Unless you’ve been living on the moon, you will have heard all about the friendship shared by David Wagner and Jurgen Klopp ahead of their Anfield meeting this weekend.
But just how similar are the two cap-wearing, bespectacled Germans?
They moved over to manage in England within a month of each other in October and November 2015, but the former Dortmund duo diverged from that point on.
Below Sports writer Tom Harle crunches all the numbers ahead of the Premier League showdown at Anfield this Saturday...
Playing Career
Wagner: Born in Frankfurt and started out at Eintracht, before moving to Mainz in 1991. Played as a forward for Schalke in Bundesliga and several other German clubs.
Klopp on Wagner as a player: “He was not very consistent, even if he does not want to hear it! A big talent, but not every day! He was a very young player when he came from Eintracht Frankfurt to Mainz, a very skilled boy, very quick, a good striker."
Klopp: A defender, he began with second-string sides in native Stuttgart before getting his break at Mainz - playing with Wagner for four years and going on to over 300 appearances.
Wagner on Klopp as a player: “Quick, strong in the air with a great attitude. Technically average, endurance average, because of his attitude he ran more than he usually did, but he was a leader."
Career record
Wagner: Played 261, Won 98, Drawn 67, Lost 96, Win % 37.5, Average PPG 1.34
Klopp: Played 702, Won 334, Drawn 181, Lost 177, Win % 49, Average PPG 1.72
David Wagner's Managerial Record as Huddersfield Town Boss
Played 97 - Won 41, Drawn 20, Lost 36 (PPG 1.52)
Jurgen Klopp's Managerial Record as Liverpool FC Boss
Played 114 - Won 56, Drawn 34, Lost 24 (PPG 1.77)
*Note: Remarkably, the two managers have used exactly the same number of players in their time in England - 53.
Biggest Victories
Wagner:Huddersfield 5-0 Charlton Athletic, January 2016
Klopp: Aston Villa 0-6 Liverpool, February 2016
Heaviest Defeats
Wagner:Fulham 5-0 Huddersfield, October 2016
Klopp: Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool, September 2017
Huddersfield Town Transfer Activity under David Wagner
23
Players In
32
Players Outs
Liverpool FC Transfer Activity under Jurgen Klopp
13
Players In
26
Players Outs
Most Expensive Player
Wagner:Steve Mounié, £11.7m from Montpellier
Klopp:Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, £35m from Arsenal
Net Spend
Net Spends Under Jurgen Klopp and David Wagner
£33.25m
Jurgen Klopp
£34.8m
David Wagner
Formation
Wagner: Favours 4-2-3-1 with a hard-working, mobile pair in the middle of park and athletic, direct runners in the attacking triumvirate. Changed to ‘three number sixes’ against Manchester United and to 4-5-1, with key man Aaron Mooy in the advanced role.
Klopp: Prefers a 4-3-3 system, with a flatter midfield and the wide players further up the pitch. Has used this in all nine Premier League games so far this season and in all but three last term.
Average Possession This Season
Wagner: 48% (11th in league)
Klopp: 56% (5th in league)
Tackles Per Game
Wagner: 21.9 per game (1st in league)
Klopp: 17.4 per game (4th in league)
Style of Play
Wagner: Encourages his teams to play an aggressive, energetic pressing style. Back four and midfield two push right up past halfway, triggering press to create two vs three mismatch on opposition full-back. Ball moves quickly in transition.
Klopp: Encourages his teams to play an aggressive, energetic pressing style. Philosophy founded on the high press tactic as an attacking device; a “gegenpress.” Used as the best way of starting an attack rather than the best way to stop a counter. Intense pressing in wide areas.
