Klopp pledges fighting philosophy

New Liverpool boss vows to rejuvenate Reds

With his zany demeanor, all-action soccer philosophy, manic touchline antics and flair for wry soundbites, new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is poised to take England by storm.

The 48-year-old German, who was named Brendan Rodgers' successor on Thursday, inherits a task similar to the one he faced at Borussia Dortmund in 2008 - restoring a sleeping giant to former glories and upsetting the established hierarchy.

Klopp led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final, while the style of breathless pressing soccer that he inculcated looks custom-made for the blood and thunder of the Premier League.

"Fighting football, not serenity football, that is what I like," he has said.

"What we refer to in Germany as 'English football' - a rainy day, heavy pitch, finishing 5-5, everybody is dirty in the face and goes home and cannot play for weeks after."

Klopp might not find exactly that on the immaculate playing surfaces of the English top flight, but his blend of charisma and candor seem certain to strike a chord with Liverpool fans, not to mention his sense of humor.

Discussing an injury to Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, he said: "We will wait for him like a good wife waiting for her husband who is in jail."

Asked for his thoughts after Dortmund had demolished Bayern Munich 5-2 in the 2012 German Cup final, Klopp grinned: "It could have been a bit warmer."

But while he rivals Jose Mourinho - whose path he will soon cross - in terms of quotability, it is on the pitch and the training ground that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will expect him to deliver.

Dortmund was stagnating when Klopp arrived from Mainz in 2008, having finished seventh twice, ninth and 13th in the previous four seasons.

Liverpool has also reached something of an impasse.

After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title in 2014, the Reds finished sixth last season and currently sit in 10th place after one win in their last six games.

Under Rodgers, Liverpool spent around $456 million on new players, but with Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Raheem Sterling having all departed during his tenure, they now lack an identity.

The current squad is a disparate bunch and Rodgers' tactical tinkering proved a barrier to on-pitch continuity.

But the clear-sighted Klopp will look to impose order quickly.

"The first point is to get the right players, try to recognize the potential, try to develop it and turn it into skills with everyone who is involved," he said while at Dortmund.

"That's how you can find success. You need a game philosophy which reflects your mentality and gives a direction to follow."

Klopp, unmistakable with his stubble and glasses, built Dortmund's game around the principle of 'gegenpressing', or counter-pressing.

It soon became a buzzword in European soccer and fans in Germany grew accustomed to the sight of Klopp's yellow-shirted hordes asphyxiating their opponents with high pressing and quick transitions.

It was an approach that reached its apogee in a 4-1 demolition of Mourinho's Real Madrid in the 2012-13 Champions League semifinals, when Robert Lewandowski scored all four goals.

Dortmund ran out of gas last season, finishing seventh in the league and losing to Wolfsburg in the German Cup final, but Klopp has had time to fine tune his philosophy during a five-month sabbatical.

"He is for me one of the best in the world," said Germany great Franz Beckenbauer. "This combination - Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp - it's a very good combination."