Liverpool have regularly made history under Jürgen Klopp, ever since he was appointed as manager back in 2015.
A sixth European Cup and ending the 30-year wait for a top division title in England are the obvious highlights. However, now, they’re making history for all the wrong reasons. A defeat to Fulham in March saw the Reds fall to a sixth consecutive league defeat at Anfield for the first time since the 50s. It’s something that few could have ever imagined would happen.
Jurgen Klopp’s #FaCup record:
2016 – 4th Rd ❌
2017 – 4th Rd ❌
2018 – 4th Rd ❌
2019 – 3rd Rd ❌
2020 – 5th Rd ❌
2021 – 4th Rd ❌📲🎧 https://t.co/5Du5Yilmm1#bbcfootball #FACup #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/fManJCNn6K
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) January 24, 2021
As a result, questions are now being asked of the German boss, which is understandable. Have Liverpool fallen apart, like his Dortmund side did before he left? Has he lost the motivation to succeed at the top? Given the stature of the Merseyside outfit, rivals were always going to enjoy sticking the boot in, and they will enjoy the fact that everything appears to be falling apart.
The options when you want to watch football online are greater than ever nowadays. But while there are over 140,000 events for sports fans to tune into via live streaming, we know our readers will have been following Liverpool the most closely. As such, we know you’ve seen a lot of cause for concern about this season. It’s not as if the team are losing through bad luck. It’s also not as if they are getting shown up by the best teams in the league. Instead, they’re getting beaten, and sometimes outplayed, by sides who are fighting to survive.
So, the criticism is justified. However, there are circumstances that need to be taken into account, notably the ridiculous injury list. Losing Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip was incredibly bad luck for Klopp, and it had a significant knock-on effect. It meant Fabinho and Jordan Henderson couldn’t play in midfield, with the latter also suffering from injury now too. That resulted in a drop off from the high-pressing football that made Liverpool so good.
Inevitably, results suffered, and the confidence of the group has been hit. Therefore, even the usually reliable front three are not delivering at the same rate they did before.
Yet, when assessing their contribution, you also can’t underestimate the lack of stability the team have in defence. Quite simply, not having those assured presences at the back makes the whole team vulnerable, creating pressure. It means sustaining attacks is harder, and the balance of the team is not what it was. Then, you have the quality of van Dijk in particular when it comes to playing out from the back, which is now missing.
That’s not to absolve Klopp of all blame, as he has clearly made mistakes this season, notably his persistence with a high defensive line. Similarly, you can’t pin it all on those coming into the XI, as they have all done their best, and are playing for a huge club that comes with big pressure.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he “couldn’t be more proud” after watching his side lift the Premier League trophy 👉 https://t.co/a721DSs9Hy #LFC pic.twitter.com/iXGxboHE6u
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 23, 2020
Ultimately, it’s been tempting to suggest Liverpool’s woeful title defence is the start of their demise, and potentially the end of Klopp. The reality is somewhat different, as a freak run of injuries has seen the Reds machine malfunction.
Liverpool, the fans, and Klopp may have to suffer for a few more months as a result, however when the key men who made this team formidable return, the good times will come back. Now, it’s just about getting through it.