[Football] Klopp

[amexer]

All credit to him for saying tonight he disagrees with it. He said he likes fact West Ham could get in Champions League. He doesnt want them to as he wants Liverpool but said it is right they have the opportunity.

 

[Weststander]

It will be interesting when all the clubs have had their regular extensive press conferences.

Arteta, Ryan Mason, Solskjaer, Guardiola and Tuchel won’t be asked about anything else.

I can’t see Arteta laying cards on the table that’s he fiercely against it.

 

[martin tyler]

Tuchel basically said nothing earlier just that the clubs owners will do the right thing whatever that means

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Tuchel basically said nothing earlier just that the clubs owners will do the right thing whatever that means

New to the job with an owner who is not known for his patience around managers - he's not going to risk saying anything controversial.

 

[martin tyler]

New to the job with an owner who is not known for his patience around managers - he's not going to risk saying anything controversial.

True. I don’t think it should be the manager’s responsibility really to say what they think. It’s nice Koop has said he doesn’t agree so fair enough to him but owners need to actually say something. All I’ve seen from the clubs is a glitzy we are founding members of the super league and it’s best for everyone.

 

[Badger Boy]

I thought Klopp spoke very well. Wanting it to be clear he was not involved and that the players knew nothing of the impending announcement. He wants the fans to clearly understand the difference/disconnect between the players and the club. He clearly articulated that he was against is, is against and will continue to be against it because he understands what football is about. The prats who own and run the club do not and would have been well advised to consider the rammifications of their actions but I really struggle to believe any of the owners care about the PR.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Feel sorry for the managers and players of these clubs - put in an impossible position now by their owners selfish greed.

Klopp's confused post match interview sums it up - they don't like it but just don't know what to say for the best.

 

[Superphil]

The EPL, the FA and UEFA need to make it clear to the splitters that if they do,it, they will not be eligible for domestic competitions, or UEFA competitions. Then the remaining sides in European league football get to battle it out for the Premier League title, La Liga, the FA Cup, the European Cup etc. OK so there will be less money, the money the sponsors pay will go down, so you tell the players that they’re getting a pay cut, you know, instead of earning £100K a week you’re going to earn just £50K a week. There can still be 20 teams in the top flight, with the CL for the top 4 to aim for, the stadiums will still be sold out week in and week out, the prize money might be a bit less, perhaps as low as it was in 2015, but I reckon, if they cut their cloth correctly they could survive on it.

 

[A1X]

Of the six, Klopp is the one who’s as close to being bullet proof as a top level manager can ever get right now, if he gets booted out I genuinely think there’ll be riots outside Anfield

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Of the six, Klopp is the one who’s as close to being bullet proof as a top level manager can ever get right now, if he gets booted out I genuinely think there’ll be riots outside Anfield

Yes, that’s basically what Carragher has just said.

 

[Poojah]

I thought Klopp spoke very well. Wanting it to be clear he was not involved and that the players knew nothing of the impending announcement. He wants the fans to clearly understand the difference/disconnect between the players and the club. He clearly articulated that he was against is, is against and will continue to be against it because he understands what football is about. The prats who own and run the club do not and would have been well advised to consider the rammifications of their actions but I really struggle to believe any of the owners care about the PR.

If what Klopp has said is true, and managers and players have not been briefed long before this arrangement came to light, then it’s a major flaw in the owners’ plans. Unlike the owners, who are largely faceless billionaires (Abramovich aside, can you picture the likes of Stan Kroenke and co in your minds eye?), managers and players have personal reputations to protect.

If players are strongly and universally against it, and if a Klopp or Guardiola type is prepared to resign in order to protect their good name, it really does harm the credibility of the super league. These people are gods in markets like the Far East, which this whole deal absolutely rests on.

The Premier League, FIFA and UEFA are not in a position to stop this in my opinion, no matter how much they might threaten and posture. But the power really belongs to the front line football personalities - they are the ultimate drivers behind this massive global money making machine. There are no Sheikh Mansour shirts being sold in Kuala Lumpur.

Footballers get a bad rap sometimes, often rightly, sometimes unfairly. But they have a unique opportunity here to win the respect of the common man; to show the world that they remain in touch with their roots. I may be giving them too much credit, I’ll admit I was surprised when the likes of Oscar and Arnautovic gave up promising PL careers to chase money in the darkest corners of China despite clearly not needing the cash, but I would like to think that they will collectively do the right thing and oppose this aberration.

This is a seminal moment in football history. And what a rich history that is. Now is the time to wake up to the harm that money is doing to the once beautiful game.

 

[amexer]

Whilst I respect Klopp for saying he disagrees with ESL he seemed upset at protest at Leeds saying nothing to do with himself and players. He has to realise that owners of these clubs are inaccessible and only way fans can show there disapproval is to protest at games.

 

[schmunk]

Whilst I respect Klopp for saying he disagrees with ESL he seemed upset at protest at Leeds saying nothing to do with himself and players. He has to realise that owners of these clubs are inaccessible and only way fans can show there disapproval is to protest at games.

You're right about the accessibility, but it is equivalent to the public harassing doctors and nurses to protest NHS policy decisions, so I think Klopp has a point.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

If what Klopp has said is true, and managers and players have not been briefed long before this arrangement came to light, then it’s a major flaw in the owners’ plans. Unlike the owners, who are largely faceless billionaires (Abramovich aside, can you picture the likes of Stan Kroenke and co in your minds eye?), managers and players have personal reputations to protect.

If players are strongly and universally against it, and if a Klopp or Guardiola type is prepared to resign in order to protect their good name, it really does harm the credibility of the super league. These people are gods in markets like the Far East, which this whole deal absolutely rests on.

The Premier League, FIFA and UEFA are not in a position to stop this in my opinion, no matter how much they might threaten and posture. But the power really belongs to the front line football personalities - they are the ultimate drivers behind this massive global money making machine. There are no Sheikh Mansour shirts being sold in Kuala Lumpur.

Footballers get a bad rap sometimes, often rightly, sometimes unfairly. But they have a unique opportunity here to win the respect of the common man; to show the world that they remain in touch with their roots. I may be giving them too much credit, I’ll admit I was surprised when the likes of Oscar and Arnautovic gave up promising PL careers to chase money in the darkest corners of China despite clearly not needing the cash, but I would like to think that they will collectively do the right thing and oppose this aberration.

This is a seminal moment in football history. And what a rich history that is. Now is the time to wake up to the harm that money is doing to the once beautiful game.

I would also add i do not think for one moment top managers would be attracted to the likes of Liverpool, Real Marid, United ect to compete in a meaningless competition that has erased the previous achievements of the same clubs. It would not be the same ' Manchester United ' that had won the treble ect. I think the current crop of managers would not want to be involved and a new crop of talentless, money motivated young coaches would take their place.

 

[Soton Seagull]

Assuming it goes ahead it may morph in to a European version of the Chinese Super League - where good careers go to die for one last pay off. You could end of with a bunch of '30 somethings' of previous greats playing in what would essentially be an exhibition league. Roll out your Venables/Hoddle/Guillit etc as managers; job done.

 

[father_and_son]

Klopp and the players could have resolved this last night against Leeds.

If they had taken the knee and just not got up and if Klopp had also declined to sub any of the protesters off. This would have been done and dusted there and then.

But, for whatever he says on TV and whatever Lineker and the other [ex-]players tweet, this is all out in the open now and it's time for the managers and players to pick a side. Owners or Fans. To paraphrase Gianni Infantino, "You are either in or out now, no half-in, half-out."

 

[Badger Boy]

The more I've thought about it, the less inclined I feel to expect anything from the players. Ultimately, it's nothing to do with them. Their contracts are with the football clubs, not with the league they play in. They have no say at all about the decisions of the owners, they can criticise them as Milner did last night, but it doesn't change anything. I don't think it's fair for FIFA/UEFA to ban the players from competitions when their only crime was not foreseeing the owners of the football clubs they were signing for doing something monumentally stupid as they have done.

It wouldn't have been appropriate for the Liverpool players to wear the shirts the Leeds players did last night. They're professionals who are actually trying to qualify for the premier club tournament in Europe through the league and they've got a lot of work to do on that front. Their focus should be on football, always. Anything else should always be secondary. Liverpool in particular have an unfortunate history of warm up shirts!...

 

[clapham_gull]

Not sure why he chose he chance to launch a personal attack on Gary Neville though.

 

[Eeyore]

Not sure why he chose he chance to launch a personal attack on Gary Neville though.

Neville has said his his piece and his rabid rants now are playing to the crowd. He is not helping someone like Klopp.

The way I read it, rightly or wrongly, is that Klopp will not be a part of this if it happens. However, he has shown commitment to the players and fans of Liverpool. He is no fan of UEFA and no fan of the Super League.

He has his own agenda. And I think it's one of integrity. I think that he feels it will fail, and he will try to make it fail. But he will not do it by undermining his ownership but by influencing them.

Some will say that this is Klopp love gone mad, and I do really, really like the bloke. But I sensed that is what was happening and feel that folk should leave him alone right now.

As for the shirt thing last night, and sticking them in the Liverpool room, it's like giving them to a resistance movement that is trying to undermine an occupier. Of course they wouldn't wear them. It was a cheap stunt and out of order.

 

[amexer]

The more I've thought about it, the less inclined I feel to expect anything from the players. Ultimately, it's nothing to do with them. Their contracts are with the football clubs, not with the league they play in. They have no say at all about the decisions of the owners, they can criticise them as Milner did last night, but it doesn't change anything. I don't think it's fair for FIFA/UEFA to ban the players from competitions when their only crime was not foreseeing the owners of the football clubs they were signing for doing something monumentally stupid as they have done.

It wouldn't have been appropriate for the Liverpool players to wear the shirts the Leeds players did last night. They're professionals who are actually trying to qualify for the premier club tournament in Europe through the league and they've got a lot of work to do on that front. Their focus should be on football, always. Anything else should always be secondary. Liverpool in particular have an unfortunate history of warm up shirts!...

So much to do with players. Best ones have signed for these clubs to play in CL not some meaningless ESL