LIVERPOOL’S defending often still feels like getting someone else’s sick on your shoes during a wild night out. Liverpool’s attack often still stumbles like they’ve downed a stream of Jägerbombs on a wild night out. Liverpool’s midfield often still feels directionless, like the hordes in search of a taxi home following a wild night out.
Yet, Liverpool are different. Liverpool feel different.
Adam Lallana — shirt off, adrenalin up — Usain Bolting toward his manager to spark an indescribable scene that will be tattooed on the memory, different. Lucas Leiva — stood in the shootout huddle — turning to the terraces and encouraging those on them to bring the roof down, different. Joe Allen — smile as wide as the Mersey Tunnel — heading for his team-mates to take in his moment, different.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of meeting two wonderful members of Mainz’s staff.
They detailed how Jürgen Klopp reconstructed the club: transforming the mentality not just of the players, but everyone connected to the German side. From the board to the supporters, everything felt possible. The focus was not on problems, but solutions. The doubt had shifted, the atmosphere had been revived.
If Klopp said something could be done, they believed and set off to do it. From the minuscule details to the major ones, he made the sort of difference you could see, but importantly, that you could also feel.
Can you feel a difference now?
Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in November was Klopp’s first defeat as Reds boss and marked a month since he had flown in from Dortmund to take charge.
Scott Dann’s winner on 82 minutes prompted a mass exodus at Anfield, which the manager immediately highlighted and charged his players with remedying. “We are responsible that nobody can leave the stadium before the final whistle because anything can happen,” the 48-year-old said. “We have to show this and we didn’t.”
His demand was that Liverpool adopt a “we decide when it’s over attitude.”
At Norwich, Liverpool conceded in the 93rd minute and went again, getting the winner on 95 minutes. They decided when it was over.
They were headache-inducing against Stoke on Tuesday night, yet Simon Mignolet saved two penalties and Allen converted in sudden death to send Liverpool to Wembley.
Allen at the death denying Arsenal maximum points at Anfield.
Divock Origi doing the same against West Brom. The kids forcing a replay in a 2-2 FA Cup draw with Exeter, and winning the reverse fixture to progress.
Liverpool are learning to decide when it’s over. Regardless of how poor the defending, regardless of how disjointed the attack is, regardless of how laboured the midfield is. Learning to find a way, to create one. It won’t always work, but they’re working at it.
Klopp is busy with the minuscule details and the major ones. He is transforming the mentality. He is making the players believe that they can do all things, be all things. Mignolet can be a hero. Allen can be a hero. Lallana can be a hero. Insert any name here can be a hero.
Liverpool can be the best. And the worst. Go-to-town Liverpool, inglorious Liverpool. In between it all, Liverpool have a manager who is exactly what was wanted, what was needed.
Liverpool are a work in progress. Klopp’s reconstruction is slowly progressing.
Klopp attitude encapsulated in post match interview Tues night “Everton or Man city, we will win the Cup”. No prevarication or riders, just THAT.
Yep, Jurgen’s great. Love him. Perfect for the club.
“…Liverpool feel different…”
Says it all for me. No more cringeworthy ‘we were outstanding’ shite. No more standing on the touch line with a ‘what the eff do I do now?’ look on the manager’s face. No more sense that anybody can beat us (they probably can, but we no longer think so, and neither do they. And what’s more, neither does our squad.) no more blaming everyone else.
Klopp’ll do me. Even if we win nowt.
We could do with a bit more believing from some segments of our fanbase and a bit less snide and bitter and hateful holding on to the past.
Word.
Amen to that, Ellie. Amen to that.
“LIVERPOOL’S defending often still feels like getting someone else’s sick on your shoes during a wild night out.”
The start of a promising one liner, please finish it. :D
Excellent article. Reading this pumped my adrenalin up…(as if I were Lallana, Allen, or Mig) .
Could someone please share this article with Klopp?. Maybe he does not need any feedback, but the article itself plus fans feedback should still mean something to him. (everyone appreciates positive feedback, whether he is JC or JK).
I start to believe the whole team can walk on water and fly.
The standard of writing on TAW continues to excel. Some brilliant analogies you must have had quite some fun with.
I’m not sure however if I agree with your overall premise (or at least sub premises) – yes I agree it’s different but it’s a horrible different.Possibly the worse kind of almost zero consistency which only encourages this rather desperate celebration of the ordinary.
I expected Klopp to create some sort of physical platform but it appears he had focused on th mental platform as a priority. Probably one of two things either a) hard to beat or b) hard to contain of which we are still neither. At the very least you would have expected on or two individuals to shine and that has yet to really happen yet either (maybe Allen despite the support and Firmino ? Can and Ibe promised progress but we are net neutral on both I think)
So yes, long term optimism is inevitable given the stature of the man but is mental fortitude a genuine achievement and was it the highest priority. I’m not sure.
As I say tremendous writing and dos what it should do which is provoke thought and debate.