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'All This Hype' - Jurgen Klopp Isn't Manager Of The Season Unless He Wins The Premier League
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Paul Merson believes Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp doesn't deserve Manager of the Season unless his side win the Premier League - while also putting their cup success down to luck.
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The Reds are one point behind league leaders Manchester City heading into the final game and have a slim chance of completing the quadruple.
City are expected to beat Aston Villa on Sunday and seal their fourth title in five years. It won't be considered a failure for Liverpool, though, having won the Carabao Cup in February and FA Cup earlier this month.
There's also a chance at Champions League glory coming next week against Real Madrid.
Merson believes Klopp wouldn't be deserving of best manager despite all that and would instead award it to City boss Pep Guardiola.
The former Arsenal midfielder penned in his Daily Star column: "Pep Guardiola is still the manager of the year if Manchester City win the title - and it's harder now than when Manchester United were doing it.
"The Premier League is the ultimate. It's 38 games in the hardest competition in the world. If you win it, you are the best. Jurgen Klopp has done an absolutely phenomenal job at Liverpool this season but if he doesn't win the league he isn't manager of the year for me."
Merson then went on to claim Liverpool could've 'walked through' their Champions League group, which included Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Porto.
Atletico Madrid were reigning La Liga champions and AC Milan are in pole position to win Serie A this campaign.
The 54-year-old also believes Liverpool needing penalties to beat Chelsea in both of their finals makes the feat less impressive.
He continued: "Don't forget Liverpool were put in a Champions League group they could have walked through, and they've won both domestic cups on penalties. They didn't win the games.
"If you think City should be disappointed somehow if they only win the league and Liverpool win a treble, you'd be wrong. I don't see that at all.
"I'm glad for Liverpool that they've taken the title race to the final day. To win two cup finals, be in another, and push City all the way, is amazing. It's phenomenal what they've done. But at the start of the season it's all about one thing. The Premier League. Thirty-eight games. Home and away.
"To be the best in the country. Don't buy into all this hype about the Champions League. That's just about egos. You could lose more games in that than you do all season in the Premier League and still win it!"
Liverpool edged to a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Tuesday evening to keep their title hopes alive.
They face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield in their final game.
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Liverpool, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions League
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