If you ask me, kulikuwa hakuna excuse yeyote ya Klopp kumiss-out on CL trophy against Madrid, zidane did not out-class Klopp hata kidogo tactically, he just depended more on his players individual qualities, Salah injury, LFC squad depth and of-course Karius blunders..
But again, Klopp allowed Coutinho to leave katikati ya msimu and didnt bother to replace him, and then used Lallana and ings as super subs to try and win a UCL final game against Madrid, matter of fact fielded a midiefld -3 of Hendo/Millie/Gini to compete with Casemiro/Kroos/Modric, after loads of TWs kwaajili ya kustructure the midfield and squad depth, the loss was all on Klopp.
But, looking back miaka MITATU ya Klopp at LFC, imekuwa nothing but sensational (in my opinion)..
Firstly, Klopp inherited a very average squad under tight owners, Klopp inherited team iliyokuwa inashikilia number 8 kwenye msimamo wa league ikiwa na wachezaji kama Migs/Skrtel/Lovren/Moreno/Lucas/Bogdan/Lucas/Henderson/Milner/Ings/Lallana/Benteke/Ibe etc, wakati Klopp anachukua hii team kulikuwa na wachezaji wazuri wasiozidi wanne, Coutinho/Emre/Firmino/Clyne (yes, Clyne) wengine wote walikuwa wanastruggle sana kwenye team..but he took that team to Europa final and EFL finals ndani ya miezi 6 tu..
In the long run, team aliyoichukua imekuwa improved a lot, kwanza amefanikiwa kuwa-improve some players kama Milner (it was a miracle), Lovern kutoka kwenye u-bovu mpaka kwenye one error after 4 games, mchezaji kama Lallana amekuwa na msimu mzuri zaidi katika maisha yake ya soka pale LFC under Klopp, most importantly ni kwamba amefanikiwa kumgeuza Firmino kuwa one of the Top 6 strikers kwenye EPL..
Now, baada tu ya kuchukua team, Klopp started by building a good attacking unit, that was phase number 1, phase ambayo ilifanikiwa kwa asilimia 100, then phase number 2 ilikuwa ni kutengeneza a good defensive force, he did that kwa kuwanunua Robertson, VVD and Allison na kuwapa nafasi youngsters kama TAA and Gomez ambao wamesaidia sana kuishape defense ya LFC, so mpaka sasa ambapo Klopp anatimiza miaka mitatu at LFC amefanikiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa sana kuishape team attacking wise na defensively wise, wakati anachukua team attacking unit ya LFC ilikuwa na wachezaji kama Benteke/Ings/Ibe/Origi/Firmino/sturridge/Lallana and Coutinho (as our AMs), but three years later our attacking unit consists of Mane/Salah/Firmino/Sturrdige/Shaqiri/Ox/Origi/Solanke and Young Adam Lallana, first choice front 3 ya Klopp mwanzo wa msimu wake wa kwanza ilikuwa ni origi/Firmino/Lallana or nakumbuka his first game incharge alifield front-3 ya origi/lallana/Coutinho (Bobby alikuwa majeruhi) but now his front-3 ni Firmino/Salah/Mane.
His defensive unit wakat anachukua team ilikuwa ni Migs/Clyne/Skrtel/Sakho/Moreno, later he chaged to Migs-clyne-Lovren-Sakho-Moreno, but after three years we’re looking at the most expensive back-line in the world, Allison-TAA-Gomez-VVD-Robertson.
So, Klopp amefanikiwa kuondoa deadwoods at the back na kwenye attacking zone na kutengeneza shape nzuri na iliyocomplete kwenye haya maeneo mawili. AMEFANIKIWA.
Now yupo katika phase ya 3, i mean alianza nayo muda kidogo kaa kumununua Gini, but now anajaribu kuweka kitu kipya, i mean he waited na kuifanya iwe phase ya nwisho kwasababu ya ugumu wa eneo lake na aina ya style anayotumia kwenye midfield, now amespend more than 100m kwa midfield wawili tu akiwa na nia ya kujaribu kutengeneza kiungo kipya kabisa..so hatuwezi sema hapa amefanikiwa kwasababu hatujawaona hawa mids wakicheza kwa ubora wao, Keita started very well, but after some tough games, Klopp aliona ni vyema ampumzishe tena, (kitu ambacho kina faida na hasara kwa mchezaji na team, inategemeana sana na reaction ya mchezaji husika hasa katika upande wa confidence). But i’m sure kama alivyofanikiwa kwa upande wa mashambulizi na ulinzi, naamini pia atafanikiwa kwa upande wa kiungo..
Chini ya miaka mitatu ya Klopp, amefanikiwa kutengeneza winning mentality, unity and desire, kui-mprove wachezaji, re-branding club kwa kiasi kikubwa, attracting WC players, competing at highest stages etc..
but pia, under 3 years kuna weaknesses, kubwa zaidi ni kuchelewa kuondoa main deadwoods kwenye team, na kuendelea kukumbatia average players, (well i dont need to provide names).
Well, people can urgue about his lack of trophies, and kama nilivyoelezea hapo juu kuwa missing the CL trophy was all on him na hakuna excuses, but you cant blame him for missing out on Europa league/EFL or Premier league, na kiuhalisia kuipeleka team mbovu iliyokuwa imekosa muelekeo under Rodgers kwenye 2 finals in 6 months kilikuwa ni kitu kikubwa sana, na pia kuifanya team iliyokuwa imetokea nafasi ya nane iweze kuingia top 4 ndani ya msimu wake full wa kwanza ni hatua kubwa sana, under 3 years now Kloppa ameifanya club kuwa main contenders wa Top Four.
Well, we failed to win CL, and i blamed Klopp for that, but this man took this team to CL final ndani ya miaka mitatu tu akiwa na hii team, huku akiwa yupo kwenye phase 1 tu ya kuitengeneza team.
Well, people will want Klopp to win PL right now, but kama ninavyosema siku zote kuwa, kushinda PL kunahitaji players consistency, depth, na injury free, ukiwa lucky na hivyo vitu hasa injuries na main players consistency unaweza kushinda the league with ease, but kwasasa i cant demand PL kwasababu i know for a fact kuwa my team bado haipo complete hasa kwenye midfield, our main chances zipo kwenye FA na CL (we wasted chances za EFL), FA na CL ni competitions of chances and not marathon, Napoli and Don carlo used nafasi yao kutufunga and it wasnt about tacticts or whatsover (i have said this before), Klopp can take his time katika kui-asses a PL winning team (though inaweza ikatokea tukawa na bahati ya kutokuwa na majeruhi makubwa kwa wachezaji wetu muhimu na wale quality squad players, msimu huu tumekuwa na bahati sana kwa Sturridge), but untill then finishing top 4 is enough for me, as long as tunatake advantage kwenye CL and FA cup, matter of fact i’d blame Klopp kama ikitokea tukafika final nyingine ya CL na tukafungwa, but kiuhalisia kuwa CL finalists back to back ni mafanikio makubwa sana pia kimpira.
We can win the league, but tuna chance kubwa ya kushinda makombe ya mtoano kulingana na depth tuliyonayo, as a fan you should count kwenye makombe yote but then true fans huwa wanazingatia kwanza possibilites na vitu vya msingi vya kuzingatia kabla ya kudemand aina flani ya trophies, so give me FA and CL cups now, you can give me PL too but wont blame my manager kama tukimiss-out kwa team yenye depth kama Man city..but funny enough i’d blame Jurgen kama tukimiss-out kwenye CL or FA cup finals kwasababu its about tactical approach and taking your chances.
Lastly, Will start to firmly demand the PL pale phase 3 itakavyokamilika, honestly i cant expect to win a PL trophy with a midfield-3 of Hendo/Milner/Gini, and though macho yangu yapo zaidi kwenye cups, but will be blaming Klopp for every henderson blunder, iwe kwenye league or kwenye cups.
It will be very nice kama tukishinda PL this season, but it wont be bad at all kama tukishinda only FA cup and will be a very good season kama tukifanikiwa kufika tena CL final even without winning it.
But at the end of the day, we must finish huu msimu na trophy.
.....and if we dont win any trophy itatupasa kufurahia the installment of phase-3 huku tukiwa tuna-moan kwa kukosa kombe lolote (lol).
....and dont feel bad or ashamed to crticise Klopp’s useless subs, game managament, inept tactics etc, its your right as a fan.
