Behind the scenes with Jurgen Klopp: Nathaniel Clyne reveals changes in new Liverpool era

Nathaniel Clyne has quickly become an important part of Liverpool's defence

JURGEN KLOPP needed only three words to defie his dream Liverpool team.

 

As Anfield’s first German manager sat down his new charges for the first time, he produced a mission statement.
This was how they would play.
This was how he planned to make them champions.
He wanted the physical power of relentless runners and the never-say-die spirit to make winning appear almost automatic.

To make them an unstoppable Red Army.
“He said we have got to be mentally strong machines,” revealed rightback Nathaniel Clyne.
It was an ethos summed up in a phrase.
“It went down well,” Clyne said.
It was music to the Liverpool players’ ears.

Jurgen Klopp seems to have got his system through to the players quickly

"Our work rate has gone up. He wants us to press players high up the pitch and don’t let them breathe.
That suits me. I like to run around and I have got the stamina to do it.”
Perhaps Clyne has a head start. The England international faces his former club Southampton today and played for Mauricio Pochettino, another advocate of a high-paced pressing game, at St Mary’s.
Clyne said. “He came with the same approach and I am seeing the similarities here at Liverpool.
“Training has increased in intensity every day, with a lot of running and closing down and working with our shape and how we press as a team.”
But the real role models are Klopp’s old charges, Borussia Dortmund.



Clyne is now also part of Roy Hodgson's England squad

Now he has had to study them.
“He showed us video clips of him coaching his past team and how they close down as a team, and told us that is what he wants us to do,” he said.
Klopp’s Dortmund won back-toback German league titles and then reached the 2013 Champions League final.
Liverpool have not been champions since 1990. Klopp has a contract until 2018 and a burning desire to end their long wait.
“I think every player at Liverpool is here to win trophies,” Clyne added.
“It is a big club and throughout the history they have been winning things. It is time to do it again.”

Clyne is seeking inspiration from Manchester United full-backs past and present.
His friend Luke Shaw made the move from Southampton to Old Trafford in 2014.
“I saw how he went on from Southampton and became a great full-back and thought I can do the same,” he said.
He did. His breakthrough season last year began at Anfield, with a goal for Southampton on the opening weekend, and culminated in him becoming England’s first-choice right-back and Liverpool’s £12million signing.
Clyne has also been learning from United’s most decorated right-back, England coach Gary Neville.
“He has given me advice when I was away with England, on defending and also on attacking,” he added.
“I feed off him a lot.”
Now he has another mentor to add to an impressive list. Jurgen Klopp.
Nathaniel Clyne was supporting the biggest grassroots football tournament in the country – the English Schools’ FA PlayStation Schools’ Cup.
Since its launch, over 150,000 players have been involved. Visit playstationschoolscup.com.