October 8th, 2015 was the date when Jurgen Klopp signed a three-year contract with Liverpool FC and agreed to become the manager of the club. Suddenly, all the footballing eyes were on the red side of Mersyside and there was excitement around the club.
[ Figure 1: Jurgen Klopp with Ian Ayre signing his first contract at LFC, www.google.com ]
WHY Suddenly ?
Klopp managed to get some authoritative victories laying the foundation of how he wanted Liverpool to play. But with losses coming a bit too early for the fans to cherish the good form, playing consistently was a glaring weakness. Although, finishing 8th in the league was a bit too low but deserving, but losing 2 cup finals was really disheartening.
Klopp knew where and in whom he wanted to invest and did it perfectly.
This is a classic example of how customers, in this case the fans, regained their faith in the club ( the product/service) with a change in the managerial position. The ability of the manager to be able to connect with the fans and keep them involved in the game makes them feel wanted and realize their importance.
There might be some off-days but almost every fan believes in their style of play and most importantly, the manager. They craved for dynamism, some swagger in their play and the fear of their name in the opponents which Klopp is providing at an increasing rate with the start of the new season.
If the last season is anything to go by, then there are some exciting years around the corner.
Klopp signed a bumper 6-year contract this June and said ” My signing this is like a penalty being awarded, and time will tell whether we scored it or missed it”.
Bibliography:
- www.liverpoolfc.com
- Google Images