Jurgen Klopp rebuilds as Liverpool look to Europa glory
As the match dwindled to a close, “Freudig” was how the mood was at Anfield as Liverpool calmly put Everton to the sword in the 205th Merseyside Derby. In English, the word means joyous.
After all, it was the third time in four games that Liverpool had put four past their opponent. The irony of the number is also not lost, given the number of memes that have popped up in respect to Arsenal.
The victory was carved rather than chiselled, a mind-boggling 37 attempts on goal, does show a game in which Liverpool obliterated their opponents. Slowly but surely, Klopp’s style is taking form. Despite the fact that Liverpool are still some distance away from being a juggernaut, the steamrolling of some of the oppositions during the course of the run-in, the football still can’t be overlooked.
Also read: 5 of Liverpool’s greatest European comebacks
A certain verve and energy courses through the veins of this Liverpool team, momentary lapses aside, there is a quiet confidence and a belief in their own abilities. Over the course of sport at certain stages, a sportspersons & teams have to embrace funambulism i.e. tightrope walking. The current team and their manager have been forced to embrace it such has been the circumstances.
Situations have arisen where the positive impact is accompanied by a negative impact. It can be illustrated in the way Liverpool have encountered injuries along the way this season, every time they have seemed to gather momentum. Some of the best performers at the business end of the season have been ruled out. In addition to Joe Gomez & Danny Ings, Liverpool now have Emre Can, Jordan Henderson & Origi as well on the injury list of long-term absentees.
But then instead of being downcast, it is instead an opportunity for other players to shine and cement a place in Klopp’s plans for the future. Klopp has already started his experiments without losing out on the goodwill of the fans and the FA.
Premier League travails
On any given day, Klopp would have received a stern warning given the squad he fielded at Bournemouth, but surprisingly there were no articles which lambasted the German. Clearly, the English press has taken a liking to him, after all, he is an engaging person, with precise analysis, withering assessments and polite and refreshingly honest replies.
His constant attention to focus on the game, rather than the hype and the negativity has immensely taken the spotlight off so many players. Coutinho who has had a superb season amidst the upheavals has sparked into life whenever Klopp has needed someone to take charge in midfield. Already he has scored 12 goals, which in turn makes him the top scorer and with one of his closest competitors Origi, sidelined for the rest of the season (probably), there are chances he will end up holding that position.
Over the course of this season, Liverpool have never seemed to be on top except for a few games. And this was gain highlighted in their performance against Newcastle over the weekend, where old boy Rafa Benitez ended up picking a vital point that may make or breaks Newcastle’s relegation challenge. Similarly, to lose from a winning position at Southampton and even Sunderland for that matter. With every step forward, two steps backward has also curtailed Liverpool’s progress.
Klopp is trying hard to change that, Allen seems to have taken to his tactics like a duck takes to water and the most heartening observation is that almost all the youngsters have started buying into his philosophy.
The problem lies in treating each game as final, Liverpool players seemingly switch off and that, in turn, has contributed to their place in the table.
Even the winter period a trying and testing time was rewarding enough as Liverpool garnered 9 points from a possible 12, which in hindsight is not that bad. Understandably, the ability to push his players over that period without injuring them does earn him some brownie points. With more talent being spotted amongst the youth team, it does augur well if Liverpool can make a team from scratch and save themselves costs and instead produce leaders who will play for the club with passion in their eyes rather than the number of zeroes in their bank accounts.
Europa glory
Jurgen Klopp has time and again reiterated the fact that he wants to unite the Liverpool team and supporters into one tidal wave of emotion that will put fear into their opponents. The sync was visible when Liverpool came back from the dead to beat Borussia Dortmund and the Manchester games as well. The Kop End witnessed one of the bittersweet comebacks as Klopp pulled one over his former club, to send the fans home enthralled.
Villarreal FC though awaits Liverpool in the semi-finals and that is going to be even more challenging. Klopp’s teams have always have had the “license to thrill”, and in an atmosphere as spectacular as Anfield, he cannot get a much better stage.
The Europa League, often considered a poorer cousin of the Champion’s League, does offer a gateway to the much coveted Champions League, as the victors will be granted a spot in the competition. An impetus in itself given the slim chances of Liverpool making the top 4 of their league this competition provides an outlet.
Creating an atmosphere
Elsewhere in La Liga, Diego Simeone, is busy making the Vicente Calderon into one heady stadium that resonates with his energy and aggressiveness. He has already shown that the hierarchy (hegemony) of Real Madrid and Barcelona can be challenged on the basis of pure determination and willingness to work hard.
Unlike other clubs who fade away after a few games, his team refuses to give up and ensure that even if the game is lost, the adversaries will crawl away. No team has left the Vicente Calderon saying that they have won comfortably; some have even been perplexed by the intensity with which his team chases the game.
Klopp has already stated his objective of making Anfield a similar place where teams will be deciphered & dissected with a fastidiousness that will make them regret their visits. As has already been seen, Klopp tends to make the players believe in their own abilities, be it the Chelsea win or the Dortmund win, in which Liverpool went behind early in the game, only to strike back and win forcefully. The challenge will be to get this kind of consistency over the entire season.
In the last title-chasing season, Liverpool dazzled like a Phoenix before their challenge dwindled into ashes. The stuttering challenge led to the dissemination of one of the finest Liverpool teams of the modern era, with the buck-toothed hero, Luis Suarez being sold to Barcelona for much lesser mortals.
The name of Klopp has already made Anfield an attractive option. Giving utter disregard to star names, Klopp has put his faith in individuals who will battle till the end. As can be seen, in the cases of the strikers Daniel Sturridge & Christian Benteke, who being the senior strikers have often been left on the bench, either because of their lack of work ethic or injuries.
Over the summer, more arrivals are expected who are more in line with his philosophy. With some more rejuvenation of the squad, though, the charm of Anfield might as well be back on a week to week basis. As Paul Wilson, stated in the Guardian, the spectacular occasion and the intensity that Anfield can generate cannot be derided by any football fan.
There has always been a certain reciprocity/symbiosis between the fans and the players of Liverpool over different generations. To be able to witness this connection on a constant basis is the challenge Klopp has undertaken.