Richard Keys has suggested that Jurgen Klopp ‘will walk’ from Liverpool if the Reds are knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
The La Liga giants head to Anfield for the first-leg of the last-16 tie later this month with the return leg in the Spanish capital next month.
Klopp’s men have struggled for consistency this term and having already been knocked out of both the FA and League Cups, sit tenth in the Premier League table, eleven points behind fourth-placed Newcastle.
“There’s only one winner when a coach falls out with the press – and it’s not the coach,” Keys said in a savage post on his website (via Daily Mail).
“My guess is Klopp will walk. Not now – but if they’re knocked out of the CL (Champions League) by Real Madrid I think he’ll be gone before the start of next season. Liverpool are way off. A shadow of what they once were – and it’s no good blaming FSG. The downfall is Klopp’s responsibility.
“He didn’t start the re-build soon enough. That was one of Fergie’s greatest strengths – that he would rip apart successful teams.
“What were Liverpool thinking keeping Milner, Henderson and Firminho? Thiago is past his best – not that I was ever a fan. He was the wrong player at the wrong club at the wrong time.
“He slows Liverpool down. In fact, the entire midfield is too old or not good enough. Robertson is past his best. Whoever is in charge next season has a massive job on his hands. Do we believe Klopp is up for it? I don’t.”
Many are suggesting that Klopp is now for the first time feeling the heat as Liverpool boss.
The German tactician refused to answer a question from The Athletic’s James Pearce following his side’s defeat to Wolves last weekend, something that Danny Murphy labelled as ‘petty’ while Didi Hamann has urged the 55-year-old to apologise to the journalist.
Since replacing Brendan Rodgers on Merseyside in 2015, the former Mainz head coach has ensured the glory days have returned to Anfield having won every major trophy possible at the club.
Liverpool’s inconsistency this season is a huge concern, however, and a huge summer of change looks to be on the horizon.
With Jude Bellingham the club’s main transfer target for the end of the season and with FSG looking for further investment into the club, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of business we complete in the summer.
We must first focus on getting back to winning ways, though, with Everton our next opponents on Monday night.
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Keyes as usual trying to keep himself relevant. He doesn’t like LFC, never did never will.
What a clown.