Mike Gordon, the man who was initially informed of Jurgen Klopp’s decision to stand down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, has had more time than anybody else to comprehend the shocking news.
While the majority of individuals affected simply have to absorb it all and come to grips with it in the next weeks and months, Gordon’s responsibility is to plan for life at Liverpool after it.
As the most hands-on of the Boston-based owners, the Fenway Sports Group president will have the greatest influence in what will be a seismic choice with long-term repercussions at Anfield. So, no pressure.
The conversation was believed to have been respectful when Klopp informed his employer of the shocking news back in November, and considering the bond that has developed since the two first met over nine years ago, it is not surprising. It was also not surprising that the news could be kept under wraps for two months; discretion has grown critical to the operation in recent years, particularly at the senior level.
However, if a world without their current manager fills the Reds’ fanbase with trepidation and concern about the future, Gordon’s track record is at least extremely impressive.
“In keeping with Jurgen’s expressed wishes, we will save the comprehensive tributes for a more appropriate time but nevertheless, we would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to reaffirm that his appointment remains one of the greatest blessings of our time as owners,” Gordon said shortly after the news was made public more than a week after it was announced.
“To appropriate an adage synonymous with another Liverpool managerial great, Jurgen Klopp ‘made the people happy’ and we have total confidence he will continue to do so until his eventual departure.”
The Milwaukee native’s knowledge of the European game much outstrips that of others in the Fenway circle, and it was he who introduced the other members to Klopp, who was a free agency in the autumn of 2015 after a storied seven-year career with Borussia Dortmund ended a few months prior.
“[Mike] is by far FSG America’s most informed person about soccer, and he is involved on the football side on a daily basis, in regular touch with our football committee members and manager,” John W Henry previously said.
In an interview with the ECHO two years ago, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said: “Whenever I speak to him, whether it is 3 a.m. or 10 p.m., Mike is on the phone and communicating with Julian (Ward) and Jurgen or whoever, so he has also been critical to what we have achieved and what we hope to achieve in the future.” Mike has been supporting this (development) from the beginning.”
When it became evident that Brendan Rodgers’ reign had come to an end, the American contacted his potential successor to arrange a meeting in the New York offices of law firm Shearman & Sterling after convincing him to cancel a planned year-long sabbatical.
“Analytically, [Dortmund] stacked up very well relative to expected performance,” Gordon explained in 2020. I called Jurgen. We had an amazing talk, and by the time I hung up, I knew he was the appropriate person.”
At Anfield, he worked as a secret weapon alongside Tim Waskett, Dafydd Steele, Mark Stevenson, Mark Howlett, and Will Spearman, who has since taken over as department director.
This style of working will, more than anything else, determine Liverpool’s next decision about an heir-apparent. While the clamour for Xabi Alonso grows among Liverpool fans who still respect their former player, as Bayer Leverkusen gets closer to unseating Bayern Munich as Bundesliga champions, the overall call will be made regardless of recent form or fan biases. As a result, Sporting’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi are among those thought to be in early talks.
