On May 19th, 2024, Jurgen Klopp made his final address to Anfield before leaving Liverpool.
It was the end of a transformative nine-year reign in which he dragged the club back to the summit of English and European football. Klopp changed the expectations, the mood and the belief around Liverpool.
He left behind a side he insisted was ready for the future, one still full of hunger, quality and promise. Two years later, those words make for difficult reading. Liverpool’s standards have collapsed this season, and for many, the delayed impact of Klopp’s departure is clear to see.
Should Arne Slot drop Mohamed Salah from the squad to face Brentford? 👀
A sour end could be in store…
Jurgen Klopp’s message of hope to Liverpool a long way from reality
Klopp’s Anfield farewell was emotional. Liverpool had beaten Wolves 2-0, the sun was out, the squad looked talented and the future felt bright under Arne Slot.
That was exactly the message Klopp wanted to leave behind.
Speaking to supporters at Anfield (via Liverpoolfc.com), he said: “It doesn’t feel like an end, it just feels like the start because I saw today a football team playing full of talent, full of youth, full of creativity, full of desire, full of greed. That’s one part of development, that’s what you need obviously.”
At the time, it was easy to believe him. Liverpool then won the Premier League last season, briefly making it look like the transition had been handled perfectly.
But this campaign has felt very different. Now, it does feel like the end of something. Maybe not the end of Liverpool as a force, but certainly the end of the culture Klopp built.
The team no longer looks full of creativity, desire or greed. The pressing has faded, the confidence has gone and the squad looks fractured under Slot.
It is not as though Liverpool have completely ripped up the squad since Klopp left. Plenty of the players he trusted are still there, but their mentality looks different.
Mohamed Salah could be leaving after publicly questioning the direction of the team. Andy Robertson may also be playing his final game this weekend, while Alisson Becker continues to be linked to Juventus.
Should Arne Slot drop Mohamed Salah from the squad to face Brentford? 👀
A sour end could be in store…
They were standard-setters. If all three go, another huge part of his Liverpool disappears with them.
Klopp told supporters to keep believing because he saw a team ready to grow. Two years later, the club looks to be going in the opposite direction.
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