Gary Neville reckons that without Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool would not be in a position to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
After finishing an underwhelming fifth last season, and with their midfield being completely overhauled, many did not consider the Reds to be strong contenders to win the league in 2023/24.
Yet, with just 10 games to go, just one point separates Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table.
A 1-1 draw on Sunday between the latter two, means that the Gunners retain their spot at the top on goal difference.
Liverpool’s achievements are especially impressive given how much the team has changed over the last year, how many injuries they’ve had to deal with and how far they have gone in all competitions.
Klopp’s side are still in the FA Cup and Europa League, and won the Carabao Cup in February.
Neville, who at the start of the campaign had his money on Arsenal or City, believes much of the credit must go the German manager who is leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
‘If we just go back to the start of the season, look at what everybody said about Liverpool and what their chances were of winning the title this season,’ the Manchester United legend said on his podcast after the Liverpool vs City.
‘The reason Liverpool are sat there in with a chance of winning the Premier League title is because of him [Klopp].
‘Honestly, he has that capability to be able to drag that extra per cent, two per cent, three per cent that not many can, and that’s why he’s one of the great leaders.’
Klopp is one of the most successful managers in Liverpool’s history, winning the Premier League and Champions League during his near-decade at Anfield, and Neville has likened the 56-year-old to United’s legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
He added: ‘Klopp is a massive personality, a giant of a character and someone who connects not just with his players – that’s pretty obvious, and the staff within the club – but with the city, the language he uses, the tone, with the fans.
‘And I think to me that’s what a great manager does. They do more than just play great football. They do more than just win football matches. They do more than win trophies. They impact people’s lives on a sort of daily basis, weekly basis. And I think Klopp does that for Liverpool.
‘I think there are men and women and children in Liverpool, who go to school, who wake up in the morning, who go to work, and they think of the passion and the energy of Jurgen Klopp.
‘I think Sir Alex Ferguson had that ability to connect with the fans at Old Trafford, and to me, he’s a massive loss to Liverpool and he’s a massive loss to the Premier League, because there are very few like him, if any like him in world football at this moment in time.
‘I wish he was not the Liverpool manager and I can’t wait for him to leave from a selfish perspective because I know whilst he’s here, Liverpool stand a great chance of success!’
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