Jurgen Klopp reveals the two standout ‘horrible’ moments in his Liverpool reign
Apart from the obvious fact that they played magnificent football throughout the tenure of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Manchester City winning the league title in 2018-19 and 2021-22 sat on extremely fine margins.
John Stones cleared a shot from Sadio Mane only 11m away from the goal line. Imagine. Liverpool had to wait a whole another season to win the Premier League just because a random English bloke who turned out to be a world-class defender kept the ball 11m away from the goal line. That clearance was worth its weight in gold for Pep Guardiola’s side in hindsight. Manchester City beat Liverpool to the 2018-19 league title BY ONE POINT.
Liverpool absolutely bossed English football the next season to wrap the league up by November. Klopp also recalled another fine point which also was extremely detrimental in Liverpool not winning another league title under the German. 2021-22. Quadruple charge. Everton were chasing an equaliser against Manchester City when Rodri found himself in hot water. The Spanish midfielder seemed to handle the ball in the penalty area, which could have given Everton a chance to level the score from the spot. Despite passionate appeals and a VAR review, no penalty. What happened at the end of the season? Liverpool – 92 points. City 93. Margins could not get any finer even if they tried.
A game of margins!
Here is what Jurgen Klopp had to say while speaking of these minute incidents which kept him away from another Premier League title via The Telegraph:
“In those seasons we had 364 days, really enjoyable, when we had 90 odd points and were nearly there. Then in the one moment it is awful, horrible; the block at City [John Stones in 2019], the handball of Rodri [versus Everton in 2022], so many little things where you thought, ‘Oh my god.”
It’s clear those moments still stick with him, showing just how close Liverpool came to even more success.
Now, Klopp’s time at Liverpool will always be remembered for the highs and the near misses. He’s been brilliant at getting the team to believe and fight for every inch. The fact that Liverpool’s been right at the top consistently is down to Klopp’s magic touch and the quality of the lads on the pitch.
As Klopp’s about to say his goodbyes, the club’s got to build on what he’s left behind. Arne Slot, the new gaffer coming in, has some big boots to fill, but he’s got a solid team to work with. It’s a crucial time for Liverpool, and the hope is they’ll keep pushing for titles and maybe avoid those tiny margins that have caught them out before.
To sum it up, while Klopp’s had his fair share of frustrations with those near misses, he also appreciates the journey and the successes Liverpool’s enjoyed under his watch.
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The Reds have shown they can bounce back and fight with the best. As Klopp steps down, the aim will be to keep that fire burning and go for even more glory in the future. Those fine margins will always be a part of Liverpool’s story, but so will the grit and determination that Klopp’s instilled in the team.
