Nearly six years after Jurgen Klopp took the reins of Liverpool to eventually change the club’s fortunes in just a few months, the Reds may have learned from all the lessons they’ve received the past seasons.
It’s been a wonderful ride for the Merseyside club so far, but there were also some disappointments that weren’t easy to swallow. Even though they were crowned both in the Premier Leagueand the Champions League under the German boss, they’ve failed to do so in the same season.
Until now, it seemed like Liverpool were unable to challenge for both trophies at the same time. It was one or the other. But, only a couple of months into the 2021-22 season, the Reds are proving why they can finally claim both titles this time.
Liverpool constantly learned from experience under Klopp
When Klopp took over, the club was desperate for results, seeking a long-awaited return to domestic and continental prominence. It took some time and a couple of tough results, but Liverpool eventually found their way to success.
In hisfirst season at the helm, Klopp was close to delivering twotrophoes.But his sidecame up short both in the League Cup final vs. Manchester City and in the UEFA Europa League final against Sevilla.
Only two yearslater, the Reds were back in a UEFA Champions League final after a long time. But Real Madrid ran away with the trophy in a heartbreaking night for the English side. So, the trophyseemed quite elusive for Klopp, right?
Well, those results were just lessons on the road for a team that was destined to taste glory. Next season, Liverpool took revenge in a memorable run in the continental trophy, this time finishing strongly by beating Tottenham in the final. But they fell short inthe Premier League title race just by one point.
Liverpool with the 2019 UCL trophy. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
In the 2019-20, Liverpool finally ended a long drought to win the domestic title in great fashion, but despite looking unstoppable in England, they suffered an early UCL exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
But last season may have been a turning point for the Reds. A trophyless year, losing even the Community Shield to Arsenal, has challenged Liverpool to change things in order to get back tothe top. And they look like they learned from that campaign, as they did all these years from their previous frustrations.
Salah headlines a team that looks at its best again
Last season, injuries caught up with Liverpool, preventing them from pitting their best players to fight game in and game out. With Virgil van Dijk back, the defense looks strengthened again, but it’s remarkable how everyone in the lineup has recovered its best form.
And Mohamed Salah is without any doubt the one who represents thisat its best. With an impressive 17 goals in 13 appearances, the Egyptian supestar has been unstoppable, like he was in his first two seasons in which Liverpool lifted trophies.
We could be the entire day naming Liverpool’s fantastic players one by one, explaining how they’re helping the team enjoy this wonderful moment. But what matters is how everyone who steps into the field is proving to beup to the challenge.That wasn’t the case last season.
Liverpool demolished Manchester United in an inspiring performance. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The middle of the park can change, but anyone who is given the opportunity responds well. Harvey Eliott‘s scary injury looked like a huge blow for the team, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, and anyone who took his spot proved to be ready for it.
Liverpool missed a potentially double in the 2019-20when Atletico beat them in the Round of 16. But it looks like this teamhas learned a lot since then.Klopp’s men have had the upper hand in this year’s group stage, beating Diego Simeone’s side twice.
Of course, extending this run of form will be challenging as there’s still a long way to go. But if Liverpool can have the ruthlessnessthey showed against Manchester United, for instance, it’s clear why they can have reasons for optimism both in the domestic and European competition.
They might need to avoid conceding in certain situations of the game and against certainteams, but if they build on that ability to put their rivals away like they did many times this season, Liverpool shouldn’t have a problem in conquering the most important titles at stake.
