I know there has been some minor discussion on this point already, but I'm curious to hear what prospects you all think have the likeliest chance of breaking through under Klopp in the near future. Has this "list" changed at all with a new man in charge? Or is the change of manager of little consequence right now for those knocking at the door? As I'm sure there are many in here who are more familiar with the way Dortmund operated under Klopp, I'm looking forward to hearing who has a shot of finding first team opportunities and why.
On another note, can anyone shed some light on Rhian Brewster for me? I'd not heard of him before yesterday but he seems to be highly rated for such a youngster.
In general, I think the traits that will make players excel with Klopp are pace, tenacity, and technical skill. Being mentally strong and giving 100% every day is a given of course.
I've broken down my thoughts by position here:
AttackIn attacking positions I think Markovic and Kent are two that should benefit. They both like to play a very quick and direct attacking game, taking the ball towards goal at pace as soon as they receive it. Ojo and Wilson should be good fits too, but I think Kent is likeliest out of those 3, as he strikes me as being a bit more "zippy" and electric on-and-off the ball than Ojo, and Wilson is still a bit too lightweight still. All three could very well make our team at some stage though.
Ibe isn't very positionally aware despite his natural talents, but if he can develop his game intelligence he should have a decent crack too. I don't think many will agree with me but I can see Ibe being developed to play as an attacking RB instead of as one of the 4 attacking players. My logic is that he's extremely good when he has space in front of him to run into, but he's unlikely to find that space playing anywhere other than RB since the four attacking players generally stay very narrow where there is a great deal more emphasis on quick passing ability and playing in tight spaces, which so far don't appear to be Ibe's strengths. For what it's worth, Klopp also has precedent at converting wingers into fullbacks too, as that's exactly what he did with Durm and Pizszcek at Dortmund.
As for strikers, Klopp likes his CF to have presence and be able to both come short as well as to go deep, so I'm skeptical about Sinclair and Yesil's chances. They're both quick fox-in-the-box type strikers, but neither seems like the sort of striker who excels at dropping short to receive passes and play teammates through - in the mood of Lewandowski or Benteke for example. I can see Origi develop to be used in a similar capacity to Aubameyang, ie. in the Blazczkowski position whenever Klopp wants to stretch teams more.
MidfieldTeixeira is someone who should benefit too. He likes to play a direct style, making chances and/or shooting quickly, which is exactly what Klopp wants his attacking players to do. He's also very aggressive off the ball which boosts his chances too. His good close control also enable him to play in tight spaces which is a must for central players under Klopp. Brannagan is a similar type of player but I think his downfall will be his lack of end product.
Players who've been brought through to play more of a possession style could well lose out unfortunately, and that would include someone like Rossiter. He could well be an asset for his intelligent tackling and positioning though, but he'll have to play more of a direct style rather than the simple (albeit effective) sideways passes. I really like Chirivella too but think he needs to add some more aggression to his game to really stand a chance.
A DM who could benefit is Alan Rodrigues, who is super aggressive off the ball and likes to quickly play the ball vertically either on the ground or aerially. Another big plus for Alan over Rossiter is his eye for goal and set piece prowess.
Btw, if Graeme Kelly is right about Rubén Neves being signed to join next summer we should be very excited. He's one of the top 10 players of his age group (probably top 2-3 in CM/DM), and is already bossing it for Porto in the league since the start of last season and in the CL this year (including in the 2-1 win vs Chelsea). Highly impressive or an 18 year old, who looks way more mature than his age suggests.
Defence Maguire might be someone else who'll benefit from the need of an attacking LB to cover for Moreno. Enrique could well be good enough to cover at LB, but it makes little sense for Klopp to give him gametime when he could be planning for the future with younger options. Maguire has the pace and attacking skills needed, but needs to sharpen his defensive skills and positioning more though.
Two other rather obvious candidates to benefit are Ilori (if he returns) and Gomez, for their ability on the ball, pace, and capacity to play a higher line comfortably.
As or defenders who will lose out, sadly I think Flanagan could be a victim. I said in another thread he is excellent at reading triggers and making tackles, but I don't think that's enough to compensate for his limited pace and attacking qualities, which are absolutely fundamental for fullbacks in Klopp's system.
