“I will leave the club at the end of the season"... When Jürgen Klopp declared those 11 words on video, he immediately turned an otherwise inconspicuous Friday afternoon into something else entirely.
He left a football world stunned and the entire Liverpool FC community in a state of shock. In the midst of what could turn out to be a historic season and far from the end of his contract, Klopp felt it was time to leave. A bombshell not felt similarly for the red part of Liverpool in decades.
“This is on a par with Bill Shankly announcing his resignation in '74 to the absolute consternation of everyone who follows Liverpool Football Club, or to Kenny Dalglish suddenly resigning in 1990," Jeff Goulding tells Tribalfootball.com.
Goulding is old enough to remember Bill Shankly, he has been a Red all his life and has no less than six books about Liverpool FC on his CV. Goulding is a man who knows the city and the club inside out.
“I'm pretty sure, I can speak for all Liverpool supporters, when I say it was a seismic shock. Devastation. In some ways, it felt like the announcement of a death or something. I think we'd all made peace with the fact that he was probably going to move on in 2026. None of us imagined it would be in the middle of this season," a still baffled Goulding says while also speculating on some of the reasoning behind Klopp's decision.
“He's probably ahead of schedule in building the next great team, and perhaps that's had some bearing on his decision-making. He feels he can leave the team in a better place now for his successor," says Goulding, who still lives within walking distance of Anfield. And with a life spent around LFC, he knows how some managers transcend the football club.
“It's not just that they are connected to one football club or one period in the football club's history. They kind of echo through the generations. Klopp will be one of those managers for Liverpool Football Club. The impact of it is absolutely huge. Managers like Shankly, Dalglish and now Klopp spoke about matters outside of the football club. They address issues that concern all of society.
“They have a philosophy that's based on the spirit of collectivism and socialism. The idea that we all work hard together and we all share the rewards at the end of the day. Klopp's announcement at least affords us an opportunity to use this to get everyone behind the team," says Goulding, who already felt the emotions at Anfield against Norwich in the first home match after the announcement.
“These players also know that this could be their last opportunity to do something truly historic at the club. I think that we can actually all come together and at least make the end of the season something special that we'll never forget. Something our grandkids may even sing songs about," says the author, who is just about to complete the fourth book in the Red Odessey series, which trails the history of the club from Anfield Road. So where does Klopp rank in the pantheon of famous managers?
“Bill Shankly faced a club in the doldrums, taking over in the old second division with concerns over finance and its ability to compete with its rivals, the biggest rival at the time being Everton. He came in and had to deal with a set of players and a fan base who didn't really believe anymore. Klopp's had to deal with all those issues albeit in a different time.
“He famously came in and identified very early on that the fan base had lost its faith. He talked about them needing to become believers. He definitely uses psychology and his ability to communicate with the supporters is absolutely on a par with Bill Shankly. That's why they've taken him to heart so much," Goulding states of the man who was awarded the Freedom of Liverpool.
“He's described how being considered an honorary Scouser is one of the most outstanding achievements of his life and I think he's taken the city to heart. The city has also taken him to heart, he's seen out and about and he's always very generous with his time. His wife and family love the city and socially he's had a huge impact.
“The success and attention he's brought to Liverpool since he arrived has been an outstanding boost for the city's economy. It's difficult to overstate his impact in nine years. He is a huge figure, and his loss will be felt for years to come," sighs Goulding, who still finds it hard to imagine life without Kloppo, when asked what he thinks of Xabi Alonso, the frontrunner to take over the reigns at Anfield.
“It almost feels disloyal and sacrilege to think about a replacement! But Alonso is doing a great job in the Bundesliga and his record at Liverpool is tremendous, being part of a squad that defied all odds and won a Champions League. He was a firm fan's favorite whilst at Anfield so I don't think any of us will people have a problem getting behind a Xabi Alonso," says Goulding, who was more optimistic than most Reds supporters before the season.
“I said at the start of the season we'd win the league and lots of people thought I was insane. We've got an excellent chance now of winning the League Cup and we've got a great chance in the Europa League as well the FA Cup. I am ever the optimist," Goulding signs off with a laugh before getting back to coming to grips with a future life without a German manager who conquered Anfield.
Jeff Goulding books, among them Red Odessey, can be obtained through Pitch Publishing.
