In Klopp, Liverpool have the right man to revive past glory

mountain. Liverpool’s rise to preeminence in Europe was no accident. In the autumn of 1973, a fine Red Star Belgrade side beat them 2-1 both home and away. The traditional British virtues were no match for the Yugoslavs’ sophisticated passing and movement, and in the years that followed, Bob Paisley and the other Boot Room men who succeeded the great Bill Shankly created a style that married the physicality and speed of the English game with the passing rhythms of the continent. Klopp has done something similar. His teams are comfortable on the ball, but don’t fetishise possession in the way that others do. As Manchester City and countless other sides have discovered this season, Liverpool are often at their most lethal on the counter, with the jet-heeled Salah and Sadio Mane supplemented by the clever movement and creativity of Firmino.

But Klopp had seen enough defensive calamities during his tenure to recognise that such electrifying attacking play isn’t enough. You can quibble with the size of the transfer fee, £75 million, paid for Virgil van Dijk in January, but there’s no mistaking the influence he has had. With van Dijk in front of him, Loris Karius looks a top-notch goalkeeper. Trent Alexander-arnold and Andrew Robertson had storming games against City, and Dejan Lovren was a rock alongside van Dijk. When Shankly signed Ron Yeats in 1961, one of the first pieces in a title-winning jigsaw, he invited the media to: “Take a walk around my centrehalf, gentlemen, he’s a colossus!” It wouldn’t be a surprise if Klopp did the same with van Dijk.

From this point on, Liverpool will fancy their chances against anyone. Undoubtedly, Real Madrid, in the midst of creating yet another European dynasty, are the team they’d least like to face. But the manner in which they saw off David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Pep Guardiola on the touchline means that none of Real, Bayern Munich or Roma will fancy that trip to Anfield.

The one-time kings of Europe are back from exile.