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An author’s love letter to his club’s charismatic German manager is funny, fresh and informative
The Occam’s razor explanation as to why this slight and snappy paean to Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp works: Anthony Quinn is a delightful writer writing about a delightful subject. Quinn, well known as a novelist and film and literary critic, has been a Liverpool fan since his Huyton youth (a brief flirtation with Celtic, based only on their attractive kit design, aside). Klopp, meanwhile, the big-smiling, perma-baseball-capped, witty and erudite club manager, is someone who even opposing fans – and those who have no interest in football – admire.
Klopp: My Liverpool Romance fleshes out the sandy-haired kid who grew up in the Black Forest in south-west Germany, became a diligent if only goodish footballer, and then lit up the world stage as a manager combining tactical nous (his gegenpressingphilosophy)with committed pastoral care. Last season, Klopp steered Liverpool to a quartet of trophies – including the club’s first Premier League title in 30 years. The length of time he spends hugging his players after each final whistle is comparable.
It's one of the first literary accounts of sport's empty stadia (the 'applauseless air') during Covid times
Related: 30 years of hope: my life as an ardent Liverpool fan
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The Occam’s razor explanation as to why this slight and snappy paean to Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp works: Anthony Quinn is a delightful writer writing about a delightful subject. Quinn, well known as a novelist and film and literary critic, has been a Liverpool fan since his Huyton youth (a brief flirtation with Celtic, based only on their attractive kit design, aside). Klopp, meanwhile, the big-smiling, perma-baseball-capped, witty and erudite club manager, is someone who even opposing fans – and those who have no interest in football – admire.
Klopp: My Liverpool Romance fleshes out the sandy-haired kid who grew up in the Black Forest in south-west Germany, became a diligent if only goodish footballer, and then lit up the world stage as a manager combining tactical nous (his gegenpressingphilosophy)with committed pastoral care. Last season, Klopp steered Liverpool to a quartet of trophies – including the club’s first Premier League title in 30 years. The length of time he spends hugging his players after each final whistle is comparable.
It's one of the first literary accounts of sport's empty stadia (the 'applauseless air') during Covid times
Related: 30 years of hope: my life as an ardent Liverpool fan
Continue reading...
More...