There was a familiar resignation to Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool’s second defeat to Brighton in three weeks. The rapidly-aging German had the downtrodden yet exasperated air of a stepfather desperately doing his best, only for the baying press pack to remind him he isn’t their real dad.
“There’s no other way than to fight through” came the blunt assessment of how his side can escape the ever-deepening hole they continue to dig.
For Klopp, bolstered by seven years of goodwill and the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, perhaps that is true. For the club’s potentially outgoing ownership and much-changed leadership, it may not be.
Liverpool appear unwavering on Klopp’s position, and the possibly injury-induced rot would have to continue until at least the end of this season for his job to come under serious consideration. But with Liverpool 10 points off the top four, out of both domestic cups and staring down Champions League holders Real Madrid in the last 16, even the German’s most ardent fan would have to admit that things are currently only going in one direction.
This squad has already enjoyed significant investment but requires an entirely new midfield and defensive reinforcements in the very near future. If a statement signing like Jude Bellingham or Enzo Fernandez were to occur, then the ownership would need to be very sure that Klopp, as much as any potential player, was still worth investing in.
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Klopp has undoubtedly earned the right to fight, but whether it is best for both him and the club is increasingly uncertain. Andy Robertson looked just as forlorn as his manager post-match when he admitted that for all their work over the World Cup break, his side have probably got worse.
If Liverpool were to look elsewhere, then Brighton’s new boss has had the best possible series of auditions. Three of Roberto de Zerbi’s 17 matches in charge have come against Klopp, starting with the 3-3 draw at Anfield in his first game. The 3-0 shellacking earlier this month was, by Klopp’s assessment, Liverpool’s worst loss of his tenure, and yesterday’s 2-1 smash-and-grab highlighted a completely different yet equally impressive skillset.
Long the hipsters’ choice for every big job, De Zerbi’s tactical brilliance has often been lauded, but he also possesses similar off-field attributes to Klopp.
While gegenpressing has defined the Klopp era on the Anfield turf, the ex-Dortmund boss’ significance pervades throughout Liverpool as a city. Independent and outspoken, often against the footballing establishment, it has often been said that the Stuttgart-born coach is as scouse as they come.
De Zerbi is blessed with a similar rebel spirit and moral conscience. Offered a swift exit from Ukraine when war broke out, the Italian refused to leave until all his international Shakhtar Donetsk players and their families has been safely evacuated.
Brighton vs Liverpool player ratings
By Michael Hincks, i sports journalist
Brighton: Steele 6; Lamptey 7, Dunk 7, Webster 6, Estupinan 6; March 6, Gross 6, Mac Allister 7, Mitoma 8; Ferguson 6, Welbeck 6. Subs: Veltman 6, Gilmour 6, Undav n/a.
Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 7, Gomez 6, Robertson 6, Bajcetic 6, Thiago 6, Keita 5, Elliott 7, Salah 7, Gakpo 6. Subs: Henderson 6, Milner 6, Nunez 6, Jones 6, Fabinho n/a.
And at Brighton, De Zerbi has unearthed new talent in a squad most believed Graham Potter already had playing at the outer limits of its ability.
Kaoru Mitoma is perhaps this season’s breakout star, with four goals in his last five games, having never started a Premier League game before De Zerbi took over. Eighteen-year-old Evan Ferguson, who played just 22 league minutes under Potter, has three goals and two assists in his last five matches.
His sides possess a similar gangbusting spirit to Klopp’s Liverpool in their destructive prime, although there are marked differences. But at Sassuolo, Shakhtar and now Brighton, De Zerbi has proven that he can thrive in multiple vastly different environments and rapidly implement a successful tactical system.
The disparity between the theory they are attempting to implement and the grim reality for Liverpool’s disjointed and dysfunctional squad is massive and incredibly hard to diagnose. Sometimes all it takes is fresh perspective to see what other cannot, and de Zerbi would undoubtedly provide that for Liverpool.
It is not quite time for Jurgen to be unceremoniously directed to the big manager’s office in the sky just yet, but Brighton’s new boss provides a potentially perfect replacement if, or when, he is.
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