Wednesday 7 October 2015 07:49, UK
Ex-Dortmund man Paul Lambert shares his memories of Jurgen Klopp and explains why he's backing the German coach to be a success at Liverpool.
Paul Lambert remembers plenty of characters from his UEFA Pro Licence course, taken in Germany in 2004. There was World Cup winner Olaf Thon; long-time Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Uwe Kamps; even his old midfield rival from the Ruhr derby, former Schalke midfielder Mike Buskens.
But ask Lambert whether he remembers someone else from that coaching course and those usually understated features contort into a face that's as close to incredulity as the 46-year-old Glaswegian is likely to get. You don't forget Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp's playing career had not hinted at stardom. By his own admission, he "had the talent for the fifth division and the mind for the Bundesliga". The result was life in the second tier with Mainz. By 2004, he was their coach and a "humble guy but good fun to be around", according to Lambert.
"He's a top guy," Lambert tells Sky Sports. "We went our separate ways. But I knew he'd got the Dortmund job and spoke to him way back. The next time I saw him was when I went to watch them train at Wembley before the Champions League final. He shouted me over and we had a good chat."
Of course, Lambert won that very trophy with Dortmund in 1997. It's that experience of the club that makes him shrug off any suggestion that Klopp could possibly be daunted by life at Liverpool. "I think the Liverpool crowd will be really similar to the Dortmund crowd," he says.
The Sudtribune is unbelievable. I've always said that before I leave this earth I'm going to go in there and watch a game because it's a special place.
"The fans are special at Dortmund. The Kop is similar but it's not as big and it's not as steep as the Sudtribune, which is all standing. The Sudtribune is unbelievable. I've always said that before I leave this earth I'm going to go in there and watch a game because it's a special place.
"The football club itself generates an upbeat atmosphere because of the fan base. It's an incredible place to play your football. I was fortunate enough to play there. The support is unbelievable and there always seems to be a feel-good factor."
Lambert's captain at Dortmund was Michel Zorc, now the club's sporting director, and it was that connection that saw the Scot make an extended visit to their training ground soon after leaving Aston Villa. It's an experience he refers to as an "eye-opener" for him.
"I went over for nine days and it was fantastic. I took loads of things away from it in terms of the way they work. It's hard to explain because you have to see it. It's the way the whole thing is structured and how it's done. It's just excellent. He's got a great back-room staff."
Lambert spent time with Klopp's analysis expert Peter Krawietz, who, in Krawietz's own words, "tells the people in charge what's important to the head coach". He was impressed. "Peter, the video analyst, is very good," says Lambert.
"He was great with me when I was over there and showed me how it worked on the analysis side of it. Peter is a big part of his team and he was at Mainz with him. He knows him really well and is someone who he trusts to be very analytical about the game. He's someone he'll lean on."
Klopp's assistant at BVB was the Bosnian coach Zeljko Buvac, who Klopp calls "a football genius" and everyone else calls 'The Brain'. Lambert smiles when his name comes up and while he acknowledges that the language barrier could be more problematic for Buvac, he has no doubts over his acumen.
"I can understand why Jurgen calls him that," he adds. "He's very quiet, but excellent. I've seen him working and he doesn't say much but he's very astute on the game. The three of them work really well. I would be shocked if these two don't come with him to Liverpool."
Lambert has also visited Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and is currently planning another working trip to visit Bayer Leverkusen to get a close-up look at the methods of the highly-rated Roger Schmidt. But even for those in the game, there was something special about Klopp's Dortmund.
"They are high intensity," says Lambert. "I remember talking to him before that final and he thought they had to score within the first 30 minutes because they were going to start at such a high tempo that it would put Bayern on the back foot. They just couldn't get the goal.
"But it's the running power of the team. They outran a lot of teams and it was high pressing. I think he'll play the exact same way as he did at Dortmund. He will play on the front foot, that's for sure. If you can get the players to do it. I'm pretty sure he'll train them to do it that way."
If he can get the players. That's a thorny question given Liverpool's recruitment problems in recent seasons. With speculation continuing about the much-criticised transfer committee, it represents a concern given the unique demands that Klopp puts on players.
"I don't think he's going to buy someone he doesn't want," says Lambert. "He'll find people who'll fit into his philosophy and his way of playing football. That's the important thing for Jurgen. If he gets people playing the way he wants to play, I think he'll be great for them.
"English is no problem to him. It's a new culture and he'll probably have to get used to subtle little things but he'll adapt. The German stadiums are full and there's always a great atmosphere. There isn't much difference which is why, for me, it won't be a major transition for him.
Difference
"The only difference I can see is that he'll have to do things that little bit quicker because of the expectancy level of the Liverpool fans. With the expectancy level at Liverpool, he'll need to hit the ground running. Liverpool is in a transitional period but the fans will demand instant results.
"At Liverpool, everyone is thinking why they aren't challenging. But Dortmund gave him the time to do that and everyone bought into it. Dortmund were really struggling when he took over and there was no expectancy. All of a sudden there are two titles, a cup and a Champions League final.
"The impact was over three years. That was when the title came. The supporters realised the club was not in good shape. They were patient. That was a big thing." His final year struggles? "You have to remember he'd been there seven years. Same voice. Same players. That's difficult even for him."
Lambert couldn't be more convinced and is already looking forward to the prospect of seeing his old pal lock horns again with the likes of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho - managers he has got the better of in the past. "Knowing Jurgen I don't think mind games will work against him," he adds.
"He'll be box office and his interviews will be great. What he'll do to Liverpool is make it really exciting. He'll make people feel good about themselves. Jurgen is a big figure-head at a football club and I think he could become that at Liverpool." One thing's for sure. They won't forget Jurgen Klopp.
