The REAL shock result of the Klopp bombshell: In his brilliant column debut, TIM HOWARD reveals the locker room drama when a coach quits – and the only choice the title-chasing Liverpool players must now make

It’s already been a tense time on Merseyside: Liverpool are locked in a title run and Everton, my former club, are facing a second possible 10-point deduction for breaching financial rules. Jurgen Klopp’s stunning departure has only added fuel to the fire.

I’m not that shocked anymore, but Jurgen’s departure is a huge loss for Liverpool. He gets the club. And the fans bought it. They understood that he was one of them.

Every time a legendary manager leaves, the immediate question is: what next? What are they going to do? Liverpool have had such sustained success. And the reality is that most teams are not doing well. So there will be a major concern for Liverpool supporters that a drop-off is on the way. Because Jürgen Klopp has become the club.

And whoever you support, Klopp’s teams are good for the Premier League. He was brilliant during the Merseyside derby and during their battle with Manchester United. You can hate a club, you can fight against it. But Jurgen has charisma and character – and he has class.

One thing is certain: the timing of this announcement will be scrutinized. Liverpool are firmly entrenched in the title race. Does this encourage the players? Or does it upset them? They may wonder: why is this being announced now? This doesn’t feel good, he won’t be here. It is a fascinating emotional drama.

Klopp understands the club and the fans believe in him; they understood that he was one of them

Players are creatures of habit – this is actually how you get the best out of them: give them a structure and boundaries to work within and they flourish.

Now it’s a new beginning and no one knows what the end looks like. So there will be unrest in the dressing room. I saw that first hand at Everton.

DailyMail.com’s sports columnist Tim Howard

The trouble is that Jurgen has a style and ideas and they won’t be beaten out of the players anytime soon.

I played under David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson and with any manager with a long track record you get into routines.

When do you have breakfast? Should you eat it all together? How do you travel? Do you stay in hotels? Are you traveling in a tracksuit or suit and tie?

Any new coach will bring in players who suit his style and demand that the others learn his ideas. Those who adapt and learn quickly will keep their place, the others will be sold – it’s that simple.

We had really good players who did well in David’s set-up for 11 years at Everton.

But then Roberto Martinez came along in 2013 and brought a completely different style of play.

That’s when the pressure is on the players, and some couldn’t handle it. Not because they weren’t good players. But because they didn’t accept the new style. Or they were so adamant that their way was the right way.

It is a power struggle: if you have been a player at a football club for years and a new manager comes along, you think: it is your club, he has to prove himself. But he doesn’t. He’s the manager.

Since taking charge, Klopp has guided Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory

How will this announcement affect the mentality of his players, such as star striker Mo Salah?

For almost a decade, Liverpool has been built on the foundations of the way Jurgen Klopp operates.

It would be irresponsible to destroy that. It’s a bad business decision to hire a manager who does. That can cause a bigger problem and a bigger mess.

Is Xabi Alonso the right man to take over? Well, he knows Liverpool inside and out, having had early success as a manager at Bayer Leverkusen. And that is significant. The question for every manager is: how do you convey your points to the players and how quickly can they implement them? He has shown that he can do that.

Whoever the new coach is, he must convey his ideals and theories to the players, but he must understand that he must fit in with who he already is. Otherwise, players will have a hard time getting on board.

But for now, Liverpool have to worry about this season and this title race. Jurgen’s team is so good and so trained – how he and the players interact, they are one – so I can’t foresee anything other than these guys saying: let’s make this about the gaffer. Let’s make it about winning another title.

Lionel Messi, Copa America and the Premier League: Tim Howard is the fantastic new columnist for DailyMail.com and will be analyzing all the key football talking points in 2024.