At the dawn of 2017, Liverpool fans were particularly jubilant. The Reds had beaten Manchester City 1-0 at Anfield and cut Chelsea’s lead at the top to just six points. The win, even in the absence of their talisman Philippe Coutinho, seemed a strong statement of intent.
Liverpool had successfully navigated tricky away fixtures against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton and were looking forward to a relatively easier second half of the season.
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Fast forward four months and the mood has changed. There is a prevailing sense of fear in the fanbase. The loss at home to Crystal Palace means finishing in the top four is no longer in their own hands. Losing the fourth spot would hurt enough by itself, but if the spot is lost to Manchester United of all teams, alas, a Liverpool fan knows no bigger pain.
Suddenly there are a lot of aspersions cast on Jürgen Klopp. Every statement of his was headline material during the first half of the season. By contrast, his words sound hollow and rhetorical now. While a Liverpool title within a few years would have seemed a reasonable expectation in November, a lot more questions are being asked in April.
But Klopp is no stranger to slow starts and turning around doubters. He has proven his mettle in promotion dogfights, relegation scraps and title contests in Germany. After years of mediocrity, premature sackings and boardroom disputes, Liverpool finally have the feel of a family again – and they would be wise to keep their faith in the German gaffer.
Here are 5 reasons why Klopp will win Liverpool a league title.
#1 Liverpool are financially stable after years
After American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet took over in 2007, the fans endured a few nightmarish years, even facing the threat of administration in 2010. Fenway Sports Group bid successfully for the club and took ownership in October 2010.
Juggling mounting debts alongside frequent managerial changes, FSG had to learn the art of running a Football Club the tough way.
But now, Liverpool are more stable and healthy commercially than they have been in over a decade. They’ve signed lucrative commercial deals in recent years. With the expansion of the main stand at Anfield, Liverpool will generate considerably higher matchday revenue in the coming years.
The club is finally in a position where it doesn't have to sell to finance debts. Thankfully, they have the right manager to take advantage of it.
#2 Offensive prowess
Even while toiling in a top four battle, Liverpool still lead the Premier League scoring charts (although some teams have games in hand). But to get a real idea of Liverpool's true potential in attack, rewind back to 6th November, when the Reds ripped Watford apart 6-1 at Anfield. Klopp's exuberant side comfortably led the scoring charts at the time.
Goals are so well distributed around the team that every player donning the red shirt on the pitch seems a potential goal threat.
Liverpool have scarcely had the opportunity of fielding all their offensive talents together since the turn of the year. The quintet of Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho have all missed weeks of action for varying reasons.
Over the past month or so, Liverpool have had to put up with the absence of Lallana, Mane and Henderson at the same time.
Next season and beyond, better luck with injuries and fresh signings (especially a prolific striker) should set Liverpool up for a fearsome assault on the league title.
#3 The potential return to Europe
It seems like Liverpool might return to Champions League again. Although Arsenal and Manchester United have games in hand, they face the prospect of squaring up against each other and against Tottenham Hotspur before the end of the season.
With the return of Adam Lallana, Liverpool might have enough in the tank to see out the last four games and make a return to the Champions League.
A return to the elite European competition would enable Klopp to sign players of better quality, not to mention successfully retain the best talents in the current squad.
With Klopp at the helm, expect Liverpool to assemble a much stronger squad in the coming seasons. After all, they have made more than enough mistakes in the past to learn from.
#4 The owners are patient and supportive
Even after a difficult set of results, Klopp remains the fourth least likely manager in the league to get sacked in the eyes of betting agencies (after Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino).
FSG have shown that they are prepared to back Klopp; the new 6-year contract signed in July 2016 was a testament to that. In the transfer market as well, the owners have shown a willingness to flex their muscles. Klopp himself admitted that it was he who pulled the plug on the deals for Alex Teixeira and Julian Draxler as he felt the money involved was not justified.
The German’s methods need time and patience. Borussia Dortmund were not built in a season. Borussia Dortmund finished sixth and fifth in the two seasons prior to winning back to back Bundesliga titles.
The nature of Klopp's focus on training ground development and youth integration inevitably requires a long-term view. From that aspect, the owners seem to be a perfect fit.
#5 His record against stronger teams
When a title race gets closer, the fine margins are often decided by the head to head clashes between the contenders. Manchester City wrestled the title back from Manchester United in the 2011-12 season by virtue of their 1-0 victory at the Etihad.
City went on to win the title on account of goal difference, reminding us all how decisive that match in Manchester turned out to be.
In that aspect, Klopp and Liverpool fans can breathe easy. Their record against the rest of the top seven is astoundingly good – unbeaten, and 26 points in 12 matches this season. Even in Europe last season, Klopp's reds unfailingly raised their game against the big boys.
