Liverpool – scrutinizing the impact of Jurgen Klopp’s departure

Jurgen Klopp’s imminent departure from Liverpool has left Liverpool fans in shock. As the architect of Liverpool’s resurgence and the mastermind behind their recent successes, Klopp’s exit will mark the end of an era for the Merseyside club.

The German was appointed in October 2015 as the successor to Brendan Rodgers, who left the club in tenth position on the league standing after a run of poor results.

For years before the appointment of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool was a shadow of what it had been in the past and struggled to even finish in the top half of the Premier League table.

UEFA Champions League participation was a thing of history, and even in the second tier of European club competition, they failed to impose themselves for a club with so much pedigree.

They struggled to keep hold of their best players as they lost their relevance, presenting avenue for clubs not in their previous standard prise their best players away.

A popular name is Fernando Torres, whom the club’s fans have not forgiven for leaving their darling club to join Chelsea in a famous £50 million move in the winter of 2011.

Until then, Torres had never won a silverware in England. He won four at Chelsea, including the UEFA Champions League title in his first full season.

Luis Suarez also joined Barcelona in search of success after growing into one of the best players in the world, while Liverpool showed no potential for decorating him with silverwares.

Fortunately, Jurgen Klopp arrived, and all those became history…

Jurgen Klopp arrived with an exceptional reputation

Jurgen Klopp arrived with an exceptional reputation, too much for a club like Liverpool, who has succumbed to the fate of being out of the top club debate in English top division. Not too much was anticipated by fans.

With Borussia Dortmund, he won back-to-back Bundesliga titles at the expense of a Bayern Munich team, who paraded names like Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who were some of the biggest stars in the sport at the time.

He also took the club to the final of the UEFA Champions League, where they narrowly lost to Bayern Munich in Wembley, London.

Though he won five titles in seven seasons for Dortmund, doing so in Germany, where Bayern Munich enjoys utter dominance, and after inheriting a team in shambles, makes it more special.

In the season before his appointment, Dortmund finished 13th in the Bundesliga and had never finished in the top five in five seasons altogether before Jurgen Klopp was named the boss in 2008.

Despite a regrettable end to his tenure at the club, he is still famously remembered on the streets of Dortmund as the manager who has won their final two Bundesliga titles, till date.

Turned doubters to believers

At Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp took over a side that had lost not only the weight of its name but also its best player. Raheem Sterling had just moved to Manchester City, although Robert Firmino would go on to become more significant in the club’s history.

In his first season, Klopp took Liverpool to the UEFA Europa League final, beating his former club Dortmund in a sensational quarter-final second-half comeback.

Trailing 3-1 just before the hour-mark, Liverpool scored three goals through Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho, and a Dejan Lovren injury time goal to win 4-3 and progress 5-4 on aggregate.

Unfortunately, they lost to Sevilla in the final. Despite an eighth place finish in the Premier League that season, the feeling around the red side of Merseyside was that there is a reason to believe again.

That moment marked the start of a new and productive era in the history of Liverpool. It was followed by the backing of the management, whom despite their financial frailties, still supported Jurgen Klopp as much as they could.

The team’s improvement continued, and the likes of Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah eventually joined the Kop, forming a fantastic four attack for the club alongside the Brazil duo of Coutinho and Firmino.

The moment it all turned around for good at Liverpool

Liverpool played beautifully but had a lot to make up for in defense as they were conceding too many. Fortunately, the funds received from the transfer of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona helped them secure their backline.

From the fund, Liverpool signed Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, who both contributed and continue to do so in making the club’s defense one of the best around.

Between 2018 and 2022, Liverpool reached three out of five UEFA Champions League finals, though they were able to win just one. Also, in that period, they ended their 30-year wait for a Premier League title.

Eventually, the lost glory has been restored to Liverpool, and doubters have been turned to believers by Jurgen Klopp, the Kop’s miracle worker.

Liverpool is back to being the elite club it is known as, and it continues to grow financially, while also attracting better players.

Unfortunately, every good thing eventually comes to an end, and Jurgen Klopp, who announced his imminent departure from Liverpool late in the month of January, has put the hierarchy and fans in a state of uncertainty.

It was a difficult task getting hold of a manager to restore their identity after more than 20 years in no man’s land. The task ahead is not easy, even though in the end, they may get it right.

Klopp’s departure will leave a significant void in Liverpool’s tactical setup. His high-intensity playing style, known as “gegenpressing,” has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success.

Finding a manager capable of replicating Klopp’s tactical genius will be a daunting task for Liverpool’s hierarchy.

The expectation of fans has skyrocketed again, and their large appetite has ensured the club has a massive task at hand replacing Jurgen Klopp, and errors could be very detrimental in their relationship with the supporters.

Jurgen Klopp; beyond tactics and digits

Beyond tactics, Klopp’s departure also means the loss of his inspirational leadership and motivational prowess. His charismatic personality and passionate touchline antics have endeared him to players and fans alike.

Instilling a winning mentality and sense of belief within the squad, evident in his latest interactions with the club’s Academy players, who he trusted during this period, when injuries have sidelined most of their senior players.

In the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp featured a host of teenagers, including 18-year-old striker Jayden Danns, who impressed in Wembley and followed it up with a brace off the bench in the FA Cup win over Southampton.

He groomed Trent Alexander-Arnold to become a world class player, and under his wings, the likes of Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, and Jarrel Quansah are finding their feet at the club.

In recent times, he has given first team debuts to the likes of Lewis Koumas, Conor Bradley, James McConnell, Bobby Clark, and Trey Nyoni. Also, 18-year-old Ben Doak signed from Celtic has reached double figures of appearances.

His trust in youth has served as motivation for the youths at the club. This has really helped in taking his relationship with the locals to more than just the coach of their darling club.

Leaving behind a team in transition

Jurgen Klopp’s successor will inherit a team in transition, tasked with maintaining Liverpool’s competitive edge while ushering in a new era.

The German has moved on from an era ruled by Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, and others. Though some important names still remain in the team. However, the identity of the team is different now compared to then.

Mohamed Salah was heavily linked with a move to the middle East last summer and for an Arab man who will already be 32 before the start of next season, he could follow the train to Saudi Arabia this summer if a lucrative offer comes in.

Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and others, in the company of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Andrew Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and more will look to continue the dynasty.

For the new manager, navigating this transition period effectively will be crucial for Liverpool’s sustained success, as they look to remain competitive in both domestic and European competitions.

Although they only won one Premier League title under Jurgen Klopp, if they do not make it two come the end of this season, the team will be judged to be only unlucky not to have won more, no thanks to the domineering presence of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

At a club like Manchester United, fans would take one Premier League title in seven seasons as a failure during the time of Sir Alex Ferguson. These days, however, everyone has succumbed to the dominance of the other side of Manchester and will be grateful to win one in the era of Guardiola.

Expectations and challenges awaiting the new managerKeeping up the standard will be the main task, and this will not be easy to achieve. Liverpool is currently on par with Manchester City, albeit a bit behind. However, many believe that they are the closest to Pep Guardiola’s team in the division.

The rise of Arsenal will be a challenge for the new boss. The competitive level of the lead could see a top team lose its top status for any slight error. Losing your manager after almost a decade could be the biggest one.

Best managerial option available for Liverpool

Taking Xabi Alonso links beyond speculation

Due to his success with Bayer Leverkusen, a club he took over when in 17th position in the Bundesliga in October 2022, Xabi Alonso is the fans’ favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

In less than two years 18 months since he took over, Xabi Alonso took Leverkusen to the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League, where they narrowly lost to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

He helped them to a sixth place finish in the league last season, securing European football despite a shambolic start to the season.

This term, the club is unbeaten in 33 games across all competitions, setting a new record for the most games unbeaten to the start of new season for a German club, surpassing the previous record of 32 set by Bayern Munich in 2019-20.

His side also remains active in all competitions. Currently topping Bayern Munich by eight points in the Bundesliga, ending the Bavarians’ 11 consecutive league title success will be massive for the resume of Xabi Alonso.

Moreso, the Spaniard is a former Liverpool player and has spoken fondly of his time at the club. Although he has not confessed a desire to manage the club, signs are this is a possibility he would welcome.

“My time at Liverpool was so special. The connection I had with the fans, the city, the club, it was something unique. It will always hold a special place in my heart,” Xabi Alonso said about the club.

Just like Jurgen Klopp, dethroning Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga title will make him deserving of the job at Liverpool. Though the club will also face stiff competition from other heavyweights looking to hire the Spaniard.

Whether Xabi Alonso succeeds Jurgen Klopp or another manager is hired, the truth remains that moving on from the German will not be plain sailing, and fans have to be ready for any possibility.

The hopes and future of the club, fans and players will be left in the air in the wake of Jurgen Klopp’s departure, and getting the right successor will be vital in maintaining significance so the club will not return to the wilderness.

Hassan Afolabi