31 January 2023 , 08:17
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Jurgen Klopp has been told to "dismantle" his Liverpool team if he wants to get them back challenging again.
The Reds boss has overseen a poor season, with their latest blow coming as they were knocked out of the FA Cup to Brighton. The top four looks a long way off with the club currently sat in ninth whilst they face a challenging tie against holders Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Liverpool's recruitment has been cited as an issue - their failure to sign a midfielder in the summer has come back to haunt them with several key members of their squad now north of 30. Many of their current stars have been present for several years and Klopp has been urged to follow Sir Alex Ferguson's example at Manchester United by Richard Keys.
He wrote on his website : "What on earth has happened at Anfield? Nobody expected such a calamitous meltdown, but Andy Robertson is right - it’s only getting worse. I’m not going to suggest that Klopp should go - but this all falls at his door. He should’ve seen it coming.
"That’s what the best do. It’s what made Fergie great. He’d dismantle teams at the peak of their powers. He knew exactly when to do surgery."
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United previously let major names like Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane go - some for disagreements with the manager - when they were very much still performing. Ferguson, across his lengthy tenure, had to build several sides as he looked to keep the Red Devils competitive.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have been well below par this term (Getty Images)His cut-throat decisions raised eyebrows at times, but the Scot was able to take a long-term view to his decisions as he endured some transitionary periods. Klopp has had to reject suggestions that his loyalty is becoming a negative as he continues to stick by certain players.
The German claims he does not have the new recruits which would then allow him to axe certain players. Liverpool's 2019 Champions League winning side still provide the crux of the side's starting XI four years on, but some of them are not hitting the heights they did previously.
Klopp said recently: "I heard I'm too loyal but I am not too loyal. The problem is too complex. If you can then go out and bring in another player to replace him, then it makes sense. But if you cannot bring anyone in, you cannot take anyone out. I am not too loyal. At Dortmund, it was clear when I left, I said 'something has to change here'. It is a different situation."