Jurgen Klopp took charge of his first Liverpool game against Tottenham in October and he faces them again on Saturday Night Football. Ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Anfield encounter, we examine the German's first six months at the helm…

When assessing Jurgen Klopp's start to life at Liverpool, last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Southampton feels like a fitting place to start. The Reds were buoyant after motoring into a two-goal lead through Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, but a second-half collapse saw them leave St Mary's Stadium empty-handed.

The topsy-turvy encounter encapsulated the good and the bad of Klopp's reign. For every step forward there has been another in the opposite direction, and on the face of it, progress has been minimal. Liverpool were 10th when he took over; they are ninth now. They averaged 1.50 points per game under Brendan Rodgers; they average 1.52 now.

Klopp, though, sees positives as well as negatives. "Two things are important," he said in the aftermath of the Southampton defeat. "We didn't get the points and that's not too good, but on the other side, we saw how well we can play football, which we should not forget."

Liverpool under Rodgers v Liverpool under Klopp Under Rodgers Premier League 2015/16 Under Klopp 8 Games played 21 1.50 Points per game 1.52 1.00 Goals scored per game 1.76 1.25 Goals conceded per game 1.43 10.25 Shots per game 10.90 9.76% Shot conversion % 16.16% 52.21% Average possession 58.64% 107.9km Average distance per game 114.1km

The first half at St Mary's was certainly not the first time Liverpool have shown just how devastating a Klopp team can be. After all, it is only a few months since they blitzed Southampton 6-1 at the same ground in the Capital One Cup - a competition they were only a penalty shoot-out away from winning at Wembley.

There have been scintillating victories in the Premier League too. The 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October was the first glimpse of Klopp's favoured brand of "heavy metal football", but it was their thrashing of Manchester City three weeks later that really set the pulses racing.

Liverpool's Martin Skrtel celebrates scoring Liverpool's fourth against Man City

Manuel Pellegrini's side were top of the table after a strong start to the season, but Liverpool's high-intensity, high-pressing performance left them stunned. Coutinho and Roberto Firmino were at the heart of it, contributing a goal each in a whirlwind 25-minute spell in the first half, and the 4-1 scoreline made it City's heaviest defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

"The first 30 or 35 minutes were as good as anything I can remember, not from Klopp or any Liverpool team, but in the Premier League," said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. "It was like the Red Arrows watching Liverpool, they were just running through people all the time."

Klopp's Liverpool also count Manchester United among their victims having eased to victory over Louis van Gaal's side in the last 16 of the Europa League. The 3-1 aggregate triumph kept Klopp's hunt for silverware alive after the disappointment of the Capital One Cup final defeat to City, and their progress was rewarded with a quarter-final showdown against his old club Borussia Dortmund.

In the Premier League, however, a record of nine wins, five draws and seven losses highlights their ongoing inconsistency. Klopp has overseen dismal defeats to the likes of Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Watford, and the Reds have now lost more points from winning positions than any other Premier League side (15).

Injuries have bitten hard and the defensive issues have not gone away either. Liverpool are actually averaging more goals conceded per game than they were under Rodgers at the start of the campaign, and they rank first in the Premier League for individual errors leading to opposition shots.

Premier League 2015/16: Most errors leading to shots Team Errors Liverpool 28 Arsenal 27 Aston Villa 27 Swansea 24

The capacity to self-destruct remains a serious cause for concern, but Klopp is taking the rough with the smooth and looking to the long-term. "We are not in a perfect position but we are in a good way," he said in February. "I have no problem getting a few knocks and having a few beautiful moments along the way. We are preparing for the future."

Jurgen Klopp has already formed a strong bond with his Liverpool players

Klopp has already sought to address Liverpool's defensive issues with the addition of Schalke defender Joel Matip, who will arrive on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, and there are likely to be plenty more new arrivals as he tailors the team to his liking this summer.

There is also encouragement to be taken from how Liverpool's existing players have embraced Klopp's high-intensity style. In his first game in charge against Spurs in October they became the first team in 2015/16 to outrun Mauricio Pochettino's men, and Premier League tracking data shows they have covered an average of 114.1km per game compared to 107.9km under Rodgers.

Liverpool managers' Premier League win percentages Manager PL win percentage Roy Hodgson 35% Kenny Dalglish 43% Brendan Rodgers 52% Jurgen Klopp 43%

Defender Kolo Toure has described "the attitude of the players" as the biggest change under Klopp, and the increased intensity has been obvious. "We have to work more and of course it's a new style for us but we are adapting to it," Coutinho told Sky Sports in February. "We're very happy with him since he arrived, he has changed the team's style of play and now we're playing better," added Firmino.

Roberto Firmino celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Manchester United

So while Liverpool's points tally is lower than Klopp might have envisaged when he first took the job, there is plenty of evidence to suggest he is making his presence felt. The 48-year-old has stressed the need for patience in his first season in charge, but a top-four finish is not beyond them and they are still in the mix for the Europa League.

The outlook might not be as cloudy as it appears for Liverpool, and Tottenham's visit to Anfield on Saturday Night Football gives Klopp the chance to show that they are on the right path.

Watch Liverpool v Tottenham live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5pm on Saturday