Jurgen Klopp’s exit shocked me but great if Liverpool now won the Premier League, says Paul Merson | Football News

In his latest Sky Sports column, Paul Merson reacts to Jurgen Klopp’s shock decision to leave Liverpool this summer, before turning his attention to what he sees as a pivotal midweek round of Premier League fixtures that could go a long way to deciding the destiny of this season’s title race…

I was shocked by Klopp announcement – but management takes its toll

I was shocked, they are on for the quadruple this year, it is not like they are struggling.

I am a massive fan of Klopp, a top manager, what he has done there. He has got them back right on it again this year after being off it last year. It shocked me, but it just shows how much hard work you have to put into it, a lot of hours and it takes its toll in the end.

He is probably looking at it with Manchester City and the way they are going and it is hard, the same at Dortmund where he had to work his socks off to get whatever they won. It is the same at Liverpool.

It takes its toll. I was a manager, there are not enough hours in the day, it just does not stop. Do not get me wrong, they get great money, but it is a job that takes up a lot of hours.

Klopp just needs to recharge his batteries before going again

When he comes away from Liverpool, though, he may not like his normal life. People like being in the thick of things – you only have to see Neil Warnock over the years. People like to get back in so it will be interesting, he probably just needs to recharge his batteries before going again.

But fair play to him, I could not talk highly enough of him. I am massive fan, I really think he is one of those managers who could go into League One or Two and take a team through the leagues.

Huge loss for Liverpool, but great if Klopp could now win the league

It is a massive, massive loss for Liverpool, what he has done is put Liverpool back on top again where for 30-odd years that was not the case. They won one in 30. If you are not an Arsenal, Manchester City or Manchester United fan this year, you’d love to see Liverpool win it.

They waited 30 years, then won it in lockdown when it was not the same as the poor fans were not allowed to be there.

You also have to remember the players he bought in the summer. No disrespect to Liverpool, but a big part of that will be Jurgen Klopp and then all of a sudden, he is now leaving and they will be, ‘wait a minute, I came here for Jurgen Klopp’.

But those players are at a fantastic, unbelievable football club, one of the best in the world, so be careful what you wish for.

Chelsea and Arsenal games decisive for Liverpool

Liverpool could now go and do the business this year and it all comes down to the next two games, Chelsea and Arsenal. If they win them then you majorly fancy them, but lose and they are out.

This is where Manchester City – and Liverpool – take you. If Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest, they have to then beat Liverpool. If they do not beat Liverpool, they are out of it. So very quickly this could turn into a two-horse, or even one, from a three-horse race.

It is a brilliant time, midweek games, I love them. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday – crash, bang, wallop. You get six points and you are right in it, whether you are at the bottom or the top.

If you are sixth or seventh and get six points and those teams around you only get one point, or no points, it is a massive. This is a huge couple of games coming up for all teams.

But you look at Manchester City, they have Burnley at home and you would expect them to win that.

Chelsea will be a real test, but Liverpool to just edge it

This is a different one this midweek round [to Liverpool’s recent wins], different games. I look at them and think there will be changes. If Trent Alexander-Arnold is fit, I think he will play, [Conor] Bradley has been absolutely brilliant, [Dominik] Szoboszlai, if he is fit I think he will come in, [Alexis] MacAllister will coming in from the weekend, so they could be strong.

But this is a hard game for Liverpool, Chelsea have lost just two of their last 10 and they could have won the two games they lost by a lot of goals at Wolves and Middlesbrough. They were very wasteful.

This is a big game and I think Liverpool just win this, just because of the home advantage, but I do not see them beating Arsenal, not after the cup game. If Arsenal play anywhere near that again, it is impossible for them to be as wasteful two times on the trot.

Sunday 4th February 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

Arsenal much bigger draw these days than also-rans Barca

Mikel [Arteta] has said he is not happy with it [reports claiming he would leave this summer to replace Xavi at Barcelona] and has denied it. You have to go with his word. The game has changed now, Arsenal is a bigger draw than Barcelona in my opinion.

Five, 10, 15 years ago, you ask any footballer or manager in the world and they all wanted to play for or manage Real Madrid or Barcelona. That was the pinnacle of your football career.

But I do not think that is now the case with Barcelona anymore, they are an also-ran. They are not a big threat in Europe anymore and are well of the pace in the title race, while they got smashed again the other night [5-3 against Villarreal].

Five, six, seven years ago I may have said, ‘I do not see anything but Arteta leaving’, although I could be wrong, but I do not see how they are a bigger draw than Arsenal today. I do not see how they are a step forward, then there are their finances and you would rather work with Arsenal’s squad of players than Barcelona’s right now.

Arsenal have not gone and got a centre-forward and I think that could be the thing that comes and bites them at the end….

Arsenal must beat Forest and Liverpool, or title dreams are over

Arsenal have to win their next two games [at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, then at home to Liverpool on Sunday] it is as simple as that. If they do not get anything but six points out of these next two games, then that will be that.

They had to win [in their last league game against Crystal Palace] and they won it very well. So credit where it’s due, although I think it was a bit of a Polyfilla result, it covered over the cracks.

Arsenal have not gone and got a centre-forward and I think that could be the thing that comes and bites them at the end. That day [against Palace], they put away their chances, but you have to remember they went 2-0 up through a centre-half and then two goals from a substitute.

So you have to have a look at the all-round picture there and these are two big games – win both of these and they are massively in the title race, but do not win them and I think they are only fighting for the top four.