Jurgen Klopp isn’t afraid of trying new things.
It became clear that Klopp was not going to leave any stone unturned in his bid to earn Liverpool’s first ever Premier League title when reports emerged that he’d appointed a specialist throw-in coach.
Danish throw-in specialist Thomas Gronnemark has been working with the Reds squad on a part-time basis in the hope of providing a greater threat for Klopp’s side from those positions.
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Gronnemark, who holds the world record for the longest throw-in at 51.33 metres, has previously worked with Denmark’s FC Midtjylland to great acclaim and is now passing on his knowledge to Liverpool’s full-backs.
Klopp defended the decision to bring Gronnemark on board ahead of Saturday’s victory over Leicester.
“When I heard about Thomas, it was clear to me I wanted to meet him; when I met him, it was 100 per cent clear I wanted to employ him. Now he is here and we work on that from time to time,” Klopp said.
“We use his information as well during the weeks when he is not here. We use it of course for the Academy as well. It’s good.
“You cannot have enough specialists around you. I must always be the guy who makes the decisions on when we use all these specialists but you cannot have enough. We have the fitness, medical department, we have the nutrition, and now we have somebody for throw-ins.”
But the appointment has come in for criticism from beIN SPORTS pundit Andy Gray.
Gray suggested that he should be made kick-off coach if Klopp is so insistent on focusing on the minutiae of the game.
“I know how you can take advantage of a situation, throw it to one of your own players,” Gray said, via the Mirror.
“That would be No.1. No.2. Keep hold of the ball. Maybe we are going to see Andy Robertson do a headstand and take it. Here is a lesson. Pick the ball up, take it behind your head, throw it to a teammate and keep both feet on the ground.
“I have got a new one. I want to be the first kick-off coach.”
"I want to be the first kick-off coach"
Andy Gray ridicules Jurgen Klopp for hiring a throw-in coach. #beINPL #LEILIV pic.twitter.com/eHZSL6jbxA
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) September 1, 2018
