Sport
This could yet be Liverpool’s greatest season
Liverpool are a club famous for their fighting spirit.
Now, every club has its own sense of history and tradition and, for many, hearing about another team’s never-say-die attitude will be somewhat tiresome.
Still, few would doubt it being the kind of cornerstone upon which Liverpool are built. Those special Anfield nights are a cliche for a reason, after all, and the miracle of Istanbul remains arguably the most famous Champions League/European Cup final of all time.
A club who have enjoyed some of the best campaigns any team has ever witnessed, there’s something special about this season.
Now, Jurgen Klopp’s side might have been in control of the Premier League two years ago as they romped to a first title in 30 years. Back then, there was an air of invincibility to the squad, a sheen that never really seemed to fit
For a team built on emotion, a procession just doesn’t seem right, wonderful as it may have been to see.
In Klopp, they have a rugged, passionate, relatable manager. Indeed, the major criticism of Manchester City over the years has been that they are simply too efficient, too robotic to enjoy, whereas Klopp’s side usually offer the antithesis of that.
That is why this could be Liverpool’s greatest ever season. Should they topple this City – not the one we saw in 2019/2020 – by chasing them down, it’s surely up there with the greatest ever achievements in Premier League history.
Clearly, Liverpool are not afraid to invest and have a squad many around the continent would envy. Their backing, however, simply cannot match the likes of City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain.
Newcastle United are another who, while further away, could soon enter that kind of realm.
Klopp, however, has built a team in his own image through smart signings and a composed tactical blueprint. All things being equal, City and Chelsea should be way out in front given their respective wage bills but it is Liverpool – while not exactly plucky underdogs – who could emerge victorious.
In order to match up with the great teams of old, this set of players need to start winning more trophies. That might sound churlish given they’ve conquered both England and Europe in recent years, but the bar set by Liverpool squads of the past is high.
Jamie Carragher has spoken of his desire to see this team add more trophies to their cabinet and the win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final points to a team now ready to start stockpiling.
Trent Alexander-Anrold, meanwhile, wants this squad to start targeting “one trophy a season”. To sit alongside the pantheon of great Liverpool teams over the years, there is a need to start collecting.
For the first time since being appointed, Klopp has appeared to put an emphasis on domestic cups. Something is changing. This Liverpool team want it all. That’s not to say it all has to come this season but, more generally, the current set of players look more than capable of ticking off every competition during the rest of their time together.
Having ended the League title hoodoo, the anxiety has been lifted. Rather than put everything into the big one, the success can flow even further. The FA Cup and the Champions League both offer further avenues of success this season too, potentially adding yet more trophies to the club’s cabinet.
That, coupled with the thrill of the chase on a Manchester City side in some of the best form we’ve ever seen them in, could lead to another famous year for Liverpool. In his seventh year in England, this could be the best we’ve ever seen of Klopp’s team.
