‘Hovering over Anfield like a UFO’ – German reporter talks up prospective Klopp return to LFC

One German journalist has talked up the possibility of Jurgen Klopp returning to Liverpool, amid the pressure which has been growing on Arne Slot.

A horrific fun of nine defeats from 12 games has led to external questioning of the Dutchman’s credentials, with Jamie Carragher warning that anything less than seven points from the Reds’ three matches over the next week would make the situation ‘untenable’.

The Times‘ Jonathan Northcroft reported that sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG Head of Football Michael Edwards both spoke with the head coach in recent days and have continued to back the 47-year-old.

However, within Germany, there have been calls for Liverpool to reach out to Klopp, who departed Anfield 18 months ago after making it clear that he needed a break from coaching.

Liverpool would be ‘negligent’ not to bring back Klopp

Speaking on The BILD Show, journalist Marcel Reif vividly remarked: “Liverpool isn’t just in a mess. It’s practically burned to the ground”, and said that the timing of our former manager’s Diary of a CEO interview last month is ‘terrible for Slot’.

He claimed that the 58-year-old is ‘hovering over Anfield like a UFO’, adding: “All of Liverpool would carry him back on their shoulders, and it would be negligent if they didn’t try to bring Klopp back” and saying that ‘the scar from his departure is far from healed’ on Merseyside.

Reif concluded by saying that Klopp now ‘looks very rested’ after a year-and-a-half out of management and it’s ‘almost as if Arne Slot has to watch out’.

Klopp return to Liverpool seems unlikely due to FSG restructure

Klopp’s legendary status at Liverpool is beyond question, and it’s certainly not unknown for managers to go back to former clubs for another spell (Sir Kenny Dalglish immediately springs to mind, as does David Moyes at Everton).

However, as The Guardian’s Andy Hunter rightly pointed out, the managerial structure at Anfield is now rather different to when the German joined the Reds a decade ago, with FSG implementing a deliberate overhaul which now sees Slot work as a head coach rather than a manager.

That former job title gives Hughes and Edwards a significant degree of control over transfer strategy, in contrast to the substantial autonomy that Klopp had towards the end of his time on Merseyside.

Until such time that Liverpool’s fortunes on the pitch take a prolonged turn for the better, speculation will undoubtedly continue regarding Slot’s future, and the Dutchman will be under no illusions that he quickly needs to instigate a marked improvement in form.

However, having guided the Reds to Premier League glory only a few months ago, he deserves the time and patience to be afforded the opportunity to guide us away from our ongoing slump, and a win at West Ham today would at least keep the wolves from the door for the time being.

You can watch Slot’s full post-PSV press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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