Jurgen Klopp: Why Liverpool Manager Is Always Running During Half Time Breaks

Jurgen Klopp: Why Liverpool Manager Is Always Running During Half Time Breaks

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM
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  • Liverpool recently tore apart Manchester United with a slick second-half performance at Anfield
  • Jurgen Klopp's side scored six goals to win 7-0, Manchester United's heaviest defeat in Premier League history
  • This was partly down to Klopp's demeanour of always running to the dressing room once the half-time whistle blows

In life, you are always advised to get one thing that works for you and cling to it. Well, I don't know about you, but that's what I was taught, and sleep has never been sweeter while sleeping on my stomach.

Jurgen Klopp is one of the modern-day successful managers. It might have taken him time, but he managed to restore Liverpool as an elite force in England and Europe, so much so that they hammered their closest rivals, Manchester United, by a whooping seven goals to nothing.

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Photo by Simon Stacpoole.
Source: Getty Images

The German is often animated on the touchline. Always bellowing instructions, confronting match referees and handing out bear hugs to his players when things are going well for him. The fans always get the fist pumps in the air after the game.

You don't want to attend a Klopp press conference when he is on the losing side, though. He will convince you how the wind affected his players. Or something about the grass.

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Klopp's tactic

One thing you might have noticed, though, is that he always races down the tunnel at half-time. Whether at Anfield or away, whether his side is leading, playing well or not, the 55-year-old always runs to the dressing room.

Is it a superstition? Well, it's more of a tactic. Klopp always has a team working on video clips from the first half to show him where he needs to improve in the next 45 minutes.

He tends to use the first five minutes to analyse the clips as the players take a breather. He then walks them through what needs to change for them to get maximum points.

"Sometimes I’m really waiting for half-time. It’s like, ‘come on, four minutes, five minutes to go,’ so we can fix things.
The break is a very important time. I give the players first the opportunity to breathe, to drink and the medical staff checks if they are all alright.
Then we watch a few situations from the first half; only when they are really clear for our message do we use them. If not, we don’t and I talk to the players," said Klopp in a 2018 interview.

Perhaps it is this gimmick that worked for Klopp when they turned on the heat in the second half against Manchester United, putting six goals past them after a closely contested first half.

Like any other tactic, it doesn't always work every time (Real Madrid's recent Anfield performance), but Klopp has a Champions League, a Premier League and two domestic cups to show for it.

So whatever works for you folks, stick to it.

Why Klopp didn't do his celebration against United

Sports Brief also reported why Klopp has disclosed why he did not perform his trademark fist pump celebration after his side's thrilling win over rivals, Manchester United.

Klopp bizarrely declined to celebrate the momentous win over their arch-rivals. The German coach traditionally celebrates such victories with Liverpool supporters through a series of fist pumps aimed towards the Kop or the away end when they are playing away matches.

Against United, the German tactician decided against this tradition.

Authors
Martin Moses photo
Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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