Friday, October 4, 2024

Klopp on ‘holiday’ but still eyeing Gunners scalp

Jurgen Klopp says his Borussia Dortmund team won’t be taking it easy against Arsenal despite securing qualification from Champions League Group D with two games to spare.

The German outfit have cruised to victory in all four European games this season, but have suffered a crisis run on the domestic front where three wins from 13 games has seen them drop into the relegation zone.

Struggling for confidence in the Bundesliga, coach Klopp made clear that he hopes his players use the latest clash at the Emirates as another stepping-stone towards consistency.

“We have pressure too. Not maybe in this competition, but we have a big target. We want to go through in first position.

“In Germany we have big pressure.In the last six games we played four very good halves and two very bad halves. Those two bad halves were enough to lose us those games. Tonight I cannot change the Bundesliga problem. Tonight is like a holiday for me. It is ‘only’ the Champions League. I have pressure though, of course I do. Everybody has pressure.

“It’s not my plan to relax. We will see what we will do here. We need each game to get more stability. We have to use this game for the Bundesliga. We need stability and that is our problem up to now. If we play well then it will help us in the Bundesliga.

“We don’t want to wait and see what [Arsenal] will do,” he continued. “We saw the game against Manchester United. We saw the first half and I think everyone in this room knows Arsenal were much better and made a real good game.

“That’s football but I could see in the first half that they were pretty strong if you let them be strong.”

Klopp has long been tipped as a coach with a future in England with Manchester United and Arsenal both mooted as possible destinations. Asked in his pre-game press conference about such speculation, he admitted that it wasn’t impossible, while stressing it’s not something he’s currently thinking about.

“I don’t think about my future in this moment. Not about my long [term] future.

“The only language I speak a little bit…you hearing it…is English. And so from my kind of coaching I need the language. The funny part of the language I can learn very fast.

“That’s all I said [about links with a move to England], but not now, not next year. I don’t know when. I don’t plan things like this.

“You ask me, ‘what will you do after Borussia Dortmund?’ And I said, ‘it’s possible.’

“If somebody called me then we can talk about it. And that’s all. I didn’t say, ‘I’m here on Monday.’

“Sometimes, timing is very important, in each part of life,” he responded when asked if any clubs had already contacted him.

Last year Dortmund did to us at the Emirates what a lot of teams have done recently. They took an early lead and just when Arsenal looked to be getting on top, snatched a late winner on the break. A repeat of that tonight would leave us with a nerve-jangling trip to Galatasaray where we’d still require a draw to secure progress to the knock-out rounds. It’s sure to be a tense evening.

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remember the invincibles

I fully expect us to dominate and lose 3-0. That’s just the way the season is going.

remember the invincibles

too demoralised by Jack’s injury as well

Previgo

I’ll give my prediction when i see our lineup

docciavelli

0-0 at the half (including two missed glorious chances), to be followed by at least two howlers against. It’s like Blogs said–we’ve come to expect it.

0o2Be

Regardless of prior results I hope tonight is about positivity and moving forward. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I’m a little tired of the grumbling now. Don’t get me wrong – I completely understand the discontent, but I hope that the Emirates is bouncing tonight. I reckon it’s time to get behind the lads so we can begin to get our confidence back.

RedCurrant

Agreed! Atmosphere was flat from the start Saturday. Losing the game on the pitch was bad, losing the one in the stands was worse. Embarrassing to be out-sung by that lot. Disappointing to see so many Arsenal fans leave when the game had nearly ten minutes to go, too. We pulled one back…could we have got another with the crowd lifting the team? It’s not just those on the pitch who need to lift their performance IMO. COYG!!!

Highberry

Dead on O02Be, we’re allowed to grumble that’s every Gooners right but we’ll be rocking tonight. Win or draw we’re through is that right? COYG

Daft Aider

There was little discontent early on at the Emirates at the weekend, it was only when the team did their almost inevitable cock ups that the discontent started, the fans need and deserve some performances as opposed to the shit we are currently paying extortionate prices to experience

Previgo

Confidence under wenger yea! Its there already, consistency in big games under wenger? Nah! I’ll just support my arsenal

GoonerN16

Right on Oo2Be! Well said. COYG!

richardanus

Love that guy. He’s so likeable.

Come to Arsenal Jurgen, where we will give you all the love and patience you need.

Andy Mack

Patience…… That’s not something the ‘home’ crowd at the emirates understands at all. Look at how many players they’ve destroyed in their first season with us!

David

ofc arsenal fans are the antithesis of patience right? almost 9 years with only a FA cup, scrapping 4th place, and getting kicked in UCL

Andy Mack

On a tiny budget compared to the teams above, and despite being successful compared to 75% of the PL teams every year (but regrettably not quite making the final leap). Even being in the UCL is a success of sorts (would you rather win the tin-pot cup and play Europa league but be able to say to won some silverware?). Booing our own players because of one missed opportunity or a few miss placed passes. Really, Patience is a word often used there but not understood by many.

David

Budget doesnt make a good team tho, and isnt like if we didnt have or doesnt have good players

Andy Mack

Agreed and proven to some degree by the invincibles, but we bought many of those players before the purse strings drew shut. But one mega team in 10 years is still better than most other clubs times 50. Plus a club ‘team’ want support, silence at least but never to have their team mates booed.

easy tiger

and rightly so, if wenger can`t see squillachi, eboue, bendtner, park, santos, sanogo, arshavin and on and on ain`t arsenal material, than we as fans got to. And we are patienced when it comes to wenger too, 10 years of shit is a long time. Even though he has done well before and during the emirates move, but now we are post that, and we seem to get worse….

Andy Mack

‘Arsenal Material’ is a complete bollocks comment. In the modern game the quality of players is largely effected by the depth of the pockets. As a club we have only had a couple of seasons where we can actually reach our own pockets and they still aren’t that deep. Some of the names you mention did decent (but in no way exceptional) jobs that needed doing. If they’d got a bit of support rather than boing, they would definitely have done a better job. Sanogo shouldn’t be in that list as he’s only a youth being thrown in as emergency… Read more »

Martin Murray

youth? He’s 21? a year younger than Neymar? you’ll probably say but “oh he’s had his injuries”? ok then he’s a year younger than Jack wilshire? the difference is he’s complete pony, at that age quality would have shown, he’s shite, no point pretending otherwise

Henry! Chance!! Goal!!!

People like you lack the basic understanding of talent development. At 21, Wilshire is miles ahead of the curve. You mentioned Neymar. Neymar is a once in a generation talent. If it was that easy to be Neymar, then Neymar will not be so special. He’ll be a dime a dozen

Andy Mack

He wasn’t bought to go into the 1st 11. He was bought to be an option to come on and gain some experience when we’d already won a game. Then in 2-3 year he’d hopefully be a real CF option but due to injuries and fatigue he was thrown in at the deep end and generally did OK. He’s usually worked hard, shown lost of potential, especially the way he had agger in his pocket, but he needs time and a couple of flukey goals (like others seem to score against us) to get his scoring confidence going.

richardanus

…oh I don’t know Mack. I think most Gooners have been very patient over the last 5 years or so. It’s clear to most fans that Wenger has lost his way and the pervading mood of groundhog year is now firmly established in most fans minds (that’s based on my estimation of fans commenting on Wenger on this site). We want change and we want it soon (at the end of this season will do) and I think once given that change most fans will be very supportive of the new man in charge, and, yes, very [i]patient[/i]. Unlike Man… Read more »

MPLS

Aside from a few folks I don’t see a whole lot of patience around here. During that last five years we’ve been in the UCL the entire time, won an FA cup, and topped the league for a few bits (without winning, obviously). That makes it quite a lot easier to be patient. We topped the league longer than anyone else last season and won our first cup in a decade. And it’s only taken this long for the constant WengerOuts to get back to as loud as it has ever been. That’s not patience in my book. Treatment of… Read more »

richardanus

MPLS, buddy you miss the point entirely.

Some of us are more than prepared to *patient* with the *new*. A new regime, a new coach, with new tactics, and a new fresh feel and approach.

New is good. Change is good. Doing the same tiresome *old* thing over and over again, and constantly failing, is taking us nowhere and ultimately counter-productive. Still, if that’s some peoples bag then good luck to them. But it’s not for me.

As some wag noted, we seem to be a club that goes forward by constantly looking backwards.

COYGs !!

Andy Mack

richardanus, If you like change you should really follow the team up the road as they’re experts in ‘change’ and they (like many other teams) prove change isn’t always good, and forced change is rarely good.

richardanus

Andy Mack mate, you don’t have a monopoly on supporting the Arsenal. They’re my team and I’ve bought the ticket and am perfectly entitled to hold my opinions without haughty condescending nonsense like that from you. Very poor form fella. Very poor indeed.

Play the argument not the man.

Andy Mack

I’ll repeat the important bit as I guess you didn’t read that far “they’re experts in ‘change’ and they (like many other teams) prove change isn’t always good, and forced change is rarely good.”

Highberry

Should have seen him berating the ball boys and girls and growling at em. Likeable is not the word I’d have used. When he’s doing adverts or winning then yeah he seems like a nice guy but if Dortmund are losing or a decision goes against them he starts being aggressive to all and sundry.

Deano

Tell me a manager who is all laugh and smiles when his team is losing

Previgo

That’s the winning mentality man, when your players notice you’re been aggressive on the touchline, they follow suit and their opponents get intimidated and get beaten! Sadly wenger lacks this!

Daft Aider

He’s definitely worth an offer from us

Renoog

Of course he’s on holiday. What top manager fears playing Arsenal now? Are we going to play in a different formation, defend differently or attack in a different way? NO

Klopp is rubbing his hands at playing us. Even the useless Horsehead Van Gaal could get a result.

Andy Mack

He’s on holiday because he’s in a ‘no lose’ situation. In Germany he has a strong squad and despite the injuries they should be in the top 4 as their competition is so weak. He’s still got amazing support from the fans but knows they are seriously underperforming.
If they lose tonight then they should still get through the group and he can blame injuries against a top European club (17 years consecutive)!

David

a strong first team squad plagued by injuries and almost no depth cuz they dont have a big budget. oh the irony, when we do bad we say “we dont have depth” when plagued by injuries but that only is for us…we have depth now, but we dont use it

Andy Mack

I’m not certain what you’re trying to say but I’ll take a guess. You’re suggesting BVD injuries are the reason for their poor domestic performance. Am I right?

David

you’re saying they have a good team, when they do have a good FIRST TEAM squad, they dont have the depth, so yeah any team with that sort of problems would have problems, or ask us when we blame injuries in our poor form

Andy Mack

They have good depth by bundesliga standards. They should be 5th or 6th despite the injuries.

Monkey Nuts

Absolutely. Does anyone realisticly think we will win tonight?

Ooh but let’s stay positive, after all this set of players and manager have proved us wrong in the past.

Highberry

Personally I’d try a slightly more avant garde approach to tactics and release a tiger into the opposition changing rooms….. or a shark….. a great white shark with a shotgun, just before the game.

docciavelli

I’ll bet the Shark ruptures a ligament in his dorsal fin just prior to entering the locker room. Arsene says he’ll be back in the water in “2 to 3 weeks,” which turns into not terrorizing the sea until the new year. When he finally does come back in February, it’s LANS–Like A New Shark.

Arsepedant

Comment of the year.

SoCal Gooner

Ladies and gents: scrap for 4th, out the title race in October, out cup competitions as soon as we meet any competive team (I’m not even talking about “big team”). No disrespect to these teams but now a club like Arsenal consistently loses (or we at least hold a breadths against teams like Southampton, Everton, etc.). SMH

That’s all I need to know.

Amusa

Slightly off-topic.
But I would prefer Simeone over Klopp.
He has a plan B and is much more tactical than Klopp. Ironically Klopp is also known not to have a plan B. His plan A has been found waiting in the Bundesliga.
This is all provided we are looking for a new manager and one of them is looking to come :).

ThatArsenalFanFromGermany

Thats just the evidence that you don’t know Kloppo. Kloppo is as tactical as he is emotional. He already tried a Plan B, C and D in the Bundesliga but nothing helped. And if you actually watched the matches (what I did not think you did) then you would know that its not Kloppos fault. Every game, Dortmund was up ahead in the first half but lost due their bad performance in the second half and there was just nothing what Kloppo could do. But the Amazing thing is: after only wining 3 out of 13 Matches, Klopp nor the… Read more »

moneyball

I’d personally prefer fucking anyone. It is so obvious that a change in management is needed to get the best out of the team. And to put more pressure on the players etc. We need a Klopp, Ancelotti, Simeone or Guardiola.

BrewCityGunners

Despite the fact that a 10 year study of EPL teams showed that sacking the manager did NOTHING to improve table performance by top 5 teams? OK. Let’s bring someone NEW in (just for the hell of it because “anyone is better than Wenger!”) and do worse. Sounds like logical advice. If you can’t trade up, don’t trade at all. “It is widely regarded that the role of the football manager is one of chronic insecurity. The pressure on the modern day football manager for consistently high club performance is intense, particularly due to the continuing rise in revenues available… Read more »

Runkeball

Guardiola? Whoever says that Guardiola should come to Arsenal can fuck off out the door and support someone elses wank team. I’d take cunting Mourinho over Guardiola. Actually, should John Terry decide to become manager after Chelsea I’d take him over Guardiola. Fuck Guardiola. He’s awful!

Tazmanian Jesus

Uh…did he run over your cat or something?

GoonerN16

Nice one. I laughed out loud.

Gabe

Dude you really need to take it easy, u might just have a heart attack.

moneyball

Guardiola tweaked the Wenger Ball to perfection. Lead Barcelona to lots of titles during his years in the club. How exactly can you call Guardiola an awful manager?

Runkeball

I consider him a champagne manager who takes over massive teams with massive budgets and massive players (some of whom he thinks nothing of benching for a full season) and then he leads them to victory. Unlike Wenger who is a builder of teams and guided the club through frugal times and still kept us at a pretty high level. I admire creative people and I respect a grafter. To me Guardiola is none of that. There is no way he could (or probably even would) lead us through difficult times.

Runkeball

If football managers were music Guardiola would be Julio Iglesias. Smooth and easily digested but no power or credibility what so ever. Klopp is Scorpions or Accept at their best, maybe even Kreator or Sodom and Wenger is…what the fuck is Wenger? Johnny Halliday?

MPLS

It’ll be OK Runke, Pep’s going to ManU after LVG buys him a squad.

Runkeball

Man U will be a good club for him. We can watch him cry every time Arsenal crushes his team to see them driven before us while we enjoy the lamentations of their fans!

Runkeball

16 people here (so far) think Guardiola would be a good manager for Arsenal. I almost hope their wish comes true.

docciavelli

A good friend of mine is an Assistant Coach for an MLS team here in the States. I (half-jokingly) asked him if he was interested in taking the helm of Arsenal. His response? “I’d take it, but I’d rather manage 10 other clubs in England before that one.” That’s right, he said he’d rather be Newcastle manager than follow AW. Oy.

Deano

Will be a cracking match tonight but I think we could do with a really boring 1-0 result

moneyball

Yaya Sanogo to start tonight, may god have mercy on our souls -|- -|- -|-

I expect a loss from the yet again tactical inept Arsene Wenger.

moneyball

Why Campbell or Podolski does not start ahead of him is a COMPLETE joke.

Andy Mack

I don’t know why they don’t get much more game time from the bench but I understand 100% why Sanogo starts as a CF ahead of them. Poldi has shown he goes missing when he starts but should be a regular sub-on player, whilst Campbell is a (right) winger that can pass for a CF against a team that play a high back line (i.e. not Dortmund). Hopefully JC will learn to be a CF against other types of team but not yet.

moneyball

That is not true. Podolski has been superb in comparision to Olivier Giroud when he got the chances, especially at the beginning of his arsenal career. He was our most efficient striker by some distance during the first season, if he gets a chance you can trust him to score it. Giroud had lots of horrible performances for every really good one’s. The difference is that Giroud was given the chance while Podolski wasn’t. Podolski is miles ahead of Yaya Sanogo who has not yet scored a goal in competitive football. As for Joel Campbell? The guy showed what a… Read more »

Andy Mack

I’ve championed Poldi before but he’s started too many anonymous games whereas he’s a game-changer as a sub.
He tends to be better as a false 9 when we play better with a genuine CF. But both him and JC should have much more game time although I think the in-game injuries we’ve had have reduced the possibility of using them a bit, but they should definitely have come of the bench much much more often.

2014-2015 = the year we've been waiting for

Four king hell! C’mon Sanogo, let’s be having ya put 4 past Dortmund like you did against Benfica in the Emirates Cup.

BrewCityGunners

Have you sent Arsenal your CV and let them know you’re available for tactical advice?

Draze

Brace for Sanchez & a PK for Arteta.

I am seeing things!

i want klopp now

Apparently Klopp is coming to Emirates with enough basic knowledge on how thing works there. Thats a start.

goodstuff

everyone in this room knows Arsenal were much better and made a real good game

TheRealJenkoooooo

‘but that doesn’t mean to say there’s anything beneficial about him being out of action for as long as he will be.’ – from the blog this morning. Sounds like your implying that its a blessing in disguise.

Mootilated

I hope to see more photos of Jurgen Klopp on this website in the near future.

Arsepedant

Specifically, tomorrow, with an even bigger scowl on his face.

Runkeball

We like The Klopp! One day Wenger will retire and when that day comes it wouldn’t be bad to see The Klopp in his shoes. The Klopp with his fashionably unfashionable glasses, The Klopp and his unkempt hair and George Michael stubble, The Klopp and his Heavy Metal Approach, The Klopp and his brutally Germanic yet so ace English. Yes he is and will always be The Klopp. Das Klopp! Welcome to The Emirates tonight Das Klopp. Hope you leave disappointed but perhaps one day return refreshed and ready to take over to destroy and dominate our opponents. The Das… Read more »

Runkeball

Press Conference: Das Klopp, what is best in life?

Das Klopp: To crush your opponent teams, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their fans!

Tazmanian Jesus

Long time since i was this pessimistic before a home match…hope i get surprised.

Nolan

Wenger out!

Runkeball

Nolan out!

Ben

I like Klopp!
If ever there was a choice of successor to Arsene, he would be it.

But first… lets get the Wenger show back on the road, smash Dortmund (and eventually fergusons European record – that would be lovely!), and see what the future holds after that.

Come on Arsenal!!!

Lucas North Bank

Love this guy. Would love to see him take over in May.

Love everything about him.

billyboy

Win tonight then the next 2 or 3 games and then implode yet again. Thanks Mr. Wenger but no more

Third Plebeian

The script is now running on autopilot. Expect a loss tonight, followed by a scrappy win over Galatasaray just so that we can stay in the competition for one more round, and then a series of good results in March and April meaning we squeak into fourth place.

docciavelli

You forgot the Round-of-16 loss to Bayern Munich on away goals, which we all know is coming.

Forfuckssake

They are effing on holiday they have been pictured in BBC sport training on Regents Park

Arsenalman29

I rate Sanogo very highly, i think he can become a great player for us! I dont know why some fans seem to hate him, every time he has came on for us he has really impressed me. He has not scored competitively yet, but he has shown a lot of quality in my opinion, he is getting into the right positions, he is strong, he can hold up the ball great, he has a good touch, and can pass very well. I think the fans need to give him a chance, it seems some fans use Sanogo as a… Read more »

Arseblog-mania

Sanogo has the positional awareness that differentiates first rate strikers from excellent ones. He’s got the sense for movement that money cannot buy. I have shockingly high (by majority standards) belief in his future. Starting this season, if he gets game time

Alexstratz

Since no one believes in this team, I expect them to win. Play usual good football, stay concentrated until the end, f*ck everyone. COYG!

dholio

Was hoping we could prize this guy away for next season but like Wenger, he seems super loyal to his club. Still, football is a strange beast. I bet Klopps salary in Germany is not even half of what AW earns a season.
It’s so hard to be positive about Arsenal ATM, but should we secure qualification tonight, it looks like Barca will finish 2nd as well we won’t have to face them next.
I know, I’m searching for crumbs here but the moral is that low ATM.

Forfuckssake

People seem to forget Arsene is on a 3 year deal and has backing from majority share holder Kronke. We would have to pay off Wenger a handsome sum and any interested decent manager would expect similar terms. I think with the profs track record of sticking to contracts and the financial loss he would make its highly unlikely he would resign even if we failed top four. gazidas has stated in the past he would have backing even without CL. The only solution would be promoting him as a director of football with a say in management decisions but… Read more »

Eternal Titi Berg Pat Nostalgia

Klopp, with all due respect, we will spoil your holiday quite badly today giving you a heavy defeat. Whatever disappointment and anger we feel, we are ARSENAL. We always align a serie of bad results then a very good one. Today is the day.

santori

Love this guy.

He is also on Holiday in the Bundesliga.

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