Inside Jurgen Klopp's 'intense' first six weeks at Liverpool and new rules he introduced

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Ádám Bogdán has lifted the lid on the impact Jürgen Klopp had at Anfield when he first arrived. The German was appointed as Brendan Rodgers' successor back in 2014.

Klopp is now set to leave the Merseyside club after nine years in charge. His reign has seen the club secure one Premier League, one Champions League, one League Cup and an FA Cup, as well as numerous other trophies.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is in line to become Klopp's successor at Anfield, with many of those who are familiar with his work in the Eredivisie tipping the 45-year-old to bring a similar intensity to the club that Klopp has already instilled in his players.

Ahead of the transition into a new era this summer, while speaking to Ladbrokes, former shot-stopper Bogdán opened up on the atmosphere under Rodgers, before Klopp's arrival almost a decade ago.

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"A year before I joined, they almost won the league, but then the following season wasn't so good, and when I came in, it was the same summer as Steven Gerrard leaving the club, which - of course - was huge for the supporters to deal with. So, the atmosphere, to be honest, wasn't great.

"I know what that stadium is like on its best days, but it just wasn't the case around the time of my arrival. You could feel the frustration around the place, about the playing style, the results, the manner in which we were conceding goals. It was hard."

Slot will likely not face the same issues as Klopp did when he first arrived, with the squad already competitive after securing the Carabao Cup and featuring in the title race until a recent drop in form. Small adjustments to squad balance and depth will be needed - but the Dutchman will not need an overhaul of the team this summer.

Bogdan then went on to talk about the impact Klopp had when he arrived: "And then Jürgen Klopp comes in. He's just this normal guy, you know. He speaks really well, and his intensity was higher than we'd previously experienced, right from the start. He demanded so much from us.

"Jürgen Klopp wanted to do something else, you know it as 'heavy metal football', which basically meant causing chaos by pressing high, not worrying about what's behind you, but attacking the opposition on the ball, with everyone behind you following.

"He was really positive with the goalkeepers, as well. You know, we'd conceded a few goals which just weren't good, and while he'd acknowledge that, he'd also identify multiple occasions where several things had happened in the build-up which could have been avoided, before the goals were conceded."

Klopp introduced a new intensity instantly. There were no days off in the first six weeks, and he also introduced new rules such as tightening up access to the training ground, where families could no longer visit.

"He was very level-headed, and he gave a chance to everybody to show what they could do," Bogdan recalls. "It was a huge transition, though. The squad he inherited was not exactly right for what he wanted. There were some really good players within it, but it was not the right profile to produce magical moments that he wanted.

"There was a lot of video analysis, there was a lot of movement on the training pitch. We would constantly be working on that pressing style; where to start, how to do it correctly. And he was always there, by the way. He would even take the recovery sessions after the game.

"He was so involved. He'd do all the talking, because his assistant couldn't speak English. He was so intense, and with his voice and attitude, he kept that intensity high at all times. He introduced these shooting drills which were designed around our reactions after losing the ball. Everything was drilled into us, and it was constant. It was all built around reactions, and the importance of being the first to react.

"It was so demanding in the beginning; I think we went through six weeks without a day off, because of the European schedule. He was very German in that sense; the British system before allowed for the occasional day off, but that wasn't the case under Jurgen Klopp.

"And then he started to build and expand the team around him. Not just on the pitch or in the dugout, but behind the scenes, also. He changed things in the kitchen; the club spent a lot of money on that, bringing in Mona Nemmer - who is a genius, by the way. The food became 10 times better than it was before! The gym got restructured a little bit. Everything was logical, you know, everything became more tight.

"Nobody could come into the training ground. Before Klopp, we were allowed to bring family into the training ground, if they were coming over to visit.. they were able to watch the training sessions from the balcony. But Klopp stopped all of that, and so everything became very tight, very structured, and very intense.

"But because of the way he communicated, and the way he explained things, and analysed the games, it just seemed to work. Of course, there were conflicts; players were leaving and new players were coming in. But he was able to explain and justify every decision he made."

Liverpool.com says: There was a clear shift when Klopp arrived at the club. However, as previously noted, Slot will not need to make as many changes as Klopp did. The levels of intensity are already there within the squad. If the new manager can bring in his players who also fit this profile, to alleviate the issues of depth within the squad, Liverpool should adjust well to the new management.