Tony Evans

On The Ball | How Jurgen Klopp’s obsession with fine margins is bringing out the best in everyone at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp’s smiling demeanour and seemingly casual attitude is the public face of a man whose attention to detail is fanatical

The German thinks his back room staff are the best in the business and makes a point of ensuring his staff get credit for their part in Liverpool’s success

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a master tactician with an appreciation for the fine margins that benefit his side. Photo: AFP

Tony Evans

Published: 3:00pm, 3 Jul 2020Updated: 10:01pm, 3 Jul 2020

Jurgen Klopp was watching the World Cup in Russia two years ago when he had an epiphany. The Liverpool manager was struck by the number of goals that were generated from set-pieces. By the end of the tournament, 42 per cent of the scoring would come from free-kicks, corners and throw-ins. Klopp spotted the trend early and immediately began to apply the lessons to his own team.

He picked up the phone to Peter Krawietz, his assistant, and the pair discussed how Liverpool could become more effective at dead-ball situations. Krawietz was given the task of coming up with a plan to improve the squad’s production in this area. A new emphasis on set-pieces was fostered at Melwood. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant free kick in the 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace last week was the perfect exemplar of Liverpool’s approach. The ease with which the 21-year-old curled the ball around the wall into the top corner of the net belies the amount of effort that has gone into preparation for this moment. Klopp’s smiling demeanour and seemingly casual attitude is the public face of a man whose attention to detail is fanatical.

“People talk about the charisma and the anarchic perception but you can’t be as good as Klopp is without being an obsessive,” a club source said. “He’s across everything. He delegates but he’s engaged with every issue. If he is an autocrat, he hides it superbly.”

The image of the 53-year-old has been defined by phrases like “heavy-metal football” and “gegenpressing” but the subtleties of the German’s working methods get lost in this sort of analysis. Looking at the success of Liverpool’s set-piece strategy, it is the goals that stand out. Last season they scored 20 from these situations. So far this title-winning campaign they have hit the net 12 times.

What has happened at the other end of the pitch is equally important, if not so obvious. In Klopp’s early days in charge, Liverpool suffered at opposition set pieces. They conceded 15 this way in 2015-16 and 12 the next year. So far this term they have leaked just five from dead-ball scenarios. Part of this has been the acquisition of a top-class goalkeeper in Alisson Becker and a towering centre back in Virgil van Dijk but in Klopp’s first campaign in charge, Liverpool had a net set-piece return of zero – goals scored and conceded cancelled each other out. Last season the ratio was much more positive; Liverpool were 12 goals to the good at set-pieces.

On The Ball | How Jurgen Klopp’s obsession with fine margins is bringing out the best in everyone at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp’s smiling demeanour and seemingly casual attitude is the public face of a man whose attention to detail is fanatical The German thinks his back room staff are the best in the business and makes a point of ensuring his staff get credit for their part in Liverpool’s success

Jurgen Klopp’s smiling demeanour and seemingly casual attitude is the public face of a man whose attention to detail is fanatical

The German thinks his back room staff are the best in the business and makes a point of ensuring his staff get credit for their part in Liverpool’s success