Friday 8 January 2016 13:41, UK
Huddersfield manager David Wagner claims Jurgen Klopp's philosophy will ensure he is a success at Liverpool and says he regularly talks honestly and harshly with his good friend.
Wagner has known the Liverpool boss for 25 years - the pair were at German club Mainz during their playing careers.
The 44-year-old was also coach of Borussia Dortmund's second team for four years while Klopp enjoyed managerial success with the senior squad.
They remain in regular contact 'exchanging honest views', a quality Wagner says could help Klopp repeat the success he enjoyed at Dortmund, where he won two Bundesliga titles and reached the final of the Champions League.
"We're very honest with each other. We speak several times a week, honestly and sometimes very harshly, especially when we worked closely together at Dortmund," Wagner told the Daily Mirror.
"We love exactly the same style of football. And though we've only met once in the seven weeks I've been at Huddersfield, we always discuss our games, players, the Premier League, the Championship.
"Of course I'll watch Liverpool on TV and criticise him. He knows I don't have to say something he'd like to hear. I say what I recognise. If you're a friend, you don't have to say nice things to him, you say true things."
While Liverpool are struggling for consistency under Klopp, the team took a step closer to the Capital One Cup final with a 1-0 victory at Stoke in the semi-final first-leg last Tuesday.
The Reds start their FA Cup campaign this season with a third-round trip to Exeter on Friday night, and Wagner is certain Klopp will be getting his message across to his players.
"Jurgen doesn't play by rules, he acts naturally. His players will certainly recognise this," Wagner said.
"They will always get the information they have to hear not just what they want to hear. This honesty is one of his biggest qualities.
"He likes routine, it's important in this very fast business, but at the right moment you must come up something special nobody expected and he has a great instinct for this."
