Jurgen Klopp may be one of the best managers in world football – but he was only an ‘important participant’ at Liverpool.
That’s the view of former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, who broke the 56-year-old’s trophy record at Anfield.
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Klopp will leave Merseyside at the end of the season to end his nine years at Liverpool.
And while the Reds have regularly competed for – and won – titles in almost every campaign, Klopp has more often than not had to settle for second best.
Despite ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league title, they twice finished second behind Manchester City, although they recorded 97 and 92 points respectively.
talkSPORT co-host Jordan praised Klopp for keeping the Premier League competitive but believes he cannot be seen as a serial winner – especially with the club’s title dreams except during this season.
He said of the German: “Without Jurgen Klopp’s energy, certain aspects of the Premier League would not be what they have been over the last five or six years.
“Manchester City would have run away with everything and posted ridiculous totals and there would have been no competitiveness.
“Outside Liverpool, it’s hard to argue that with the noise and sizzle that surrounds Klopp, it’s not as much noise, it’s more sizzle.
“Because Klopp has this remarkable reputation, he is perceived by me, because of the style of football he plays, as the best manager in the world.
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“Even if the statistics do not confirm it, because [Pep] Guardiola clearly takes this position, so it must be said separately, without being polemical, that he is a little less of a winner and a little more of an important participant.”
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, who believes the news of Klopp’s departure contributed to their dip in form, agrees with Jordan’s analysis.
Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show, he said: “If you look at his record at Liverpool, winning the Premier League and the Champions League is an exceptional achievement.
“But will you look back in ten/15 years and say, ‘Klopp was a legendary Premier League manager?’
“When you look at Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] he has won 13 titles, Pep five – there will probably be six this season – [Jose] Mourinho three, Arsène Wenger three.
“Klopp with the same as [Manuel] Pellegrini, [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Antonio] Conté and [Claudio] Ranieri with one.
“He wasn’t lucky, was he? He fights year after year against Pep Guardiola with this team.”
