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08th Jul 2016

Jurgen Klopp prompts Alan Pardew comparisons with long-term Liverpool deal

Haven't we seen this before?

Tom Victor

Jürgen Klopp made a big impression in his first few months as Liverpool manager, and has been rewarded with a new long-term deal.

Ahead of his first full campaign at Anfield, Klopp has been handed a new, extended deal, as have his assistants Peter Krawietz and Zeljko Buvac.

“We are very much at the beginning of our journey, but to already have the connection we have with this very special place is incredible,” the former Borussia Dortmund boss told Liverpool’s official site.

The club’s top brass said in a joint statement that it would be ‘irresponsible’ not to tie down the manager to a longer-term deal, but some have looked at the deal – thought to last for six years – and been reminded of another long-term managerial contract from the not-too-distant past.

Pardew, of course, was handed an eight-year deal by Mike Ashley shortly after leading the club to fifth place in the Premier League.

But he left for Crystal Palace less than three years into the deal, with the Magpies in mid-table after finishing 16th and 10th in his last two seasons.

We’re sure Liverpool fans won’t be complaining about the news, though. After all, Klopp has arguably already done a better job of unifying fans in his short time at Anfield than Pardew did during his time at Newcastle United.

Perhaps the owners have looked beyond Klopp’s impressive early work, which includes runs to domestic and European finals, and recognised the importance of keeping him in place within the UK’s new political framework.

Okay, maybe not.