Graeme Souness feels Liverpool stars should be 'insulted' by Jurgen Klopp theory
Graeme Souness insists Liverpool players should be insulted by suggestions they'll try harder to win the league for Jurgen Klopp after the announcement he's stepping down.
The Anfield chief, 56, revealed on Friday morning that he would be standing down from his role and quitting the Premier League giants in the summer.
The timing of Klopp's announcement has been questioned, with suggestions that it could derail the Reds' season. They are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League and booked their spot in the Carabao Cup final this week.
Klopp has insisted that will not be the case while club captain Virgil van Dijk echoed similar sentiments on Saturday morning.
Souness expressed his surprise at the timing of Klopp's departure in his column for The Mail, where he wrote: "Jurgen has built a second team on the back of the Premier League and Champions League winners and this one can lift those trophies too.
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"They are top of the league and, I’ve said this for many months, whoever finishes above Liverpool will win the title. Providing they don’t lose one of Allison, Van Dijk or Salah for a lengthy period, I still think they’ll be the team to beat. Everything is going so well.
"So, to make this announcement in January, why? That is what I keep coming back to in my mind. I certainly don’t buy the idea of it being used as a way of galvanising everyone during the second half of the season. I don’t think Liverpool can pull any more in the same direction than what they are now.
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Graeme Souness has given his verdict on Jurgen Klopp's decision to leave Liverpool (talkSPORT)"I liken it to 1983 when Bob Paisley retired after announcing the news early. It was the same scenario - a legendary manager letting it be known he was going. Did it make us try any harder? No! I would take that as an insult if someone said you’d be trying harder now."
Souness went on to claim that Klopp has already assured his place amongst the pantheon of Liverpool's all-time great managers after winning both the Premier League and the Champions League during his premiership.
He added: "Where will this leave Jurgen in the list of Liverpool’s great managers? Most people would pick Bill Shankly at number one. He started it all with his ideas and vision of where the game was heading. He got Liverpool going and Bob Paisley came in and took it to another level with winning trophies.
"I’d say Jurgen was at number three."
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