Football Writer Erik Vaught 2.23.21

“The Klopp Effect”

     Section 1.  Management is leadership. We see it every day in a myriad of ways. Some lead by love, some by fear, some lead from the back and some from the front. One thing I've always noticed is there is a wrong way and a right way to do this. Sure you can get different variables of success, but what is the legacy that comes with that success? If you know the history of Liverpool then you know the great managers. If not, let me “learn you.” Men such as Bill Shankley, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan that molded this club, molded it with love, respect, blood and tears, and hard work. It wasn't just a belief we could win. It was a belief that you work for each other and you don't stop working until the job is done. As Steph Curry says: “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” That quintessence embodies what Klopp represents. It's what Liverpool exemplifies. A blue collar, I don't care how good you are, if you spend ten hours working I'll spend twenty mentality. You will never outwork me mindset. 1

  Section 2.  Before Klopp Liverpool was not the club of the past. At this moment the same can be said about Manchester United who are in a period whereby uncertainties are common. Liverpool was losing the identity that made them great. Not to say Liverpool didn’t have minor successes, but something was not right. Or did not feel right. Managers such as “King” Kenny Dagleish,  Gerrard Houllier and Rafael Benitez left their mark on the club. They added qualities that made the club feel unique. But it was not the Liverpool of the past. It's what makes the romance between Klopp and the club so special. This feels right. You can call it fate, you can call it destiny, call it whatever you want. Liverpool had lost its identity. It had been almost 20 years since we won a league title and since the formation of the English Premier League Liverpool was yet to win the Premier League Title (They finally won during the 2019-19 season under Klopp). Steven Gerrard (Liverpool Legend) was fading and was the last hope in a lot of people's eyes. People didn't know where this was going to go. Then Fenway Sports Group bought the club, King Kenny came back and we signed Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez from Dutch side Ajax which brought some stability. Shortly after that Brendan Rodgers came in and we bought Brazilian midfielder Coutinho to add to the stability. We saw a lot of ups and downs, a lot of promise, but ultimately turned into disappointment. Liverpool were struggling and we needed an identity.  2

Section 3. Jurgen Klopp is Liverpool. It was a match made in heaven. He was a human being that embodied the same principles as the club. He came in leading by example. Klopp showed the football world you don't have to spend your way out of a problem. So many clubs in the world believe you can buy success. PSG in France is a perfect example. They have some of the most talented and expensive football players on the planet and simply cannot put it together. Like Ferguson at Manchester United, Klopp believes that your youth system is paramount. It produces talent if you invest time and introduce a culture at a young age. Quality players will be produced. Barcelona has done this for years. Unlike American Basketball where one player, one draft pick, one trade can change a franchise, football (soccer) has 11 players needed to work in unison to maximize their potential. It is much harder to have faith in one player than the squad as a whole. LeBron James has made a career on this. Funny enough he is a minority owner of Liverpool. Go figure. The man knows a good business opportunity when he sees one. 3

Section 4. This brings us back to our original premise of leadership. Some managers are driven by fear. But to lead by example and take ownership is rare. It's what made me love the club in the first place and made me admire Klopp who has brought back the die hard passion to his players and more importantly the dedicated fans. Liverpool went from being a former giant to a laughing stock to one of the most feared teams in the world. And what people fear is the passion, the work and the we are never out of it mindset. Other clubs and their fans see it. I know the owner of this site is a loyal Manchester United supporter and he knows it. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City current Manager) sees it and it frustrates him to no end. Guardiola, who is one of the most decorated managers of all time, doesn't have what Klopp has and he wants it. Klopp lives in Guardiola's head rent free. Klopp instills belief, determination, love, accountability and a blue collar work ethic by example. He doesn't ask his players to do anything he wouldn't. He wouldn't spend money just to “flex” and he doesn't worry about anything other than his squad and the next opponent. Managers like this are rare. They don't just improve their team, they improve everyone around them. It wouldn’t surprise me if the cooks even cook better! The league benefits from 

Klopp just as the league benefitted from Sir Alex Ferguson (legendary Manchester United manager) It's rare but every so often you witness greatness. I believe we are all witnessing greatness. You know it when you see it and the world is seeing it week in and week out. Just watch a game and enjoy. You will see it for yourself. 4

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Erik Vaught: Football Editor 2.8.22 

American Abroad

It's been a long time coming and I was excited to do this piece. Becoming a professional athlete is never an easy task. A lot of hard work and perseverance is needed to earn a chance to compete at the highest level. For Americans in football (soccer) to make it to Europe, although it’s changing, it is a long road. Sure, we sprinkled a few here and there, but nothing consistent. To start off, we are talking about the Premier League specifically. Which by and large has not treated American talent well. Not that it didn't want to. It's just a different league than anywhere else and can be argued is the best in the world. Something I believe.

It would be wrong of me not to mention the positives for Americans abroad. Early on we saw Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey have solid careers and good runs. We saw Landon Donovan and Josie Altidore make a few loans that never materialized. It was a good introduction for many Europeans that we in the USA do have some talented players. McBride and Dempsey opened that door to a structure that was not traveled by many before them. It showed Americans to dream and see their potential. Currently in the Premier League we have 3 USA National Team members who are playing regularly and 5 American players who represent a Premier League club. Although they are loaned out currently. Now that the classic “December 25th” bench match has passed let's see how they are doing.

 To start it off let's state the three Americans currently playing in the Premiership and after let's look at how they are fairing. Midfielder Christian “Captain America'' Pulisic who plays for Chelsea, forward Josh Sargent at Norwich, and goalkeeper Zach Steffen who is at league leaders Manchester City, These 3 have all put in good minutes this season even through Steffen is getting most of his minutes from Cups matches, which is not uncommon for backup goalkeeper, he is playing under Pep Guadiola who is one of the best managers in the world. 

Diving deeper……Read more

 Football Editorial: Erik Vaught 2.1.21

You’ll Never Walk Alone

If you're a Liverpool fan it is easy at times to wonder if FSG(Fenway Sports Group) has the best interests of the club. American ownership in the Premier League doesn't hasn’t had the track record for itself in general. FSG is a special breed though, with their moneyball analytics(as shown in the movie “Moneyball”) as well as their rigorous age and wage structure it brings a new age of thinking to a “medieval” sport . Hence, the issues with paying arguably the best player in the world right now, Mo Salah, as his new contract is currently being negotiated. That's another issue for another time. Klopp (Liverpool’s current manager) isn't here for politics though, and with Michael Edward's ( Liverpool's current Sporting Director ) leaving his post at the end of the season it looks like newly appointed Sporting Director Julian Ward is trying to make his mark and start his relationship with Klopp on a positive note. 

Luis Diaz is phenomenal. Diaz is a Columbia national team player with unbelievable upside. Before joining Liverpool he was playing in Portugal for Porto where this season he has smashed in 14 goals in 18 appearances and adding 5 assist. This is a solid transfer. You may not have heard of him. Trust me. If you haven’t, you will with more exposure at Liverpool. With this signing Liverpool shows great intent for the future and showcases the will power of Julian Ward to sell him[Diaz] on the club and a plan moving forward. Not just that, but the player himself turned down the likes of Manchester United and Spurs to have the opportunity to work with Klopp. Adding depth in attack is key for the Reds, especially with a player who has the ability to make an immediate impact and hopefully help the Reds gain ground on [Manchester] City. Read More….