Pumped up Liverpool ready for onslaught
GREAT EXPECTATIONS Having not won a single EPL title, Merseyside club looks bestplaced to claim top honours
european 2 DAYS TO GO NEW DELHI: Reaching the final of the Europa League and the Champions League in two years has led to the question finally being asked: will it be Liverpool’s time in the Premiership this term? Will punching above its weight in Europe lead to a first Premiership title for a club that won the FA Cup 12 seasons ago?
The heavy spending in this transfer window — in the excess of €180 million (now approximately ₹1432 crore) — has already got tongues wagging. Fans are bracing for a life-defining season. The Machiavellian Jose Mourinho has added fuel to fire by saying Liverpool have no option but to win the Premier League after a splurge of this magnitude.
The only person calm amid the hoopla is Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp. He knows that when you are dealing with a club of Liverpool’s pedigree, a solitary league title like Blackburn would not be enough. He knows keeping up the quality over a reasonable period of time, akin to what Sir Alex Ferguson did with Manchester United, would be a whole different ask. Even Ferguson had to go through years of hell, dealing with indiscipline and uninspired players before winning the 1989-90 FA Cup.
But Klopp has seen progress. Consecutive fourth-place finishes after ending eighth in his first season (2015-16) meant Liverpool could qualify for the Champions League. Making it to the final in 2018 indicated their re-emergence. “To qualify for a final, it shows that you are back. To win it? You need a little bit of luck and stuff like that is involved. But we are back. First and foremost. Even if you win, you cannot stop. If you lose, you cannot stop. I really like the way we are as a club, as a team,” Klopp was quoted as saying by The Tele- graph ahead of the final in May.
In a league where consistency rewards coaches with long contracts that help shape a team for many seasons, Klopp has done well by pacing his stint. His credibility receiving a huge boost due to an impressive European run, Klopp is now exploiting it by adding players to the roster without blinking. And the names are big.
No doubt, Mohamed Salah (2017) remains Klopp’s ace upfront. By adding Ghanaian central midfielder Naby Keita (2018) from RB Leipzig, he brings much-needed creativity to the middle. The midfield makeover is complete with Fabinho (2018) who was procured from Monaco at € 45 million (now almost ₹357.9 crore). Equally crucial could be the addition of Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke.
By giving Keita, Fabinho and Shaqiri five-year contracts, Klopp is sending a message that he is thinking long-term. Even the 25-year-old Alisson Becker, who Klopp hopes will be the solution to Liverpool’s goalkeeping woes, is contracted till 2024. Becker comes j ust behind centre-back Virgil van Dijk who joined in the January transfer window at a world record €78.8 million (now almost Rs 626.8 crore) deal. This means Liverpool have already broken the world transfer record for goalkeepers and defenders.
To say Liverpool have been ambitious in their expenditure would be understating their urgency to emerge as title contenders again, years after Ferguson knocked them off ‘their fxxxing perch.’ Within three seasons, they look ready to stand toeto-toe with defending champions Man City. And given Klopp’s impressive ability to change a club’s outlook — Borussia Dortmund can vouch for that — Liverpool may be primed to win their first league title since 1989-90.