Nuri Sahin Thinks Brendan Rodgers Can Match Jurgen Klopp’s Feats, Turn Liverpool Into Premier League Force

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Oct 17, 2012

Nuri Sahin Thinks Brendan Rodgers Can Match Jurgen Klopp's Feats, Turn Liverpool Into Premier League Force

Nuri Sahin sees similarities between Brendan Rodgers and his former manager Jurgen Klopp, who used attacking philosophies to transform Borussia Dortmund from also-rans to title winners.

Klopp took over the Bundesliga side in 2008 following a 13th-place finish.

His attacking brand of football saw Dortmund climb to sixth and fifth in the following seasons before consecutive titles were won in 2011 and 2012.

Sahin was instrumental in the first of these triumphs, winning the Bundesliga's best player award before switching to Real Madrid.

Now he thinks Rodgers could emulate his old boss at Anfield.

"It will take time to take Liverpool back to where it wants to be," Sahin told Liverpool FC Magazine. "When Klopp came we did not have a squad to be champions.

"He changed a lot, bringing his own philosophy in. It took a while for everybody to follow it.

"He had to be calm and consistent. If you go on this way, in the first two or three weeks, okay, you might not get the results, but in the long-term it will go your way if you don't change it.

"The club gave Klopp the time to do this and it worked out very well.

"But as a character he is a person who relates to the player. I can see Brendan doing the same. Brendan's character was very influential in me coming here."

Sahin arrived at Anfield in the summer transfer window after a loan agreement was reached with Real Madrid.

A player to follow him in was Samed Yesil, an 18-year-old who, like Sahin, has Turkish roots but made his name in Germany.

Sahin is a fan.

"Samed knows where the goal is," he said. "He can smell the goal and that is a quality you cannot teach.

"His record is spectacular and if he continues to listen, he'll be a good player for Liverpool."

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