FSG and Klopp

I really wish I had the time and effort to go into detail but I thought we should have a separate thread to celebrate the owners and Klopp for what they have achieved.

From FSG getting their main man, Klopp inheriting a shower of **** 4 years ago, appointing an unknown as sporting director ... to European champions, 97 points in a league campaign, attracting quality players, development of others, impeccable recruitment, stadium expansion, bigger commercial deals etc etc.

We are now one of the best in world football. This wasn’t a fluke. We’re a serious outfit now

 

We're definitely writing a new chapter in the history book.

Others have always accused us of living off past glories and while there may be a slight element of truth in that because let's face it we haven't been the force we once were, we've still managed to accumulate trophies. Now though, there's a real sense of greatness emerging once again.

FSG and Klopp seem to have a good relationship. Unless they agree to sell up or Klopp decides he wants a further "challenge' (uncharacteristically for him) then I see a very bright future.

 

First signing of the Summer should be Klopp on a new contract.

 

And they said Moneyball doesn't work.

I give credit to Rory Stewart on 5 Live for recently damning the cliches and explaining what I was saying about Moneyball when NESV, as they were then, took over. They'll pay the big money when it's worth it.

Consider that the Red Sox hadn't won a World Series in 86 years until NESV took over. It puts our 29 years in perspective. The Red Sox have won the world series four times since.

 

It didn't work.

There's a long list of why it didn't work and comolli got the sack.

Once again there's a common theme with klopps signings and it's not stats. It's character. Then again klopps got the best out of them which again is not moneyball either. Money ball dumps playersalaa cheslea

 

I thought moneyball's only strategy was finding value for money, nothing to do with individual spends. Isn't that exactly what we've done?

 

Way to cliche. It's not perfect but it seems critics expect it to be, much like zonal. Klopp was Moneyball. Part of it is to find players who have potential and get a coach who can bring it out. Character is part of a player's assessment just as much as pace.

There's a long list of why it worked. The Red Sox have 86 of them. Tell them it doesn't work. Comolli found Suarez. Comolli also signed Henderson. Part of the reason was because every time he and Kenny spoke to him, he only wanted to talk about football, not image rights. You want character? There it is. And there are a lot of players with character we wouldn't want to touch with a bargepole. Conversely, to make your argument for you, Sturridge was a Moneyball signing, because he was overlooked and left out at Chelsea and City but with potential. Rodgers could only get the best out of him when he didn't have to play a lot of games and get injured or sulky. It's convenient that you blame Comolli and yet he refused to take Sturridge as part of the Torres deal.

It's not a perfect system and it has evolved but it's certainly been a big part of FSG's strategy, which has got us here.

 

moneyball doesn't care about whether players come or go. it's about stats. not attitude. yes it's value but it's value in and out and it's ruthless.

say a guy scores 5 more than mane last year. well mane would be out and him in.

etc etc

sure buying players at right time on contract say like clyne or half the players we are linked with this summer is wise.

sure securing contracts on key players is wise.

spotting young talent etc etc...

none of these things are new.

saying ok shaqiri is 12 and I can get 20 in a year's time that might be money ball... bit there's nothing in our approach compared to say chelseas where they really hoard players and loan out and sell.

look at what we did in academy. we cored it out cos there were too many in it. we have more babies and less young adults. a pyramid structure so the better you get the more focus you get

 

but isn't baseball utterly different approach in reality? they trade up and down and the contracts are very different.

you've just highlighted the issue. Rodgers reputedly insisted on having sturridge and waited 6 months to get him. you have said Comolli turned him down before.

it's the same story with downing, Adam, Carroll.. manager wanted them.. apparently.

benteke....

then we have klopp... who instantly insisted day 1 he wanted Matip in asap. then a long line of guys Dortmund scouted and he knew.

 

Thanks for that explanation. Got to admit I thought it was just a baseball thing and struggled to get it to make sense in football

 

It's just my opinion. thats all.

if you've a radically different contract law then there's this annoying possibility that a player like balotelli or sturridge just say and won't go... or a Markovic and while you can loan you may be losing more than you are recouping.

 

Liverpool earned a whopping £251m in television income from both the Premier League & playing in Europe!

Doing so they've become the first ever team to earn a quarter of a billion from this revenue stream!

 

hmmmm... tasty... I'm I suppose not shocked real.madrid have not topped this but that's the prem money.

we must be going to deliver a profit even after last season's 127mil net spend

 

Yes... But how often do managers suddenly start doing bad as soon as they sign a new contract... It's almost a jinx to sign a manager on a new contract.

 

I think "money ball" is more complicated in football than baseball. Baseball is a team sport but it's still very much 1v1 at times. Bowler vs Batter: it's easier to learn from stats when it's that simple.

Football, simply knowing where to stand can impact the game and no stat will ever show how you standing at the far post forced another man to come up to guard you and create space in the box.

Obviously moneyball isn't totally irrelevant to football, but it is a lot more complicated and not as clear-cut. Football is a much more complicated sport and not as easy to break into meaningful stats as baseball.

 

We have no doubt spent a lot of money but we have recouped a lot of it through sales.

But now We are spending our money a whole lot smarter. And MITO is right that we’re looking at players who have both the right attitude and ability but I don’t think that’s just on Klopp. Klopp has come in and worked with the scouts and we’re a cohesive unit now.

From top to bottom, we’re run exceptionally well. Let’s hope this continues because this is just the start. The trophy monkey is off the shoulders.

 

Not to be pessimistic or wanting him gone, but I also hope the club is thinking long term here as well; beyond Klopp. I've no doubt he'll sign an extension, have a fair few years here with us, but all good things come to an end eventually and I hope we'll be training up someone alongside him in the next few years - just like the boot room of old. It's the perfect environment to do so right now. The club has been smart in every aspect of the club's situation, players, backroom, stadium, finances, etc, but ensuring a conveyorbelt of backroom staff is important too.

 

FSG spoke about having long term views and not building around one particular manager so I'm sure they have out in mind. Having said that, that was around the time they introduced the transfer committee involving Comolli...

 

The funny thing about Comolli is he was pushed out as a flop for making a series of expensive blunders... But... Several of his players did turn out to be very good for the team and we ended up making a profit overall from the Comolli era signings.

In hindsight, Comolli doesn't deserve the "flop" tag he's often given.