The legendary reign of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at Anfield is nearing its end but the memories will live forever
On Sunday, Liverpool will face Wolves at Anfield in the last Premier League game under the era of Jurgen Klopp. The overload of emotions makes many fans wish that the time could stop moving for them to process everything.
However, emotions have played the most important role for the Reds under Klopp since he took charge of the club. The same emotions have driven Liverpool during his tenure, achieving the unachievable and accomplishing the near-impossible tasks despite the adversities.
The Liverpool job comes with the constant pressure of living up to the enriching history of the club. To make matters more complicated, the Reds function on a restricted budget compared to their financially-aided competition.
Despite the Financial Fair Play rules, Manchester City and Chelsea have enjoyed a major influx of cash from their owners. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Arsenal built themselves commercially and with immense revenue when they had no competition but each other.
Klopp has functioned under a restricted budget, showcasing his immense coaching ability and quality to turn good players into superstars. The 56-year-old is a master of channelling emotions, a life coach to not just the players but also the fanbase.
Klopp created a holy trinity between the players, the staff and the fanbase that turned them into a powerful force that many clubs lack. Liverpool have enjoyed many memorable moments under the legendary German manager due to his ability to channel willpower into miracles.
While there are numerous incredible moments that the Reds could cherish for the rest of their lives. Here are the top five moments which stand out the most:
Starting to believe – Dramatic late winner against Norwich City (2015-2016)
When Klopp took over the club, he inherited a squad that recently lost numerous superstars and failed to replace them. The departure of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and iconic forward Luis Suarez left a huge gap within the team.
Klopp needed to reenergize the players he inherited alongside the fanbase that had already been through too many heartbreaks. Klopp’s heavy pressing and attacking philosophy had already provided glimpses of promise alongside his speech to turn “doubters into believers”.
However, the Reds got the true glimpse of the mentality monsters he is planning to create at Carrow Road. In January, the gradually rebuilding Liverpool side faced a struggling Norwich City in the Premier League away game.
Despite scoring the first goal of the game through Roberto Firmino, the Reds finished the first half 2-1 down. In the second half, Norwich increased the lead through a 54th-minute penalty to take the scoreline to 3-1.
However, Liverpool fought back incredibly after Firmino, Jordan Henderson and James Milner scored to take the scoreline to 3-4. During the dying minutes, Klopp tasted the bitter pill that Liverpool fans have tasted regularly under Brendan Rodgers.
The Canaries scored in the 92nd minute to take the scoreline to 4-4. In the final minutes of the game, the Liverpool fans saw and felt exactly what Klopp wanted them to experience. The undying will to keep fighting, no matter the time or the adversities they are facing.
Liverpool charged forward once again as a united front and when the ball eventually landed on Adam Lallana, everyone believed. Klopp’s philosophy made its presence felt in the Premier League as Liverpool won 4-5 in one of the most dramatic fashions.
Dreamers – Outscoring Borussia Dortmund in a dramatic Europa League quarter-finals tie (2015-2016)
During his first season with Liverpool, Klopp immediately focused on the trophies that the team could attain. Despite, the poor start under Rodgers and the visibly mediocre squad, Liverpool showed determination in the cup competitions.
Liverpool faced Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund during the Europa League quarter-finals in April. The Reds held a quality Dortmund side to a 1-1 draw in the away game during the first leg.
During the second leg at Anfield, Dortmund’s impressive attack showed their quality immediately by scoring two goals within 10 minutes. The formidable Dortmund attack led by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed to silence the home crowd with their suddenness.
During the second half, the Reds fought back when Divock Origi scored in the 48th minute. However, Dortmund reestablished their lead through Marco Reus and took the scoreline to 1-3 with 30 minutes of the game remaining.
Klopp’s men refused to give up and Anfield responded at that moment with the Kop backing their players. Liverpool scored two goals before the 90 minutes to take the scoreline to 3-3 and Klopp turned doubters into believers.
In the extra time, Dejan Lovren scored a spectacular header to achieve the comeback victory and seal the semi-final spot. The Reds eventually failed to win the Europa League finals that season but Klopp established the hunger for success with a realistic hope that the club sorely missed.
Merseyside mayhem – Divock Origi’s match-winning legacy
Liverpool challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title during the 2018-19 season despite the difference in their squad strength. One of the greatest modern-age managers Pep Guardiola inherited a formidable team and only added more quality to it.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s incredible push demanded them to take one game at a time while putting pressure on their rivals. The Citizen won the Premier League in the previous season with 100 points, an incredible feat they planned to repeat.
During the high-pressure season, the Reds faced their bitter local rival Everton during the Premier League clash in December. The notorious rivals delivered a strong defensive performance as Liverpool continued to hunt for the goal until the very end.
As the goalless draw seemed inevitable, a mishit volley from Virgil van Dijk caused poor handling from Jordan Pickford. Origi popped up at the right position to score a last-second header to secure the three crucial points. The memorable moment involved Klopp running onto the pitch to hug Alisson Becker during the goal celebration. A sight that will live forever in the memories of the Kop and highlights the passion that the 56-year-old manager brought every second.
Liverpool lost the Premier League title by one point after only losing one game throughout that season. Many fans rightfully believed that the Reds should have won the title with poor and blatant decisions going against them.
Alisson the redeemer – Dramatic win against West Brom Albion to qualify for the Champions League (2020-21)
When Liverpool lost Phillipe Coutinho to Barcelona after a long-running transfer saga, many questioned their stature among the top clubs. However, the Reds used that transfer money to bring in Van Dijk and Alisson and shaped the era of Klopp.
Nevertheless, due to the lack of depth in the squad and the financial power of other clubs, Liverpool had many ups and downs. The 2020-21 season was one of the poor seasons where Liverpool suffered from the hangover of their recent success.
Unable to repeat their last season’s Premier League glory, they faced a daunting task to qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool enjoyed a very late run of form to achieve the top-four finish during that season. However, they faced a desperate West Brom Albion that fought to stay in the Premier League.
As the game headed to the finish with a 1-1 scoreline at the Hawthorns stadium, Liverpool’s hope for Champions League qualification diminished. Klopp sent Alisson during a final set-piece situation as the last roll of the dice and he did not disappoint. Alisson’s towering header to earn Liverpool a late dramatic victory is one of the most memorable and well-cherished moments.
The mentality monsters – Greatest comeback in the Champions League against Barcelona (2018-19)
The Liverpool comeback victory in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona is hands down the greatest moment in Klopp’s era. The game defines the nickname “mentality monsters” that the Reds team earned and shows how emotions can overpower anything and defy reality.
Barcelona beat Liverpool 3-0 in the first tie in their backyard to completely negate any chance of a comeback. To make things worse, Mohamed Salah and Firmino missed the second-leg tie at Anfield as the mighty Barca arrived.
The Catalan giants only needed a goal to wrap up the tie with former Reds Suarez and Coutinho in their frontline. The world’s greatest player Lionel Messi went into the game in fine form after scoring a spectacular free kick in the first leg.
However, they potentially underestimated the power of Anfield combined with the mindset that Klopp had installed in the team. Liverpool scored an early goal but they faced restriction from the Barcelona team with counter-attacking prowess throughout the first half.
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The second half commenced with the arrival of Gini Wijnaldum who completely changed the trajectory of the evening. Barcelona crumbled under the pressure of the Kop and the unrelenting Liverpool players who physically dominated them. As the scoreline reached 3-0 by the 79th minute, the Reds’ young right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold did something genius.
A corner taken quickly ended up with a clinical Origi finish as Barcelona players stood still, failing to process what happened. Liverpool eventually went on to win the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur, the first major trophy under Klopp.
