Klopp: “I Am Nothing Without Them”

A manager cannot do everything at a club; cannot know how to do everything best. Even if a few would like people to think that’s the case, it isn’t. A strong support team is needed, stocked with specialists who know how to do their particular job even better than the man in charge.

It’s something Jürgen Klopp says he knows well, and that the secret to success—whether it’s in Germany or England or anywhere else as a manager—is in bringing in talent off the pitch just like a manager would look to bring in talent to strengthen the team on it.

“I am nothing without them,” the Liverpool manager told the club’s official website this week during a break in preparations for the Audi Cup. “I think the biggest strength of strong people is to put people around you who are stronger in specific cases than yourself. Only if you are insecure you wouldn’t do that.

“Without them, I couldn’t do the job any more. That’s how it is. When I started I was alone, but that was years ago and the world has changed—especially the football world—so it’s really important we have this quality around. I am absolutely happy about this.”

After making changes and bringing in new faces during his first summer at the club, Klopp has kept his core team intact for his second summer as he prepares for season number three at Liverpool. Just as he’s made it his goal to keep his core squad together, so it is with the coaching and backroom staff.

“It’s all good, otherwise we could not be fourth last season and we would not be this good as a team,” he added, continuing to talk about his support staff the way most would the players. “Always we can improve, we can improve still, but as a basis to improve I am quite happy.”