THE cry was deafening and universal as it boomed around one of the most impressive arenas in European football.

"Jurgen Klopp, Jurgen Klopp, Jurgen Klopp," they shouted in unison; thousands of voices together in one tribute for the slightly disconcerted figure on the pitch below.

He was clearly touched; how could you not be. But there was also a hint of embarrassment in the coach's body language, detectable even when viewing from the great distance near the back of the vast 25,000-capacity home terrace.

True, his Borussia Dortmund team had just beaten Hoffenheim – with a clean sheet thrown into the bargain.

But it was not a victory that had clinched the title, a cup or even a top-four qualifying place. It had just lifted them off the bottom of the Bundesliga.

It was unheard of territory for a team that played at Wembley the week after City 19 months ago – in the Champions' League final.

Think Manchester United or Chelsea sitting at the foot of the Premier League and you get the idea.

And yet, it did not stop 80,000-plus fans turning up for their team last Friday, or voicing their support from an hour before kick-off until the same length of time after. The noise around us never dipped once.

It was a phenomenal show of unconditional backing for a club – and manager – experiencing troubles they could not have imagined.

And while my German may not stretch far beyond the "Jawohl" and "Nein" stage, there was no suggestion of any dissent or grumbling in the ranks.

Could you imagine that happening in England?

We flew back from Germany to reports of Arsenal fans waiting for Arsene Wenger on Stoke station to shout abuse and Leicester boss Nigel Pearson biting back at a constant critic behind his dugout. It was an ill-advised response but he was probably only saying what many of his touchline peers thought.

Phil Parkinson was confronted by an irate finger-pointing punter at Valley Parade earlier this season as he walked towards the dressing rooms. No doubt the same man had enjoyed his jaunts to the national stadium with City the season before last.

The fickleness of that and similar reactions struck home with me when I was fortunate enough to see the Dortmund experience at first hand.

Germany aren't world champions for nothing. They can teach us plenty, from sensible ticket pricing (£15 a pop to stand up) to the responsibility of allowing adults to drink beer while watching the game without the place degenerating into an alcohol-fuelled free-for-all.

But the biggest lesson is respect. They don't have short memories.