Jurgen Klopp has made a worse start to life as Liverpool manager than Brendan Rodgers... The numbers behind his two years in charge

  • Jurgen Klopp celebrates two years as manager of Liverpool on October 8, 2017
  • The German boss has won 35 of the first 68 Premier League games of his tenure
  • His predecessor, Brendan Rodgers had a better record after two years in charge
  • Under Klopp, Liverpool have taken 1.82 points a game, Rodgers managed 1.91

Two years have passed since Jurgen Klopp took over from Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager and for many supporters of the Anfield club so much has changed, but so much feels the same.

Gone are Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and cliches about 'character', but concerns over the Reds' defensive stability and title credentials remain.

Liverpool were 10th in the table when the German ended his sabbatical to take the reins at Anfield. 

Jurgen Klopp has a worse win percentage than Brendan Rodgers enjoyed in his first two years

Jurgen Klopp has a worse win percentage than Brendan Rodgers enjoyed in his first two years

The German ended his sabbatical to take over as Liverpool manager on October 8, 2015

The German ended his sabbatical to take over as Liverpool manager on October 8, 2015

Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers but the Northern Irishman enjoyed a better start as boss

Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers but the Northern Irishman enjoyed a better start as boss

LIVERPOOL MANAGERS IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THEIR TENURES 
 ManagerGames Wins Draws  Losses Goals for/againstWin rate Loss rate Points/game 
Jurgen Klopp 68 35 19 14 133/82 51.47 20.59 1.82  
Brendan Rodgers 76 42 19 15 172/93 55.26 19.74 1.91  
Rafa Benitez 7642 14 20 109/66 55.26 26.321.84  
Gerard Houllier 64 30 15 19 100/65 46.88 29.69 1.64  

Within two years, he has led them back to the Champions League and replaced their 'SAS' front line with his own trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.


The charismatic coach immediately breathed new life into a club that had began to stagnate under Rodgers. But with the club still plagued by soft goals and shoddy finishing, the feel-good factor Klopp generated has been tested in recent weeks.

He remains immensely popular with large sections of the club's fan base but the former Borussia Dortmund coach actually has, by many metrics, enjoyed a worse start to life on Merseyside than his predecessor. 

During his first two years in charge, Klopp has won 35 of his first 68 Premier League games in charge (51.47 per cent), while Rodgers had enjoyed 42 wins in his first 76 matches (55.26 per cent).

Rodgers won 42 of his first 76 league matches (55.26 per cent), while Klopp's win rate is 51.47

Rodgers won 42 of his first 76 league matches (55.26 per cent), while Klopp's win rate is 51.47

Rodgers also tasted defeat in a lower proportion of league matches in the first two years of his tenure (19.74 per cent vs 20.59 per cent). As such, the Northern Irishman averaged 1.91 points per game, compared to the 1.82 Klopp has managed.

The Northern Irishman's sides did concede an average of 1.22 goals a game, marginally more than the current side (1.21). But at the other end of the pitch, his teams enjoyed clear superiority over Klopp's crop.

Suarez and Co averaged an incredible 2.26 goals a game, while profligacy in front of goal has seen Klopp's side score average (a still impressive) 1.96. 

And the remarkable scoring records of both Rodgers and Klopp's sides appear even more impressive when compared with those of other recent Reds bosses.

Under Rafa Benitez Liverpool scored and conceded far fewer goals than under Klopp

Under Rafa Benitez Liverpool scored and conceded far fewer goals than under Klopp

In his first two seasons in sole charge, Gerard Houllier won fewer than half of his league games

In his first two seasons in sole charge, Gerard Houllier won fewer than half of his league games

In their first couple of seasons under Rafa Benitez, a manager famed for two holding midfielders and tight defensive units, Liverpool netted an average of 1.43 goals a game, while Gerard Houllier's Reds managed marginally better at 1.56.

During Benitez's early years, however, the Reds were far more solid at the back, conceding around a third fewer goals than under both Klopp and Rodgers (0.87 goals a game).

The Spaniard did, however, lose more than a quarter of his first 76 games (26.32 per cent).

Houllier, meanwhile, enjoyed the least successful start of all four. After taking sole charge of the club he won fewer than half of his first 64 games (46.88 per cent), lost nearly a third (29.69 per cent) and averaged just 1.64 points a game.