Klopp vs past managerial legends

[Dreambeliever]

Should Rafa not have assembled a better team by '07 if he was such a great manager?

He had assembled a better team but still shouldn’t have been good enough to get to the final.

 

[gene hughes]

So Rafa assembled teams that had no right to do anything but he’s great because they did?

 

[rurikbird]

Rafa coached the fuck out of that 05 team. People forget the fact that he had to use Mellor, Sinama and Letallec at times it's like Klopp having to use Jones, Brewster and Elliott.

And yet he completely fucked up the team selection for the '05 final. Stifling Gerrard's attacking power by having him play next to Alonso in order to give Harry Kewell a start. No pace in attack against a great defense whose only weakness was lack of pace. He corrected these flaws in the 2nd half, but it's remarkable how much he managed to overthink things in the most important game in his career.

 

[rurikbird]

So Kenny won 3 league titles with Liverpool as manager, plus a bunch of smaller trophies and presided over one of the best LFC sides ever. Yeah, with all due respect to Rafa, I think it's no comparison. I don't think even Klopp has overtaken Kenny at this point.

I wonder how it turned so wrong in Kenny's 2nd stint at Liverpool – in the first 6 months after he was appointed the team played some of the best football of that decade and then they completely fucked it up by their decisions in the transfer market next summer. Maybe it could have been different if he only focused on coaching and had someone like Edwards do the recruiting

 

[Dreambeliever]

So Rafa assembled teams that had no right to do anything but he’s great because they did?

He didn’t have the financial backing and the club didn’t have the pull at the time to buy the very best.
I don’t think any other manager at the time could have done what he did with that team.
And yes for me it brought us back into the limelight when we could easily have drifted off like Arsenal have.
It was an incredible achievement and just pips Dalglish’s efforts.

 

[juniormember]

Rafa’s achievement was immense, winning the CL when we really had no chance and keeping us in the top four in 3 of 5 seasons.
But let’s not use the FA Cup as another one to push him above Kenny, seeing as Kenny won the double in his first season. Kenny won manager of the year three times I think, and assembled what many have considered our best ever side, until Klopp.
Had Kenny managed to stick around I’m certain we wouldn’t have declined the way we did and would have had a few more titles and a better transition period rather than the rushed one post-Dalglish.

I love Rafa but Kenny ranks above him.

 

[tomasjj]

Yea, don't take the bait. It is a ridiculous suggestion.
Personally, I find this need to rank them pointless.

 

[tombrown]

There is no debate here - its just DB being deliberately obtuse; seriously, no one, with an ounce of sense, rates Rafa above Kenny

 

[tomasjj]

There is no debate here - its just DB being deliberately obtuse; seriously, no one, with an ounce of sense, rates Rafa above Kenny

Nope - and I am a massive Rafa fan.

 

[Richey]

I would go with:

1. Shankly
2. Paisley
3. Dalglish
4. Klopp
5. Fagan
6. Benitez
7. Houllier
8. Evans
9. Rodgers
10. Souness
11. Hodgson

I haven't gone before the Shankly era, clearly, as I don't know enough about the managers before then. It was close between Shankly and Paisley. I just about went for Shankly.

Dalglish beats Klopp for now. Hopefully Klopp will win more and move ahead of Dalglish.

Fagan won similar to Klopp (only in one year) but inherited a better side.

The remaining ones are the non-title winners. Benitez and Houllier way ahead of the other lot.

Evans ahead of Rodgers just because I preferred that 90s side. I almost put Souness ahead of Rodgers too, but that year when Rodgers almost won the title gives him the edge.

Hodgson a very clear last place. Hopeless.