Klopp On, Klopp Off: Previewing Liverpool vs. Leicester

When Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool in October 2015, the cacophony of hype that followed was practically deafening. His name was shouted from the rooftops, his face plastered across scarves, shirts and banners, and even his most throwaway quip was seized upon as a sign of resplendent humour and delightful wit. Having succeeded Brendan Rodgers, a man whose relentless positivity had begun to ring hollow, it's perhaps little wonder that Klopp's no-bullshit attitude was so well received.

Now, though, that initial hype has died away, and Klopp is at the stage of his tenure where popularity is dependent on points alone.

While the atmosphere at the club has certainly improved under Klopp, results have been much the same as before. His debut season was essentially a free pass given that he arrived too late to shape the squad, but the same can't be said of the coming campaign. In Liverpool's first three games of the season, they have earned one win, one draw and one deeply underwhelming loss. Inconsistency has dogged the club for the past two decades, and there's little sign of that being remedied any time soon.

Mixed results might not be too much cause for concern, were it not for the manner of the win and the defeat. Having beaten Arsenal on the opening day, Liverpool immediately slumped to a 2-0 loss to Burnley. This was strongly reminiscent of last term, when impressive victories against Chelsea, Leicester and Manchester City were tempered by deflating defeats to Watford, Newcastle and Crystal Palace. It's a uniquely frustrating state of affairs, in that the team are in the habit of beating their biggest rivals, before instantly slipping up against lesser sides.

Having said all this, it's still far too early to judge Klopp's influence on the club. Liverpool might be as inconsistent as ever, but the former Borussia Dortmund boss has been in the job for less than a year. It says a lot about the managerial attrition rate that he feels like a Premier League veteran at this point, and he still has time to change things on Merseyside. Better he does it now, however, than leave the pressure to gradually mount.

Liverpool welcome Leicester to Anfield this weekend, and the result will define the start of their season. Two wins, a draw and a loss represents a decent start; one win, a draw and two losses, not so much. Klopp needs to build up a head of steam this autumn, and build on the goodwill and support he still has. Otherwise, fairly or not, things could get very uncomfortable for him. In a footballing culture that demands instant results, a winning personality only goes so far.