Arsenal have already copied Jrgen Klopp’s golden rule at Liverpool, with intent to rival them – Liverpool.com

Revolutions take time. Jrgen Klopps record in his first 19 or so games for Liverpool was not sparkling. But what he did do was lay the foundations for all the success that followed.

What Mikel Arteta is putting in place at Arsenal is similar in approach to what we saw in Klopps first 100 days in office. His teams playing style and how he wants the club to play moving forward is already well established (a major issue under Artetas predecessor Unai Emery). And just as importantly, the culture that Arteta believes will bring long-term success is already being put in place.

Artetas use of asymmetric formations has been well chronicled. At the time of writing, Arteta is using a three at the back system with a rotating five grid system in the final third. The system is about as adaptable as a modern system can get. Their current three-at-the-back system uses a fullback as one of the wider centre backs, allowing Arsenal to flit to a back four as and when they see fit (this is not only for prolonged periods say five, ten minutes but on a possession to possession basis). It also allows them to protect David Luizs, umm, specialised brand of defending.

But as much as Arteta is considered an innovative, progressive coach, the success or failure of his tenure will come down to off-the-pitch issues. When ownership insists on the club being self-sufficient (as Klopp is well aware) culture becomes even more important; you cannot mask mistakes with money. A rotten core will sink any club, but a rotten core at a club that demands to break even will crater the reputation of the manager (its easy to gorget now that Unai Emery was considered a brilliant mind across Europe for his work at Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain).

Arsenals iffy recruitment strategy is a constant source of conversation and consternation. Is there too much agent involvement? Sure. Has the clubs once industry-defining data analysis department been pushed to the side? Absolutely. Is it salvageable? Yes.

In the post-Arsene Wenger years, the club moved to a transfer committee model, but the coach still has plenty of input. Under Emery, it was often tough to see how the players he had asked for would fit into his style one that chopped and changed on a month to month basis. Under Arteta, the underlying skills hes looking for are self-evident: athleticism and technical ability. In nerdy terms, he wants players who can press, non-stop, without the ball and players who are press resistant with it.

Its a similar simple-on-paper approach to Liverpools strategy under Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards: the system and culture come above signing world-class players. In having the correct system and culture for the right players to shine, they will become world-class players. Rinse. Repeat.

Replicating Liverpools success in the transfer market is damn near impossible, though. The club hasnt missed once. As in, not at all; there is not a single miss.

Its a phenomenal record, one that is nigh-on impossible for Arsenal match, particularly with an approach based more on contacts that on-the-ground scouting. Theyve already had misses.

But there is one element Arsenal can and are looking to copy: the no bleep heads policy.

Culture was one of the big stresses of Klopps early years. He wanted talent, yes, but more than anything he wanted dedicated professionals. He wanted players who loved football, who loved to win. Klopp was quick to make clear players who didnt bring the right attitude or intensity every day would be jettisoned from the club -- the everyday part being the crucial piece of the puzzle.

Mamadou Sakho was bounced once Klopp deemed the player did not fit into his two-word culture. Sakho acts as a tidy pivot point of when Klopps policy was at its most evident. There was a player in there (a rotational piece if nothing else), but his style on and off the pitch (mostly off) did not jive with Klopps methods.

Arteta is chartering the same path. Already, he has challenged players. Dani Ceballos, on loan from Real Madrid, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, an academy graduate, were both questioned by Arteta early on. Are these guys really up for the fight? Do they want to be here? Do they want to earn their place? Both responded with the kind of bleep you attitude that gets coaches excited; they proved they wanted to be more than passengers.

Rather than the early obvious candidates, its Matto Guendouzi who has offered Arteta his Sakho moment. When we look back at Artetas reign, whenever it is that a look back takes place, the Guendouzi saga will be a defining moment. Young, talented, and a complete wildcard, Guendozi received a bunch of time from Arteta in the early days. But the relationship between the player and his manager and the player and his teammates has soured.

Guendouzi was always a funky fit in Artetas style: A manager who lives for structure despite the pretense of a free-flowing style; a player who excels out of structure, who is happy to just make stuff happen.

According to reports, Guendozi bombed a bridge-the-gap meeting with club hierarchy last week after a string of not-so-great events. He is now training away from the first team and will be sold this summer.

Ruthless. But that is what building a culture in a modern sports environment takes. If the coach needs to dump a valuable club asset in order to get his message across, so be it. Coaches dont java the time to get young players onside anymore -- move them on, bring in players with complete buy-in.

The success or failure of Artetas tenure will likely come down to recruitment: finding the right personalities and talent and stylistic fits. That aspect is never, ever easy. But Arteta and the club have started to institute the kind of policy that can make a tricky market that little bit easier.

On Monday, they will see Liverpool, the runaway champions, as a manifestation of those principles, on and off the pitch. Klopp laid that foundation in the early days; Arteta and Arsenal are just at the start of their journey.

There are reports that Jurgen Klopp will make a decent number of changes tonight, but I'm going with the strongest possible first-team: Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Fabinho, Naby Keita, Gini Wijnaldum; Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Man.

We need to talk about Bobby. Joel Rabinowitz's piece yesterday is the best summation you will read on the Firmino performing/under-performing debate. Give it your time.

Release the Ox!

Barney Ronay's commentary on all things sport and culture is always necessary reading. This on Man City, Uefa, and that CAS decision is extra good.

We will tape the latest edition of the Liverpool.com podcast tomorrow. If you haven't already, you can catch it on the Blood Red channel wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. Questions, comments feedback all welcome on Twitter.

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Arsenal have already copied Jrgen Klopp's golden rule at Liverpool, with intent to rival them - Liverpool.com