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Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers better than Jurgen Klopp?

By Saj ChowdhuryBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments355

Tore Andre Flo
Norwegian Tore Andre Flo: "Yes Dennis! I'm in the top five!"

Do Norwegian players have the upper hand over Brazilians in the Premier League? Where does Ryan Shawcross rank in the own-goals table? And is Brendan Rodgers actually better than Jurgen Klopp?

We try to answer those questions and take a look at some of the other interesting stats from the weekend.

Norway? No way!

Argentine Premier League players past and present had something to chirp about when Nicolas Otamendi scored for Manchester City in Saturday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

The 29-year-old scored the 400th goal by an Argentine in the competition. By contrast, Brazilians have only supplied 322. If only Diego Costa had not chosen Spain, eh?

But where do Argentina rank in the 'Table of nations to have scored goals in the Premier League, not including UK and Ireland'?

Eighth. A lowly eighth.

Here are your top five:

Yes, Norwegians have scored more goals (507) in the English top flight than Argentines, Brazilians, Italians (407) and Belgians (434).

Forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer weighed in with a hefty 92 goals during his time with Manchester United. Ex-Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo, John Carew (Aston Villa and Stoke) and Bournemouth striker Joshua King have added to the tally, and are among the 36 Norwegians to have scored since the competition began in the 1992-93 season.

'You're not yet bad enough for this club, Ryan'

Ryan Shawcross (centre)
It's behind you Ryan, and heading towards goal...

He is a Stoke City stalwart. He has put his body on the line for the club he has captained for more than nine years. Ryan Shawcross is a true braveheart of a defender.

So what do we do? We see where he ranks in the all-time Premier League own-goals charts. Harsh, but necessary for this piece.

The 29-year-old scored an 81st-minute own goal and Bournemouth's second in Saturday's 2-2 draw to join a group of players who have found their own net on five occasions in the Premier League. That list includes former England internationals Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Neil Ruddock.

He will need to ramp up the mishaps to dislodge the king of the own goals.

Premier League all-time own-goal kings
Richard Dunne (Everton, Man City & Aston Villa)10
Martin Skrtel (Liverpool)7
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)7
Frank Sinclair (Chelsea & Leicester)6
Wes Brown (Man Utd & Sunderland)6
Phil Jagielka (Sheff Utd & Everton)6

West Brom remember how to score

desert
Is that a goal for West Brom? Or just a mirage?

Salomon Wrong-don? Hal Robson-Kan-u-score?

The Baggies must have been wondering when their goal drought was going to end. They arrived at Turf Moor having gone five league games without finding the net.

But after 530 minutes of not hearing the sound of synthetic leather against their opponents' polypropylene nets, Salomon Rondon ended the barren run in the second half of Saturday's 2-2 draw against Burnley.

But the pain felt by Baggies fans is nothing compared to what the supporters of these clubs experienced:

TeamGames without a goal
Crystal Palace (1994-95 season)9
Derby County (2007-08)7
Ipswich Town (1994-95)7
Sunderland (2016-17)7

Everton fans have on two occasions seen their side go six league games without a goal (1994-95 and 2005-06).

Home discomforts

Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy led Sunderland to no points in his first five home games at the Stadium of Light - no mean feat

It appears it will be all's well that ends well having avoided a comedy of errors for Craig Shakespeare since he took the hot seat at Leicester. Apologies.

On Saturday, he became only the fourth manager to win his first five home Premier League games as the Foxes beat Watford 3-0. The champions had the ignominy of being labelled 'relegation-threatened' until the former assistant came in and changed their fortunes.

However, he lags behind home-win expert Manuel Pellegrini, who won his first 11 games at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

But which managers have the worst record?

Step forward, or back, Chris Ramsey (QPR, 2014-15), Mick McCarthy (Sunderland, 2002-03) and Terry Connor (Wolves, 2011-12) - all three failed to win a single point in their first five home games. Their sides were relegated that season - which was more costly than a pound of flesh.

And finally...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp
"I am NOT worse than Rodgers!"

Before Sunday's game against Southampton, current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and ex-boss Brendan Rodgers had identical Premier League records after their first 65 games in charge of the Reds: W33 D18 L14 (117 points).

We know Klopp drew his 66th game against Southampton.

How did Brendan do?

He won his.

Comments

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355 comments

  • Comment posted by Vox Populi, at 22:21 7 May 2017

    Brendan Rodgers had Luis Suarez.

    No need for in-depth analysis. It really is as simple as that.

  • Comment posted by redjersey, at 22:15 7 May 2017

    Rodgers had Suarez, who had far more influence on results than his manager.

  • Comment posted by User0766887094, at 22:20 7 May 2017

    As a united fan, i was hoping to see some detailed analysis comparing rogers to klopp. Playing styles, who they've signed, who had the better team etc. Then i would laugh at Liverpool fans and say Rodgers is better.

    instead, all i saw was that rodgers has won one more game than Kloppy. So i don't really know what to say, there's no analysis there.

    Very poor from the BBC.

  • Comment posted by U16673937, at 22:46 7 May 2017

    Rodgers had Suarez, not really a fair comparison

  • Comment posted by Einveldi, at 22:44 7 May 2017

    It's a bit of fun, folks. Lighten up.

  • Comment posted by The Old Trafford Career Derailment Scheme, at 22:26 7 May 2017

    With the evidence so far, Klopp is marginally better but has had worse luck. If he had a Suarez fit all season, or any 30-goal a season player for that matter, then Spurs and Chelsea would've been run much closer.

  • Comment posted by dncox69, at 22:53 7 May 2017

    Klopp hasn't had a player as lethal as Suarez

  • Comment posted by camolin, at 22:04 7 May 2017

    The Scottish league is a bit of a joke , not competitive. Mickey mouse could manage Celtic and they would do OK, all so boring

  • Comment posted by D1679666141937, at 23:01 7 May 2017

    Klopp was asked what he thought about his back four...

    Klopp replied, "What's a back four"?

  • Comment posted by domr86, at 12:54 8 May 2017

    The EPL (Entitlement Premier League) fans commenting on this are hilarious. EPL is not the be all and end all of football. Sorry to tell you that. Rodgers is clearly a good manager, probably one of the best British managers just now. Far too many people focusing on the negatives. Kept Watford up, promoted Swansea and almost won EPL with Liverpool. Now achieving great things with Celtic. COYBIG!

  • Comment posted by breeko, at 11:35 9 May 2017

    340.Oh the irony. Again, another back-handed compliment for Rodgers. Sinclair proved he could flourish in the EPL when he played under Rodgers for Swansea. Those performances caused the champions Man City to buy him. His career then stagnated until Rodgers brought him back to Celtic. Coincidence, or good management. Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling also played their best ever football under Rodgers.

  • Comment posted by D1710949723224, at 17:01 8 May 2017

    I wanted Brendan Rogers to stay at Liverpool. He would have rebuilt the side after Suarez left. Remember, it was Brendan who bought Can and the Brazilians, not Klopp. Celtic have won the league in Scotland by 30 POINTS. No matter what we think of the quality of the opposition, that takes some doing. Brendan Rogers was and still is a very good coach and manager.

  • Comment posted by PranR17, at 22:42 7 May 2017

    BBC are so ******* biased making stupid comparisons between Klopps Liverpool and the Rodgers Liverpool which nearly won the league. Why not make comparisons between Mourinho and LVG who both have 65 points after their first 35 games?

  • Comment posted by jimsmith, at 05:23 8 May 2017

    Not sure it is fair to aim all this abuse at Klopp,although I do find him irritating. It is the medias obsession with him,and all things LFC that creates a situation where fans of other clubs love to see them fail and LFC fans have an inflated sense of their own importance. An example would be choosing LFC v Plymouth as the televised FA cup game when there were so many other tis to choose from.

  • Comment posted by McGrory, at 12:37 8 May 2017

    204 Toto. Main difference is Rodgers is a great manager.As for buying success the over hyped EPL is now simply a game of card's. A franchise league played on English shores with no English managers players or owners.

  • Comment posted by chrisbhoy7, at 14:56 8 May 2017

    @257 you say only look at Sinclair...what about Van Dijk, Wanyama and Forster, they wouldn't be leaving Celtic in the 1st place to go to Southampton!, and they would be competing for guys that play with teams like Everton, Liverpool, Spurs

  • Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 12:11 8 May 2017

    Well said Dougie R 181:
    Let's face it, EPL teams in Europe - Southampton knocked out by Hapoel Beer Sheva, WHU knocked out by Astra, no team beyond last 8 of CL, Arsenal 2 Bayern 10. International side haven't managed to reach a major final for over 50 years. No English manager has ever won the EPL.
    Not exactly a record to boast about.

  • Comment posted by Well blow me down, at 07:33 8 May 2017

    A third of Liverpool's team are Saints, just look at the way we played, dire, still at least we got a point!

  • Comment posted by Tobey Ornatobe, at 12:16 9 May 2017

    "Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling also played their best ever football under Rodgers."

    ^^Hard to argue with this ^^

  • Comment posted by alsmith77, at 22:31 7 May 2017

    I can guarantee you that Celtic would not be as confident and unbeaten without BR as manager, both quality managers and I'd rather have them than the so called special one!

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