There’s a fine line between madness and genius. Jurgen Klopp is traversing it with expert precision. After giving Liverpool a boost since his arrival, the last three games have given an indication that the honeymoon period has come to an abrupt end.

Now his real work begins and he needs to galvanise the team for real. Rather than go about this discreetly, the scenes after the 2-2 home draw with West Brom suggest the spectacle of Klopp is just beginning.

After a goal six minutes into injury time salvaged a point for the Reds, Klopp celebrated by dragging his players to the home fans to show appreciation for their support. Some of the players were clearly a little uncomfortable, looking like teenagers that don’t really want to be in the family festive photos. Others embraced the suggestion and went along with it.

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At the time, the fans should have felt touched. Weeks after openly criticising supporters that left the ground early, the manager was acknowledging and paying gratitude to those that stayed and pushed the team on to grab a valuable point. If we lived in more innocent times there’d be no harm done – but we don’t.

The German is obviously thick skinned and one can only hope the same can’t be said about his head. He must have known he was opening his team, currently on a dip, and himself to public ridicule.

The Liverpool fans not in the stand clapping would have seen social media explode with delight, for all the wrong reasons.

It’s an old party piece of Klopp’s, to walk his team, hand-in-hand, toward the crowd in a line. His Dortmund side did it and he was right to realise Liverpool fans love a bit of nostalgia. But his timing was off. The hesitant Liverpool players in that assembly felt something not dissimilar to what the Hull City team experienced when Phil Brown sat them on the pitch at Manchester City for a good telling off.

The intention may have been different but the long lasting result is the same. A manager that needed to keep his head down and do his team building in private has shone the spotlight on the club at the wrong time.

After losing on the road to Newcastle and scraping a draw to West Brom, the trip to Watford this weekend suddenly looks daunting and memories of the famous 4-1 Manchester City victory seem a long time ago.

An effervescent Hornets side, that has only lost in the league since November to Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester United, will now have the added tool of mockery to assist in their Sunday contest. From a psychological perspective, Klopp has added to Watford’s bounce and placed a weight on the shoulders of his team.

Of course, it could all be part of a diverting tactic. Much more has been made of Klopp’s behaviour – not just the celebrations but a flare-up with Tony Pulis – than his team’s overall performance against the Baggies. The problem with throwing people off the scent is it should be used sparingly. Once initiated a turnaround of fortunes is required quickly before the questions are asked anyway. Ask Jose Mourinho if you’re in any doubt.

It could also be Klopp’s first lesson with how life will be with the British media. He came as a charismatic hero that charmed the knickers off everyone. But a whiff of being too eccentric or outright crazy will have people change the mood fast.

Klopp may well be prepared to offer himself up for this sacrifice if it buys the team some time. However, time is always fleeting in the Premier League, and he needs a return to the performance levels witnessed at the Etihad.

Only then should he consider another ostentatious celebration.

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