Jurgen Klopp has revealed why he added a throw-in expert to his Liverpool coaching staff, after appointing Thomas Gronnemark recently.
It was reported this week that the German had recruited Gronnemark, who has devoted 15 years to the study of throw-ins, to help give the Reds an extra edge this season.
Now the Liverpool boss has explained why he made that decision: “As a football manager you hear a lot about different things,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “I played the game, I’ve been managing for 18 years, but that doesn’t mean I am a goalkeeper specialist. And obviously I am not a throw-in specialist.
“When I heard about Thomas then it was clear to me that I wanted to meet him, and when I met him it was 100% clear I wanted to employ him. Now he’s here we work on that from time to time, and we use his information during the weeks when he’s not here. We use it for the Academy as well, it’s good.
“It’s cool, the boys like it. Somebody who knows what he’s talking about – that always helps when you want to improve something.”
OPINION
This was one of the more bizarre stories that entered the British press this week. However, what seems like a silly story on the face of it merely speaks to Klopp’s open-mindedness and his determination to explore every possible path to victory. The German is eager to give his players every advantage he can, so it makes sense that he would appoint someone like Gronnemark. Throw-ins may not be the most vital part of the game, but they play an important part in modern football and can be an area where one team holds a significant advantage over another. Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, for all he is a serial winner, is not the sort of character that you could imagine appointing a throw-in specialist. Klopp is unafraid of what other people think, though, and is open enough to at least give Gronnemark a try. From what he says, the throw-in savant impressed him mightily during their meeting, so perhaps Liverpool are on to something. We’ll have to see what kind of impact this appointment has.
