Former Liverpool star Takumi Minamino gives his seal of approval to the man management skills of Jurgen Klopp
Japanese international Takumi Minamino might not be at Liverpool anymore but he continues to share a positive opinion of the club and the manager Jurgen Klopp. According to L’Equipe (h/t Liverpool Echo), he has shared his views on the German’s man management skills.
The versatile attacker was brought to Anfield from RB Salzburg in 2020, midway through the historic 2019-20 campaign where the Reds won the Premier League title. Minamino would never establish himself as a first-XI regular but was a key rotational player who scored several key goals in the coming years.
He was particularly effective in cup competitions as Liverpool aimed for an unprecedented quadruple in 2021-22. While we did ultimately fall short, Minamino guided us to both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup that season.
He left the club in the summer of 2022 for AS Monaco. After enduring a mixed debut campaign in Ligue 1, the 28-year-old is finally coming into his own this season. With three goals and assists apiece in five games so far, he has been one of the top performers in the French top flight this season.
A major reason for his transformation could be the appointment of Adi Hutter, someone who had earlier worked with Minamino at Salzburg. He compared Hutter to Klopp and praised the German’s man-management skills. Klopp had time to spare for not just his top players but also those on the roster who don’t play week in and week out.
“He always spoke with everyone, even with those who didn’t play.”
This is good news for a manager whose players often run through brick walls for him. Klopp plays a huge role in creating a sense of togetherness, making a team more than the sum of its individual parts. He did the same at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund before returning Liverpool back to their perch.
Minamino believes Klopp’s approach to giving attention to all of his players, irrespective of their standing makes him stand out. Not only does it give the players a sense of belonging and make them feel wanted., but it also motivates them to perform when called upon, something Minamino and Divock Origi did in spades during their time on Merseyside.
“For me, this is what makes him such a respected and fair coach towards his players. He manages to get everyone’s motivation intact, even the substitutes.”
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Minamino’s praise of Klopp is in stark contrast to the fire Erik ten Hag is fighting at Manchester United. Handling a team by pretending to be the top dog is easy but it does not translate to all players, all of whom need to be shown respect. Klopp has nailed down the carrot and stick approach, something that was on show earlier this weekend regarding Alexis Mac Allister who was pulled out at half-time at Wolves.
