Why are Liverpool fans so excited then? Well, it's hard not to be. With two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal crown, Klopp, who also guided Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League final, is a very established manager. As far as CVs go, he makes Brendan Rodgers look like a binman. Okay so that's harsh, but still, he's an accomplished coach and he has the silverware to prove it. But it's also his personality.
Let's face it - Jurgen Klopp is a lad. He is. There's no getting around it. He makes your best mate and my best mate look like an utter you know what. It's easy to see why the word 'charisma' has been used so often in the past 10 days or so - because this chap has it in abundance. People like him. They can't help it. He visits the local pub, he smokes, laughs at his own jokes. He proclaimed himself the normal one, but Liverpool and its fans will hope that the team are anything but normal from this point on. It's fascinating to see them today.
Anywho, shall we crack on with team news? I think so. But first, take a mosey on down to
Sports Mole HQ and listen to what the boys think about this one.
SPURS XI: Lloris (c), Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Alli, Dembele; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane
LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lucas, Milner, Lallana, Coutinho, Origi
SPURS SUBS: Vorm, Davies, Trippier, Wimmer, Clinton, Townsend, Winks
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Bogdan, Toure, Allen, Ibe, Sinclair, Teixeira, Randall
It is, after all, Klopp Day, so let's start with the Reds. How do they line up then? Well,
Simon Mignolet starts between the sticks, behind a conventional back four of Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno. Emre Can, Lucas Leiva and James Milner sit in midfield, while Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho support lone striker
Divock Origi. No sign of Daniel Sturridge anywhere, and quite a few unknowns on the bench, too!
On to Tottenham now and not much change from them.
Harry Kane spearheads the attack, with Erik Lamela and Nacer Chadli supporting from the flanks. Christian Eriksen, who scored twice in the 2-2 draw with Swansea last time out, returns at number 10, while Moussa Dembele and Dele Alli sit in midfield. Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose line up across the back four, with left-back Ben Davies dropping out. And Hugo Lloris starts in net.
DID YOU KNOW? Gerard Houlier is the first and only Liverpool manager to win his first Premier League game? Yep. Can Klopp follow suit? He can, because Liverpool are looking to record a sixth successive win over Spurs for the first time in their history, which seems strange given how the Reds conquered England and Europe once upon a time. So, the form book certainly favours Klopp and co this afternoon.
This is a fixture that yielded no fewer than eight goals over two meetings last season. Liverpool won 3-0 here at White Hart Lane, on what was Mario Balotelli's debut I believe, before beating them 3-2 at Anfield in February, with the Italian scoring a late winner I believe. So, we're averaging four goals a game, based on the last two meetings, and let's hope this one serves up plenty of goals for the neutral.
Incidentally, Alberto Moreno, starting at left-back today, was also on the scoresheet when the sides met at North London last year. The Spanish defender recently claimed that he would thrive under Klopp's tenure. Click
HERE for more on that one.
PREDICTION! Given that it's Klopp's first game, this one is about as unpredictable as a drunk Diego Costa playing roulette, but we're not ones to shy away from a challenge. 2-2 draw, with Liverpool snatching a point late on. Let's go out and about and see what the world of Twitter makes of this one.
Lee might or might not think that Lovren is starting.
Samya is putting himself in the frame for a MOTD berth by the looks of things.
Jed and I clearly reading from the same book of wrong predictions.
Well, we certainly wouldn't baulk at a seven-goal thriller, though it is unlikely, isn't it?
Fancy reading
Sports Mole's preview of this cracker? Of course you do. Find everything you need in
THIS bad boy.
Four minutes to go, my friends. Four minutes until Mr Klopp kicks off his Premier League journey. Excited? Me too.
There's a wall of photographers in front of Jurgen Klopp now, which is understandable.
KICKOFF: And we're off at the Lane, folks. Let's go. Liverpool get us underway.
Little to report so far, but Danny Rose, who's been lively in the first four minutes or so, drills a dangerous ball into the box but Sakho clears the danger before Kane can reach it.
At the other end, Liverpool have a corner which is aimed at Martin Skrtel, but it ultimately comes to nothing. Big day for Origi, but he's held the ball up very well so far it has to be said.
Good spell of possessoion for Liverpool this, as Milner floats a decent ball into the box but it's good defending from Alderweireld. Spurs get a reprieve now as Milner goes in late on Chadli, who looks to be in some discomfort.
The Egyptian winger limps off the field and I'm not sure he can continue. He's moving more gingerly than Ed Sheeran on crutches.
OFF THE BAR! Almost the perfect start for Klopp and Liverpool, as Can's flick-on is nodded against the crossbar by Origi and, despite being a matter of inches from the goal, he can't quite turn it home and Spurs get it away. It's been an excellent start by the visitors.
SUB: Clinton N'Jie now replaces Chadli and that's an early blow for Spurs. That being said, new boy N'Jie looked excellent in his cameo against Man City here three weeks ago.
SHOT! It was the Jurgen Klopp show before kickoff, and it's the Liverpool show on the pitch. They're in total control and Lallana fizzes a rather tame effort at goal, which Lloris collects with ease.
Excellent tracking from Dele Alli, who clears Milner's cross - and he had to; Origi was waiting to tap home on the counter-attack. Milner given a bit of a talking to by Craig Pawson now for sliding in on Rose right beside the corner flag. Lamela will drop it in...
Not the best delivery from Lamela as Lallana clears the danger. Klopp will be happy.
Harry Kane has effectively been a spectator in this first 22 minutes or so, and just when he gets a touch, he's flagged offside. Still, Spurs coming back into this a little more.
It's a feisty affair this. Skrtel follows Kane into Spurs' half before going through the England striker for a shortcut. Pawson has had a good game. He could've shown the yellow card on two occasions already, but he's kept them in his pocket.
I must say - Skrtel has been superb against Kane so far. He's allowed him absolutely no space in which to hurt Liverpool and he hasn't had a sniff. It's much more even now. Tottenham weathered that ominous first 20 minutes or so.
SAVE! We said Liverpool were on the back foot a little and Spurs should be 1-0 up. Kane gets away from Skrtel for the first time before laying off to first-half sub N'Jie, whose first-time outside-of-the-boot effort is well saved by Mignolet and Klopp raises his hands over his head and applauds. Jurgen Clap.
Lovely instinctive through ball from Lallana to release Origi, who is beaten to the ball by Lloris, who travelled a long way for this, but he vindicates his adventure. It's been a good half.
HEADER! Vertonghen beats Sakho to Eriksen's corner, but he could only head over the crossbar.
BOOKING: Milner goes into the book for a foul on Rose, but it was a case of repeated offending because this certainly isn't a yellow.
CHANCE! Simply put, it should be 1-0 Spurs again. First, Kane, who has one Premier League goal this season, spurns a one-on-one with Mignolet, whose save causes the ball to loop up in the air. Dele Alli looks certain to volley home the rebound, but an excellent block from Sakho thwarts the danger. Tottenham well on top.
CLOSE! Spurs finishing the half really well, and Clinton N'Jie capitalises on an error from Skrtel before firing a dipping shot just over from outside the box. Skrtel has gone to you know since we gave him credit earlier.
Good feet by Coutinho here but he's eventually gobbled up by Walker, who has had the Brazilian in his pocket for the entire half.
Liverpool need the whistle. So did Skrtel, who looks increasingly poor against Kane.
TWO MINUTES ADDED
HALF TIME: Spurs 0-0 Liverpool
So, a good first half then. Liverpool bossed it for the first 20 minutes or so, and hit the bar through Origi, who really should've scored, but Spurs slowly but surely grew on top and Mignolet pulled off fine saves to keep out N'Jie - who replaced the injured Chadli early on - and Kane. Good half, but Klopp will demand better from his troops after the break.
RESTART! No changes from either manager as Spurs, who finished that first half well on top, get us underway once again.
Spurs have certainly started this second half in the same vein. They look dangerous - very dangerous - and Liverpool not doing much so far it has to be said.
Liverpool are so sloppy. Moreno is a good player but he's started this second half like you know what. Clinton N'Jie can do some serious damage in this half if he wants to.
Slightly better from Liverpool as they enjoy a bit of possession in Spurs' half now. There's an astounding lack of cutting edge in the final third, though.
SHOT! Walker's been brilliant today and the right-back looks to open the scoring, but his drilled effort from outside the box is well held by Mignolet.
BOOKING: The obvious difference between both sides so far is just that Spurs are working much harder off the ball than Liverpool. Even Lamela, who goes into the book for a foul on Moreno now.
Liverpool have a corner now. Promising...
It comes to nothing, my friends. Coutinho's deliveries have been woeful all afternoon it has to be said. They actually looked better from corners on the other side, when a right-footed delivery was an out-swinger rather than an in-swinger.
We've exceded the hour mark in Klopp's first game. First impressions? They haven't been brilliant. Klopp declared himself the "normal one" and the Reds are certainly normal today - some would say average.
It looks more and more like a 0-0 by each passing minute this. Both sides just cancelling each other out. Spurs undoubtedly the more adventurous, though.
PENALTY APPEAL: Lallana wants a penalty and he does have a case as Dele Alli bundles him to the floor. Nothing doing. Pawson is having none of it
Much better from Liverpool. They're starting to look a lot more adventurous now, but you wonder if they can break down this Spurs rearguard, who have the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Kyle Walker is down and looks like he needs to go off. He sat on his own left heel, which can't be good for his knee. Looks like Kieran Trippier is coming on.
Walker staying on. Poor Trippier. He went out and got sweaty during the warm-up for nothing.
SHOT! He might want to leave the field, via a crack in the ground now though because Walker shoots from outside the box - well outside box, about 40 yards from goal - and, well, his attempt flies well wide. And over. It was one of those.
SHOT! Origi looks to put his name in lights as his step-over deceives Walker on the right-hand side of Spurs' defence, before driving a left-footed effort at goal but Lloris takes it comfortably.
Ten minutes to go. Will we see a winner? Possibly. Liverpool have little to nothing off the bench, by virtue of their depleted squad.
Emre Can is a candidate for man of the match. He's been superb, particularly in this half. Neither team's attack has been anything to write home about really.
CLOSE! It's so brilliant from Sakho as he throws himself in front of Kane's hit from outside the box to preserve parity, with Mignolet then pawing it wide. Spurs well on top.
Two minutes to go. I don't see a winner. I can say that now, but really, it's been a stalemate since the start of the second half. No team looked like winning.
SHOT! This isn't far away at all as Can drives just wide of Lloris's goal.
THREE MINUTES ADDED
FULL TIME: Spurs 0-0 Liverpool
That's it. Anti-climax? Kinda. Disappointing? Kinda. Both sides weren't fantastic it has to be said and they both come away with a point. Both defences were top notch, however. Anywho, that's it for us. Not the best way for Klopp to kick off his Liverpool career, but by no means the worst. Cheers.
