German expert on similarities between Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Dortmund

Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside, quoted by Liverpool Echo, German football expert and commentator Dr Constantin Eckner talked about the time Jurgen Klopp has had at Liverpool and compared it to when he was at Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp spent seven years with the German side and was hugely successful. His last season was a bit of a struggle with players struggling to cope with the demands of high-intensity football. The other caveat was Dortmund constantly losing key players to Bayern Munich and other European clubs every year.

So, despite winning two back-to-back league titles in Germany, every year felt like a transition period for the manager. On the other hand, while he is struggling in a similar time frame at Liverpool after delivering huge success, he hasn’t lost key players every year here.

German expert on similarities between Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Dortmund. — Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is going through a tough time in footballing terms. (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

But, Eckner has found a theme which is common in Klopp for any club he manages. Here’s what he said (h/t Liverpool Echo):

“If you look back at that season [Dortmund’s last], you see some similarities to this season. His thin-skinness, that he lashed out at a journalist who criticised him in some way, I think. It reminds me of that time. And also, some of the mistakes he made back then, he might repeat them right now. Sticking to some of the players right now that may have made a mark in the past but aren’t really up to point anymore.

“The signing of Darwin Nunez is also an interesting one. People might remember, in 2014 Robert Lewondowski left Dortmund and moved to Bayern Munich and Klopp’s signing at the time was Ciro Immobile, a very physical but technically limited striker. Sometimes when I watch Darwin Nunez, who is probably much more expensive and probably much more gifted than Immobile, it reminds me a little of that. Klopp sometimes does these things and goes back to the ‘fighting spirit’ striker.”

While the first part of the quote is on display, especially in the last few weeks, the second part of it is an interesting one.

With the departure of Michael Edwards last summer, it has felt like Klopp and the coaching staff are having a majority say in which players the club should buy. Darwin Nunez smacks of a signing done because the coaches wanted him.

But, if Eckner is referencing Nunez as a replacement for Sadio Mane, it is wrong. Liverpool had Mane’s replacement ready five months before he left – Luis Diaz. It is just a shame that the Colombian has been out injured since October and we have missed his pace and drive in wide areas.

All in all, while there are similarities, there is a stark difference too. Liverpool never had to sell their player during that period of five years when they were dominant everywhere. They could have avoided the Dortmund repeat for Klopp by spending properly in the last summer window and during the foregone January window.