'Love you Scholesy but stop being so pissy all the time.'
, and in one sense, everybody’s right: the lad’s a player, and would help any squad in the world.
If I’m wrong, well, Newcastle’s FFP balance won’t hurt for a 120+ million-pound transfer. And if the club is smart, they’ll give him a decent wage boost on a long-term contract that he can renegotiate every two years. If he’s as committed as he says, he won’t want his wages to cripple the project.The games of the two English teams in the CL on Wednesday showed an interesting dichotomy in managerial style.
But the contrast in managerial outlook is extreme. Klopp understands that to win – as in the CL or EPL – unless he has a team full of world beaters, he needs to take risks, and is willing to do so. His high line was crucified by the media and pundits, as if Klopp was unaware that it was a risk. But he measured against the fact VAR would catch most offsides, the forwards pressing would squeeze the space allowing an in-form Fabinho to intercept most through balls.
The point is, Klopp is totally aware of the risks. He trusts his players to give it a go and adjust. He doesn’t blame his players if it doesn’t come off. But he does it because he realises that playing the safe options in today’s game gets you middling success.