I’m sorry for the thread. It might be unneccessary. But I just remembered an old Klopp interview and decided to look it up.
I found the hole interview really interesting in retrospect and in light of Pogbas time at Man Utd.
The Reds' boss labelled Manchester United'sworld record signing Paul Pogba as one among the special athletes, who are blessed with a physical ability that cannot be achieved through training.
(…)
"We all saw Paul Pogba. He was here, he was there, selfie, selfie, 9,000 of them, all summer. And then he comes to Manchester United has, what, two training sessions, and plays 90 minutes against Southampton. You think, how?" he explained.
(…)
"But these physical advantages will only help if you are also strong in mind. I was never that special in my life, so I really respect this — but my job is to help people become successful in other ways. Because, there are other ways, but you need a special mentality to be part of a special story," he added.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/liverpool-boss-praises-manchester-united-star-labels-him-different-1579590
I think the interview is great for a whole variety of reasons. It seems obvious that Klopp was a fan of young Pogba. No wonder, because Pogba, recently coached by Conte, were a very different player from today. He played with great intensity. I remember Pogba talking about how hard they trained at Juve. But they also played their matches with aggression and intensity. Bit like Liverpool.
While I’m sure quite a few will point to Klopps focus on a «strong mind» as where it went wrong for Pogba, I think his time at Juve prove that was not the case. He did have a strong mind and his physical capabilities when he arrive
I have no idea how we train or how Liverpool train. But it very apparant that the way Liverpool play is very different from how we play. Playing games at that intensity twice a week for several years will affect the physical condition of the players. And you would imagine that the training sessions is a reflection of that.
In my opinion, this probably ends up becoming a «multiplier effect»-type of thing. The Liverpool-players have for several years had a few more percent improvement in physical condition from each training session and game than the Man Utd-players. When you add that up for years, the results is a huge difference in the overall physical state of the entire squad.
In conclusion,
A) We broke Pogba. And probably quite a few other young players that failed to live up to their potential. Hate them all you like, but I think it is a good chance players like Pogba and Rashford would be playing at a totally different level today if we did not hire Mourinho and Solskjaer (with their type of football). If I were them, that would upset and depress me.
B) Ten Hag, or any other coach, will need time to fix it. Not just by buying, but to increase the level we play and train. And it will be a step by step process to some degree. Yes, we can buy players with great physical and mental advantage, but not even the players we buy will come from clubs at the same level as Liverpool/Man City.
I found the hole interview really interesting in retrospect and in light of Pogbas time at Man Utd.
The Reds' boss labelled Manchester United'sworld record signing Paul Pogba as one among the special athletes, who are blessed with a physical ability that cannot be achieved through training.
(…)
"We all saw Paul Pogba. He was here, he was there, selfie, selfie, 9,000 of them, all summer. And then he comes to Manchester United has, what, two training sessions, and plays 90 minutes against Southampton. You think, how?" he explained.
(…)
"But these physical advantages will only help if you are also strong in mind. I was never that special in my life, so I really respect this — but my job is to help people become successful in other ways. Because, there are other ways, but you need a special mentality to be part of a special story," he added.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/liverpool-boss-praises-manchester-united-star-labels-him-different-1579590
I think the interview is great for a whole variety of reasons. It seems obvious that Klopp was a fan of young Pogba. No wonder, because Pogba, recently coached by Conte, were a very different player from today. He played with great intensity. I remember Pogba talking about how hard they trained at Juve. But they also played their matches with aggression and intensity. Bit like Liverpool.
While I’m sure quite a few will point to Klopps focus on a «strong mind» as where it went wrong for Pogba, I think his time at Juve prove that was not the case. He did have a strong mind and his physical capabilities when he arrive
I have no idea how we train or how Liverpool train. But it very apparant that the way Liverpool play is very different from how we play. Playing games at that intensity twice a week for several years will affect the physical condition of the players. And you would imagine that the training sessions is a reflection of that.
In my opinion, this probably ends up becoming a «multiplier effect»-type of thing. The Liverpool-players have for several years had a few more percent improvement in physical condition from each training session and game than the Man Utd-players. When you add that up for years, the results is a huge difference in the overall physical state of the entire squad.
In conclusion,
A) We broke Pogba. And probably quite a few other young players that failed to live up to their potential. Hate them all you like, but I think it is a good chance players like Pogba and Rashford would be playing at a totally different level today if we did not hire Mourinho and Solskjaer (with their type of football). If I were them, that would upset and depress me.
B) Ten Hag, or any other coach, will need time to fix it. Not just by buying, but to increase the level we play and train. And it will be a step by step process to some degree. Yes, we can buy players with great physical and mental advantage, but not even the players we buy will come from clubs at the same level as Liverpool/Man City.