Liverpool: An amazing season, cruel fate but the progress work continues

Six out of seven. Three out of three. For analysts, these are strong numbers. For the rivals, they are a constant laughing stock. What lies beneath is nobody’s business. A tie-breaker defeat, a second half capitulation from 1-0 & the loss of your talisman after a breathtaking 30 minutes - tales won’t find a place in any match reviews and analysis.

In the midst of severe criticism, no one will remember how a team went from 8th place to almost winning not one but three titles. The specifics of how it almost etched its name on a 6th European title will not matter. Perhaps harsh in this day and age but the last hurdle is the one that matters most. Life is a bit cruel to a certain Jürgen Klopp.

The Final

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final

Destiny: a logical result of the actions you are taking, combined with the circumstances and the actions of those around you.

These were the circumstances for Liverpool in last Saturday's UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.

1. Mohamad Salah raptured his shoulder bone and left the field for a scan;

2. Team morale dropped with Salah’s injury;

3. Loris Karius gifted not one, but two goals.

How can you defy destiny with those cold, hard realities?

Liverpool arrived in Kiev showing the rest of Europe that they are capable of achieving something big. A thrilling front three, an intense press and better defending energized the fan base world-wide in this remarkable and joyous campaign. There were possible signs, rightly so, indicating an end to the title drought. Their season was marred with injuries to key players, poor squad depth and the Reds had only eleven men to give it all they have in the final. Contrastingly, Real Madrid had an £85 million player waiting on the bench to deliver a world class strike.

In the end, Liverpool probably left too much on fate.

Football is a game of 11 versus 11, except for one position: the goalkeeper. Goals are scored through collective combination of 11. Goals are defended by the same 11 as well. A midfielder losing a ball knows the defender will back him up and finally the goalkeeper will save him, a defender missing a ball can still hope that the goalkeeper can rescue him, but what about the keeper himself? There is no one behind him except two posts and a crossbar. When it comes to the goalkeeper it is always 11 versus 1. Unfortunately, Karius left too much on his fate to protect him from behind.

Progress continues

Whilst the sixth successive cup final loss and third successive as Liverpool manager may well cast doubts on his management style and approach, there is no denying the fact that fans have started believing Klopp.

The club is moving emphatically in the right direction than it has ever been in the last ten years. There were sparks of brilliance in 2013-2014 season, a slight ray of hope in the 2016 Europa League final but now with two back to back Champions League qualifications, one big final, Liverpool are making it a habit.

Since the £300 million takeover in 2010, the owners have had a turbulent journey in bringing Liverpool back to where it stands today. Financially, the club is in the best possible position since Fenway Sports Group took charge. More importantly, they have chosen the right person to lead the club to its illustrious glory. They believe in Klopp’s project as Tom Werner recently said:

“We've always been optimistic because under Jürgen’s leadership we felt that we could achieve great things. Now we have a club that's financially stable. We are excited about the future.”

Liverpool Training Session and Press Conference — Jurgen Klopp - The Guardian

Future it is then and an immediate one.

The sudden drop in confidence and momentum among the players with Salah’s exit in the final didn’t go unnoticed. The lack of depth was cruelly exposed the whole season, especially in the final, leaving a distraught Klopp to accept his fate. The summer window, though, presents an opportunity to once again address the squad depth. With Naby Keita and Fabinho joining - Emre Can leaving – and the prospect of adding the creative Nabil Fekir, Liverpool already look much better.

This is still not enough, though. A first-choice goalkeeper is now a top priority to avoid any more calamitous nights. Key investments are also required in the winger position, a back up striker and possibly a center-back to add squad depth. The belief in Liverpool is that there should be adequate bench strength in both a variety of speed and quality to replace the first eleven, in case they can't go for the whole season.

The 2017-2018 season was a special journey for all Liverpool fans worldwide. The exciting brand of football, being back among the best in Europe and memorable wins in big matches are enormous steps forward in the right direction. What is most important and encouraging is the fact that there are no doubters any more, only believers who know that they have a guardian in Jürgen Klopp, who they completely trust.

Edited by Martin King