The Liverpool-Klopp one year anniversary: Top 5 player developments

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: A jubilant Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool with Emre Can and Adam Lallana of Liverpool after the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on March 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: A jubilant Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool with Emre Can and Adam Lallana of Liverpool after the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on March 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 06: A jubilant Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool with Emre Can and Adam Lallana of Liverpool after the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on March 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 06: A jubilant Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool with Emre Can and Adam Lallana of Liverpool after the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on March 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

This week marks Jurgen Klopp’s one year anniversary at Liverpool. Who are the five players who’ve most benefitted from his first calendar year?

What a year it’s been. Last October, Liverpool pulled the early trigger on a floundering Brendan Rodgers before any of their rivals could tap into the pool of unemployed managers. Jurgen Klopp may well have been the best of the bunch. He said he wouldn’t work for a year, but admitted he couldn’t resist when Liverpool came calling. 

Klopp took over on October 8, 2015. It’s been an invigorating ride with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The manager has led his new club on two unlikely cup runs, but both were lost in the final. The journeys were special and it was only the beginning. This week, we’ll look back on Klopp’s first season with Liverpool. It’s their one year anniversary and still a happy marriage. 

To be concise: it’s difficult crafting a list of the players who have improved the most since Klopp took over a year ago. Just about every player on the team has gotten better in some way, the ones that lasted through the summer transfer window, that is.

Klopp’s incumbent team was filled with interesting talents who were underperforming for another manager. It had piles of deadwood, but also prime players that could be tinged and improved.

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Some players like Philippe Coutinho improved, but he was already Liverpool’s best player ergo there wasn’t all that much to improve on.

Roberto Firmino seemingly went under a transformation, but it was as simple as putting him in his correct position. Who would’ve thought!

Everyone improved in some capacity. Here are the players who improved the most.