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Liverpool icon notes how Jurgen Klopp has followed Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson lead
Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool in October 2015, now he is on the brink of delivering something never achieved before.
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John Barnes has claimed that Jurgen Klopp followed in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola by delivering success through patience, time and money. The German guided Liverpool to the Champions League last summer and has since won the Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Reds.
Now Liverpool are just six points away from winning their first-ever Premier League title, an achievement that will see Klopp go down as one of the greatest ever managers in the club's history.
There have been bumpy patches though, not least defeats in League Cup, Europa League and Champions League finals.
But Klopp has been keen to use those experiences positively to drive his players on to win silverware.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss recently hailed sporting director Michael Edwards, for playing his part in Liverpool's recent success.
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A strong off-field structure has led to rewards on the pitch and Klopp has been given the backing to build a dynasty at Liverpool.
As Barnes points out, it's a similar pathway to the one Mourinho, Ferguson and Guardiola have all followed in the Premier League.
This has always been the recipe for success. Sir Alex Ferguson was given time by Manchester United, he had the complete support and trust of the board, which is why he was able to build such a great side.
“Chelsea did the same with Jose Mourinho in his first spell and were richly rewarded with trophies," Barnes told WION.
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“Clubs will be successful if they give their manager the right resources and a sufficient amount of time to build a team.
“The most important thing is that the players should know that the manager is the man in charge. Player power is now a big issue all over the world, where players are seen as more important than the managers.
“The clubs in which the players have been calling the shots have been inconsistent.
"A manager's role is undermined when the players are made to seem more important.
“It comes as no surprise to me that Liverpool and Manchester city have been the two most successful clubs in England over the last two years, because the manager in both those clubs is truly the man in charge, the power doesn't lie with the owners or the players.”
Klopp famously claimed when Manchester United signed Paul Pogba in 2016, the even if he had money to spend, he wanted to do things different.
It soon became apparent that winning trophies would not be possible without improving the side, just like their fellow top-six rivals.
Mourinho was quick to remind Klopp if his comments, shortly after Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk for £75million in January 2018.
I don't want to speak about it in a specific way, I think that has to be Jurgen," Mourinho said.
"If I was you, I would ask him about his comments one year ago but not speaking specifically about this case because in Liverpool they do what they want to do."