Jurgen Klopp has defended owners Fenway Sports Group's level of transfer investment during his time at Liverpool, insisting: "That is what the people believe in."
FSG's 14-year tenure has seen the club run with a strictly self-sustaining model that sees them only reinvest what is earned
Since Klopp's arrival as manager in October 2015, the Reds' net spent sits at £376m, which works out at under £50m per year.
That figure places Liverpool in seventh for spending during that time frame with Newcastle United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all above Klopp's side
The business model has attracted criticism at times from certain sections of the club's worldwide fanbase
Klopp says the way of working is ideal for how Liverpool and their Boston-based owners wish to operate
Klopp opened up on his thoughts on FSG's strategy and claimed any disagreements were always kept firmly in-house.
Klopp
"I think you could buy into it but (people say) 'they didn't back him enough' and stuff like that but I never saw it that way,"
“I don't know if they could have done more but I don't think so because we had these discussions and I never had them in public.
"I didn't want to bring this feeling to the outside world that we are not united.
“If we had an argument it was internal and on the outside we say it's our way and that is how we do it. I don't know any other way.
"If it would help to invite the public into the discussions I would try but it doesn't help.
“If my son asked me for 50 euros and I only had 25 to give, what can I do? Besides just give him the 25. I really thought for us that I understood that it was our way, the Liverpool way.
"We do things properly, the right way. We don't do a lot of things that others do, we don't overspend and we always spent what we earned on the team or the stand or this building.
“This is a healthy club and to do that on our level... you could argue Barcelona is not healthy but they are still up there but I couldn't see this being a Liverpool thing. I just don't see that.
"Or other clubs with massive money, they try things, we need to do it this way because that is what the people believe in, historically.
“They are [political] lefties, rather educated by Bill Shankly.
“Most of us don't know him of course but it is always around so you cannot just change this now. The younger faction might be like that just 'who cares?'
"But the older people from 30-upwards understand it like that and we always did that.
“And the way we did it, we were unlucky in moments and maybe not good enough in moments to win three Premier Leagues and three Champions Leagues."
Commentaires