Jurgen Klopp is breaking down Rafa Benitez’s barriers

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has broken down the barriers Rafa Benitez and Brendon Rodgers had imposed on their management.

That might be because we trust the German to make good decision more than we ever did with former Liverpool gaffers Benitez and Rodgers.

Or it might be because this side is set up to succeed within a structure better than the Spaniard or Northern Irishman ever managed with their team.

Or maybe Jurgen Klopp has a better history of success behind him and therefor more goodwill in the bank for when things go wrong, like the defeat against Watford in the Premier League and the horrorshow loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

This is manifesting itself in the way the crowd reacts to the way he makes substitutions. This was a contentious issue under both Benitez and Rodgers, and could be presented as a barrier in the way of their long-term success.

When key players were taken off under the former managers, whistles were heard and negative opinions expressed. Klopp seems to have the freedom to remove his elite units from the field without the same reaction – highlighted a piece in Liverpool.com.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are frequently hauled off with the Reds chasing a game or trying to protect a slender lead, but things rarely end with dissent. Even though the players coming on aren’t at the same quality as either of the front three, things move forward without them.

In fact, Divock Origi has earned a reputation as a supersub thanks to his goal scoring exploits from the bench – often in big games -while Klopp’s machine is so well oiled that things can move on without their best players.

Which is interesting, and highlights the comparison and contrast between the regimes of some of the most recent managers.