Watching Liverpool play under Jurgen Klopp is amazing and a true pleasure for every football enthusiast. The type of pressing and attacking style of football was completely new for the Premier League, which is why it is a shame that it has come to an end as Klopp announced that he will leave at the end of the 2023/2024 season. The journey was difficult, and many had doubts when it all started, but this is how Klopp transformed Liverpool FC and made them European Giants once again.
The signing
Every football fan, regardless of what club they support, will surely agree that Liverpool had been struggling before Klopp arrived. Namely, the team, the coaches, and the entire club’s source of functioning was clumsy, and their position at the Premier League table showcased this the best. Signing Klopp was a huge success for the owners, but such a big club like Liverpool is always tempting for coaches.
On the other hand, besides the high enthusiasm from Liverpool fans, some people questioned whether Klopp would be able to showcase the same level of attacking type of football as his former team Borussia Dortmund played. Overall, there were certain risks, but every great decision comes with them, and signing Klopp as a manager surely was a great decision.
From Klopp’s perspective, this was an amazing opportunity to showcase what he’s got. His unique approach to the board, players, media, and fans was mesmerizing. After nearly a decade of coaching Liverpool, we can now clearly say that the new era started on that famous day of 8th of October 2015.
The beginning
The summer of 2015 was rough for Liverpool fans, not that the club finished just six in the PL, but they also had to say goodbye to the club’s legend, Steven Gerrard. In addition to this, their potential star, who should lead them in the future alongside Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, also left the club. Looking back in the past, Klopps first line-up against Spurs in the PL derby game was far from a great one, not to mention how far from what Klopp wanted and needed. Just to mention, in that first game, the defenders were Skrtel, Moreno, Sakho, and Clyne, while Mignolet was the goalkeeper.
It goes without saying that none of the players that were at the club are currently playing for Liverpool, but there were certain exceptions, as players like Coutinho (who went to Barcelona in 2018), Origi (fan idol), Milner (club legend), and Henderson (left in 2023) were definitely types of players that Klopp could trust and that could play on a level he wanted, which they did in the years that followed.
That 2015/2016 season was turbulent for both Liverpool fans and Klopp, and while fans were eager to see what Klopp could do, Klopp used this season to form a team for the next season. They finished eighth in the PL and did not qualify for any European competition, which, from this perspective, might even been a good thing.
The process
Everyone could see the difference in tactics, what Klopp demanded from his players, and a new attacking approach developing in the 2016/2017 season. Not participating in the European competitions left much more room for Klopp to train his team and sign players he wanted. His first summer transfer period was great, as names like Mane, Matip, and Wijnaldum have signed for Liverpool FC. That season showed everyone, especially Liverpool fans, that they should trust Klopp and the process. They finished fourth and have qualified for the Champions League once again.
Klopp really did some wonders in the next transfer window, and knowing that he would need a much better squad and more players in order to be competitive in all four competitions, he signed Salah, van Dijk, and Robertson, three key players who are still at the club and have a tremendous impact. They managed to finish fourth in the PL again but didn’t have enough luck in the CL finals because Salah was injured by Sergio Ramos in the first half of the game. Overall, the season was successful, and fans have something to look for in the future.
The first title
Every football fan was amazed with the 2017/2018 season, and it’s mostly because of Liverpool. Once again, Klopp dominated the transfer window as he signed players that his team desperately needed, Fabinho and Alisson. With these signings, Liverpool embarked on an epic journey, and the title race in the PL was one of the best in history, as it was so close up to the very end, but Manchester City was slightly better and finished first with just one point more than Liverpool.
On the other hand, the season was not lost for Liverpool, far from it. Their journey in the Champions League had its ups and downs, but they managed to finish second in the Group stage of the tournament. On their road to the finals, they beat football giants like Bayern, Porto, and Barcelona, which was something no one could predict, including even renowned bookmakers like https://22bet.com.sn/en.
Against all odds, they were able to book their flight to Santiago Bernabeu to meet with someone they knew very well in the finals, Tottenham Hotspur. The start of the game could have been better for the Liverpool side as Salah scored (penalty) the second-fastest goal in a Champions League final. All hopes for Spurs fans were lost when, in the 87th minute, Origi (this is why he is fans’ favorite) scored and put the game to an end, winning Klopp’s first trophy for the club.
Creating the Legacy
After winning the CL, Klopp and his squad were ready to take the throne in the Premier League, and their fierce start to the season was one of a kind. Eight straight wins was a sign that something big would happen that year, and the dream of invincibles started. Liverpool fans were almost certain Liverpool would win the title, but what they hoped for was for Liverpool to finish the season unbeaten.
This dream was close to coming true, as, until February 29th, Liverpool didn’t lose. Wolves were the first team that managed to win against Liverpool that season. They were close to another record, finishing the PL with more than 100 points, but they failed as they had ‘just’ 99. This was a great year for Liverpool, as besides winning the PL, they also won the Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
The next season was also successful, and even though they didn’t manage to win the PL (finished 2nd with 1 point less than City), they won both Cups and, in the 2022/2023 season, they won the Community Shield, which meant that mission was completed – winning every trophy possible.
