Assessing whether Jurgen Klopp would be a good fit for the Germany job

When he's not advertising Snickers on TV, Jurgen Klopp is actually a football manager. And a very good one, despite what Liverpool's form this season suggests.

He finds himself at one of his lowest points since joining Liverpool and has four years to run on his contract, but none of that seems to have deterred the German FA. According to reports, they see him as their next international manager, and are considering an approach for the Stuttgart native once this summer's Euros are out of the way.

Among the many, many questions which have been raised, one of the most pertinent is whether it would even work. While some managers, such as Roberto Martinez, seem well suited to the international stage, others are club managers through and through, and don't seem to deal well with the extra downtime that comes with coaching on the international stage.

Where does Klopp fall on the spectrum? We'll get to that very shortly. First, though, strap in for a quick crash course on the context of the situation, because the people need to know what it all means for Steven Gerrard.

Is Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool?

Everyone just calm down a little. Klopp isn't walking out on Liverpool just yet.

Reports on Germany's interest stem from a Mirror exclusive that claims Klopp would 'find it hard to turn down' if his country came calling to offer him the job.

For now, though, that's all we have. There has been nothing public from Klopp's camp to suggest he is considering his options amid Liverpool's dire form. Quite the opposite, in fact - he has called for unity and rallied his troops to fight for everything as they look to salvage what they can from a poor season so far.

So yeah...we're a long way from concrete on this one.

If he does go, The Mirror already have Rangers boss Steven Gerrard lined up as his replacement, but a number of dominos will need to fall before we end up there.

What do we know about his future?

We know that Klopp is contracted to Liverpool for another three-and-a-half years, and said upon signing his most recent extension that 2024 represents the 'perfect time' to walk away from Anfield.

Reports at the time suggested that Liverpool have a comprehensive plan in place for his eventual departure, plans that could well involve Gerrard, whose current Rangers deal dovetails conveniently with Klopp's.

The club's long-term strategy is likely to be unaffected by a poor 2020/21 season - they would have legislated for a turbulent title defence, and while they may not have predicted being out of the race completely by March, they won't be panicking and tearing anything up.

Basically, Liverpool plan on keeping Klopp around for the foreseeable future, and will do that unless he has a sudden change of heart from a couple of weeks ago, when he said he is going nowhere.

"I don't feel I need special support in the moment but it is nice. Rumours of me quitting or taking break? Not true. Thanks for all the support, people tell me about it. I am very grateful for it. But they can think about other things as nobody needs to worry about me."

What about Joachim Low?

If you're sitting there thinking 'wait, don't Germany already have a manager?' you would be absolutely correct. Yes, 2014 World Cup winning coach Joachim Low is still in charge, and will have at least this summer's European Championship to reassert his credentials.

So yeah, Germany might not even be looking for a new manager. It's all ifs, buts and maybes until we know for sure that the job will be available.

Is Klopp a good fit for Germany?

OK, all caught up? Let's get back to the topic question.

If the Germany job were to open up, and if Klopp fancied a change of pace, would he be a good fit for international management? It's hard to know for sure.

Klopp has a few years left at his peak as a manager. He is still in his early 50s, and recently revealed that when he started out in 2001, he saw himself as having a 25-year career on the touchline. He still has half a decade left before he plans to wind down.

It's also plainly obvious that he loves the hustle and bustle of day-to-day management. He's a workaholic, putting in the same sort of daily grind that he demands from his players, and is very much a training ground coach, maintaining his unusual habit of taking to the pitch with his team during their pre-match warm-up.

His strengths lie in motivation and man-management, and that would serve him well on the international stage, where coaches are required to make the most of short periods with their players.

He would likely succeed, then. The question is whether his character lends itself to long spells with idle hands.

For now, you would say no. Despite the understandable concerns over his mental state, that is very much a here and now problem - there were no such concerns just a few months ago and they may have dissipated entirely by the time the job opens up, if it does.

Could the Germany job suit Klopp one day? Sure. Would it suit him now? It's hard to picture.