Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 in the final of the EFL Cup at the Wembley stadium on Sunday. It was the Reds’ first title of the season. Jürgen Klopp, the 56-year-old Liverpool manager in his final season at the club, has now won five trophies with them in eight years.
Five titles in eight years might not seem like a lot, but if one takes into account the fact that he had to contend with Pep Guardiola’s near-perfect Manchester City during that tenure, his achievements seem to be more praiseworthy.
Liverpool have got an identity under Klopp
Much like Barcelona in the 2000s and 2010s, Liverpool has consistently played with a 4-3-3 formation under Klopp. In his initial days at the club, he made his team adopt a tactic of high-pressing that was perfected by Roberto Firmino, a centre forward with enviable work-rate.
It was complemented by the Liverpool full-backs’ propensity to play long balls and crosses. In fact, they had one of the most explosive pairs of wide men in their defences in their history in the form of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.
In addition to that, there were acquisitions of no-nonsense midfielders like Georginio Wijnaldaum, Fabinho and Naby Keita during Klopp’s regime, all of whom helped them gain ascendancy in European football.
However, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are the
two players who have defined Liverpool during the Klopp-era. Van Dijk scored yet another important goal against Chelsea with a header last Sunday.
The future seems to be in good hands
Liverpool fielded a very young side in the final, demonstrating their unquestionable depth. While someone like Harvey Elliott has been proving his worth for quite some time now, a youngster like Conor Bradley has been a revelation this season.
If the likes of Salah and van Dijk are able to contribute a couple of more seasons at the club, the youngsters will get an opportunity of thriving in their presence.
Hence, whoever goes on to become Klopp’s successor, should find it relatively easy to carry on the
good work done by the German. Someone like
Xabi Alonso, who is touted to be the man to succeed Klopp, should enjoy working with the set-up and players Liverpool have.
Winning another league title is still very much possible
Liverpool is at the top of the league table at the moment with 60 points from 26 matches. However, Manchester City and Arsenal are one and two points adrift of them, respectively, and might go on to overturn the deficit.
Still, as of now, the Reds are the table-toppers and should continue to fancy their chances of winning the domestic title for the 20th time and thereby equate Manchester United’s feat.
Irrespective of whether it happens or not, Klopp is certain to have left a lasting legacy at Anfield. He will forever be cherished as the man who won the league title with the club after three long decades. He has also won the UEFA Champions league once with Liverpool and has been the runners-up on two other occasions.
