The ups and downs of Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp joined the Reds 2015 | the rebuilding and damages
Liverpool was on a serious quest to win their first-ever Barclay Premier League title and they have changed Coaches over time in order for them to able to become a Premier League winner as well but nothing worked so far and at a point, they were almost there with Brendan Rodgers when they became the runner up.
Liverpool being a top team in Europe and despite winning all of those European titles (Champions League) has disappointed so many football lovers and their fans by not having this title in their cabinet.
The discovery of Liverpool’s new era
The introduction of Jurgen Klopp happened on October 8, 2015, and this makes it seven years and 2 days exactly yesterday when they lost 3-2 to Arsenal at the Emirate stadium.
When Klopp was first appointed in October 2015, he promptly abandoned Brendan Rodgers’ favored 3-5-2 formation in favor of his own preferred 4-2-3-1. During that first era, Klopp experimented with various formations, but the 4-2-3-1 remained the most prevalent until the conclusion of the 2015/16 season.
The same lineup included Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno as Klopp’s full-backs, Emre Can in midfield, Adam Lallana on the right wing, Roberto Firmino as the team’s no.10, and Daniel Sturridge as the team’s striker.
Notably, the German took longer than expected to secure his first victory as manager, with his first three matches against Tottenham, Rubin Kazan, and Southampton all ending in draws.
That first success came in the form of a 1-0 League Cup triumph against Bournemouth, but it was immediately followed by a 3-1 away league win at Chelsea three days later.
As expected, it was a lackluster campaign as Liverpool players struggled to adjust their skill set to please Klopp’s high-octane mentality. Although he lacked the players to play in the style he desired, we saw glimpses of Liverpool’s potential greatness when Klopp shifted to a 4-3-3 to score a magnificent 4-1 away victory against Manchester City just six weeks into his Anfield tenure.
However, too frequently, those headline successes were accompanied by dismal results, as as the 2-1 setback to Crystal Palace that followed the Etihad victory. All of this resulted in the Reds finishing eighth in the league after winning only 13 of their 30 league games under Klopp’s management.
Nonetheless, their skill in knockout events had begun to emerge, with the German leading Liverpool to two League Cup and Europa League finals.
Overall, the 52-year-old utilized the campaign to shrewdly begin to incorporate his core beliefs, as well as his playing style, into the team.
While doing so, he was able to assess which players were appropriate for executing his aggressive brand of football and which should be sold. During that time, the Liverpool manager learned a lot, and he was able to use that foundation to design his first full season at Anfield in 2016/17.
- Arsenal vs Liverpool ended 3-2 at the Emirate stadium and the Gunners returned back to the top of the Premier League table.
- Roger Federer to retire from tennis after Laver Cup aged 41
- Arsenal in pole position to sign No.10 Ukraine international Mykhaylo Mudryk
The main turning point for Liverpool
Throughout the 2016/17 season, Klopp’s imprint became increasingly visible, with a 4-3 opening-day victory over Arsenal at the Emirates highlighting the team’s new, chaotic personality. Gini Wijnaldum, Joel Matip, Loris Karius, and Sadio Mane were all signed during the summer, with the latter in particular providing a critical characteristic that the squad needed in attack.
Mane provided a penetrative danger in behind opposition defenses, in contrast to Sturridge, Firmino, Lallana, and Phillipe Coutinho, who all preferred to provide a passing option by falling short.
Klopp’s men won 22 of their 38 league matches, a significant improvement over his first season, albeit with the proviso that he was in control of eight extra games. Their possession average increased from 56.2% to 61.4%, demonstrating their developing proficiency on the ball as well as the respect they were gaining from their opponents.
Nonetheless, Klopp’s men were still a work in progress. They were knocked out of both domestic cup tournaments by disappointing opponents in the form of Wolves and Southampton, the latter of which came following semi-final defeats at home and away.
Even without the Europa League to distract them, they only finished fourth, edging out Arsenal by a single point on the penultimate day. However, their fourth-place result clinched Champions League football back at Anfield. There had been progress, but there was still room for improvement.
The following season was far better because they brought in new players, the likes of Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with Trent Alexander-Arnold all breaking into the first team.
With Salah’s arrival, Liverpool’s attack took on a new dimension, allowing Mane to shift to the left flank, where he was able to cut inside onto his preferred foot on a regular basis.
Firmino was an excellent complement to the duo, functioning in a central position and constantly removing himself from areas where Mane and Salah wanted to run in from the sides.
As a result of Firmino’s inclination to drop off and Salah and Mane’s preference to rush in behind, the trident produced the ideal storm to unsettle opposing defenses.
Klopp assembled his new defense during the holidays. Robertson replaced Moreno as the team’s first-choice left-back, while van Dijk was signed from Southampton in January for a world-record amount.
The duo’s influence on Liverpool’s defense was obvious. Liverpool surrendered 24 league goals from the start of the season to the end of December. However, at the turn of the year, with both players on the defensive line, the Reds allowed just 13 league goals.
Despite Liverpool’s improved performance, Klopp’s side won 22 league matches, one fewer than the previous season, and therefore were unable to improve on their fourth-place result. Interestingly, Expected Points rated them second in the league, after only winners Manchester City – a hint of things to come.
While their local cup run was brief, their thrilling run in the Champions League put them firmly back on the European map. Although they were defeated 3-1 by Real Madrid in the final, the Reds had reached a stage under Klopp where they had the performances; now they simply needed the results to match.
2018/19 Brought assurance
Enter Alisson Becker and Fabinho, the players Klopp needed to implement a more controlled version of his frenetic, emotive game. Two people who, like Van Dijk, arrived six months earlier and exhibited calming qualities, confidence, and epitomized coolness.
That season was their best because they won and destroyed big teams, such as Man City, Tottenham, Barcelona, Dortmund and other top teams in the Premier League.
When asked to characterize Liverpool’s progress in 2018/19, Pep Lijnders used the phrase “organized chaos.” The Reds had kept the essential principles of their dynamic, furious, unpredictable football, but they had advanced to a new level by including an authoritative component to their play, with opposition sides simply failing to keep up with the speed displayed.
Surprisingly, Liverpool took 14.2 shots per 90 minutes on average in 2018/19, while facing somewhat more with an average of 8. The team’s average xG decreased marginally, but their xG Against stayed fairly same. In the league, however, there was a considerable decline in their goal against average, which was 0.72 compared to 1.13 the previous year.
Furthermore, Klopp’s squad looked to limit their pressure slightly once again, with 10.5 passes being permitted before an action was taken, up from 10 the previous year.
Under Klopp, Liverpool has increasingly applied logic while being a dynamic pressing team.
Rather of pressuring every opponent, the squad became more selective and realistic based on the opponent and the game condition. While this may have had an influence on certain parts of their offensive game, such as shot frequency, the impact on their defensive prowess is obvious.
Liverpool was the best attacking team in the tournament for the second year in a row, with the top xG per shot, and they received their full reward this time. Their 2-0 win against Mauricio Pochettino’s side not only gave the Reds their sixth European Cup, but it was also deserved reward after several seasons of development at Anfield under Klopp’s leadership.
The German took over a mid-table Premier League team and rocketed it to the top of Europe’s elite with brilliant tactical innovation and superb player recruiting.
There are still chapters of his legacy to be written as Liverpool is now firmly established as one of the finest teams both domestically and on the continent. As a result, it is likely to be another fantastic season for Liverpool this season.
2019/20 Breakthrough Season
Liverpool reclaims the Premier League after 30 years.
The season began with no significant news in the shape of signings. Adrian arrived to strengthen the goal and ended up becoming the unexpected star of the European Super Cup victory over Chelsea.
Liverpool had recently won the Champions League and advanced to the final in Kyiv, but the club had grown preoccupied with winning the Premier League. Given City’s dominant domination the previous two seasons, it appeared an insurmountable challenge, but Klopp’s team pulled it off owing to an outstanding start to the season.
From the start of the league season, they went 27 games undefeated (26 victories and one tie). They did not lose until matchday 28 when they were defeated 3-0 by Watford.
The epidemic, on the other hand, caused the title to be released later than intended. With seven games remaining, the Reds were proclaimed champions, 23 points ahead of City. As a result, they broke a 30-year drought without winning the championship.
However, just before the epidemic, Europe experienced a huge blow. They forced extra time before being eliminated in the last 16 by Atletico Madrid. The champions bid their last goodbyes.
In 2020/21 Liverpool experienced a backward step as they endured a forgettable season, hampered by injuries to Thiago and Fabinho, as well as Mane’s dismal play. They were ousted in the fourth round of the FA Cup and League Cup, while they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
Even their place in the Champions League the next year via the Premier League’s top four was in jeopardy. Alisson’s goal in the 95th minute of Liverpool’s win over West Brom was essential in the Reds finishing third and qualifying for the Champions League.
2021/22 Another Champions League final
Liverpool regained Van Dijk but lost Wijnaldum. After a string of injuries, they bolstered their defense with Ibrahima Konate. In the Premier League, though, they failed to find their best form.
Furthermore, due to multiple postponed games in January, they were 14 points behind Manchester City in the league.
Instead of giving up, the squad was rebuilding. The addition of Luis Diaz during the winter transfer window provided wings to a club that has been reshaping itself in preparation for 2022.
They narrowed the distance to the point where they posed a real danger to City. They also restored their defensive strength, keeping clean sheets in more than half of their games.
Their beautiful run was not enough to displace Manchester City which eventually won the Premier league title.
Liverpool’s bad runs in 2022/23 season
Jurgen Klopp’s team are wallowing in mid-table, with only 10 points from their first eight games, and any aspirations of a championship push are swiftly disappearing.
On Sunday, they were defeated 3-2 by Arsenal at the Emirate Stadium.
And the previous time Liverpool had such a poor start to a Premier League season was in 2014-15, when the Reds were also left with 10 points after seven games.
By this stage, Liverpool had won one more game under Rodgers than Klopp’s team had so far this season.
Rodgers’ final full season as manager at Anfield came in 2014-15, with Liverpool finishing sixth with 62 points.
The Northern Irishman, who now appears to be reaching the end of his stint as manager at Leicester, was ousted less than two months into the next season, with Liverpool unable to match the heights of their championship chase in 2013-14.
It’s a concerning statistic that demonstrates how much Klopp’s club is struggling right now, with Saturday’s performance being yet another fragmented one.
The Reds have now allowed the opening goal in 12 of their previous 15 games in all competitions, which is a reoccurring pattern. Proof that their defensive issues aren’t simply a blip.
Brighton’s three goals on Saturday mean they have surrendered nine goals in their first seven games, with their only two clean sheets coming in a 9-0 win against an exceedingly mediocre Bournemouth team and a goalless Merseyside derby.
Liverpool is already 14 points behind the leaders, and their next game is against Manchester City which is red hot at the moment even more than the current League leader, Arsenal.
Should Liverpool begin to plan for another Coach?
It is the most popular thing to fire Coaches and Managers in the top flight football this days, Thomas Tuchel is a prime example and we can see an improvement to the sinking Chelsea side after bringing Potter.
Who can replace Klopp if Liverpool is making a change, anyone that steps in will definitely have a lot of expectation to meet because Klopp has already given lots of success and one they have never achieved until Klopp arrived which is English Premier League.
