on Oct. 17.
By then Liverpool hope to have had Klopp in position for long enough to have been able to make proper preparations for his Premier League debut.
Support for Klopp moving to Liverpool is widespread in his homeland.
Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who was linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, won a Bundesliga title and played in a Champions League final under Klopp.
He believes the Reds would be hitting the jackpot by appointing his former boss.
“I’ve not had that much contact with him recently, and I’ve not followed much of what has been said, but I think Klopp would be a great fit at many clubs and I believe also at Liverpool,” the Germany player said.
“Of course it’s something I can see happening. I think Klopp is capable of helping many top clubs in the world.”
Klopp has also received backing from former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to succeed in England.
“I can definitely see it happening and there’s no reservations at all in terms of his expertise,” Kahn said.
“England would be the right next step for Klopp, also in terms of his personal development.
“Only the language may be a barrier. It’s not that I think he would have a problem conversing in English, but when it comes down to motivating the team and his team talks – that’s a small thing that may not translate so well.
“Jurgen’s been good at motivating his players and that is what he would have to prove at Liverpool.”
Infectious positivity
Former Bayer Leverkusen coach Christoph Daum sees no such problem and feels Klopp’s infectious positivity will ensure he gets his motivational messages across.
“A character like Jurgen would fit in really well at Anfield,” he said.
“I know he’s regarded very highly in England and is on the wish-list of many clubs.”
Franz Beckenbauer added his endorsement for Klopp, telling Sky Sports: “He is for me one of the best (managers) in the world. If Liverpool have the chance to sign him for their club they should do it.
“Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp – it’s a good combination.”