How Jurgen Klopp Transformed Liverpool From 'Doubters' to 'Serial Winners'

With Brendan Rodgers’ title contenders from a couple of seasons ago looking like a mere shadow of themselves, Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp on October 8, 2015, in hopes that he would turn around their fortunes. And in a little more over four years, the German has guided them to a Champions League trophy and the Reds are on course to their first league title in 30 years. So let’s take a look at how the German transformed Liverpool from doubters to serial winners. Liverpool Reclaims Lost Legacy.

Jurgen Klopp had a positive start to his Liverpool journey as his team drew 0-0 against Tottenham Hotspur and of the 18 who were named in that matchday squad, only four remain. Despite a decent start, with a new man in charge and a new philosophy Liverpool players had to adjust to Klopp’s method. Due to this were highly inconsistent in their performances, winning just 13 of their 30 league games. However, Klopp led them to finals of the League cup and Europa League, losing both.

This season was mostly used to lay the foundation of his philosophy, which the club profited in the following years. For the 2016-17 season, Klopp added the likes of Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane, Loris Karius and Joel Matip. However, the main tweak made by the German was moving Roberto Firmino to the number 9 position to link up with Mane on the right and Coutinho on the left.

With the new and agile additions to his squad, Klopp imparted an aggressive mentality into his team, who pressed the opponent from the front. This was mainly done to prevent exposing their somewhat fragile defence. This new philosophy paid huge dividends for them as they managed to win 22 of their 38 league games, finishing fourth and securing Champions League qualification.

However, they were still a work in progress as, despite their threatening attack, Liverpool lacked leadership at the back. To counter this, Klopp added Andy Robertson to his team and promoted Trent Alexander Arnold from the youth set-up. But the Reds thirst for star attackers remained unquenchable as they recruited Mohamed Salah from AS Roma.

With a new dynamic attack, Klopp’s men ripped through opponents and were one of the most fearsome teams in the competitions. In January, the Merseyside club added Virgil van Dijk to the setup, which proved to be a masterstroke. With the new Dutchman, Liverpool finally had a leader at the back, a kind of player they had lacked for a long time.

With the best attack in England and a solid backline, Liverpool moved a step closer to perfection. Though inconsistent performances had hampered their league campaign, Klopp’s men put on an exhilarating run in the Champions League, reaching the final, where they lost to Real Madrid.

The final loss was mainly blamed on keeper Karius, so in comes Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson Becker for the 2018-19 season. This was the final piece of the jigsaw for the Reds as they now had an impeccable backline and an attack capable of destroying any opposition. With Klopp’s high pressing philosophy and world-class players in the team, Liverpool achieved their highest ever PL points total but were unable to win the title.

However, despite the heartbreak in domestic competitions, Liverpool put forward yet another exhilarating run in Europe. On the back of a dramatic comeback at Anfield against Barcelona in semi-finals, Liverpool defeated Spurs to lift their sixth Champions League crown, their first since 2005.

Building on the confidence and success of last season, Liverpool have reached new heights in this campaign. The Reds have lost just once in the league, and with their never say die attitude have garnered a 25-point lead at the top of Premier League. They are just two wins away from securing the domestic league title and will achieve that once the season restarts.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2020 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).