When Jurgen Klopp was sizing up his first opponent as Liverpool manager -- Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham -- in October 2015, he was in awe of their continuity and clear on-pitch identity. "They've worked together for some time and are fine-tuned," he said. "They have a style they are convinced about, and they give it everything."
The German was expected to deliver those very elements at Anfield by Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group. They didn't set him targets based on league position or European football, recognising the reconstruction job stretched far wider than those remits. Klopp needed to change more than results.