Liverpool much stronger and go deeper than for a very long time.. and Klopp knows what that means

A PHOTO of a bullishlooking Roy Hodgson with his arms around new signings has been getting an airing on social media this summer.

It’s from 2010 and shows the then Liverpool manager parading Joe Cole, Danny Wilson and Milan Jovanovic (right) with a look that says, “We’re on our way”.

Also in that window he brought in Paul Konchesky, Brad Jones, Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles. A collection of signings so dire that six months later Hodgson was on his way.

That photo has been used by Liverpool fans, alongside shots of Alisson Becker, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri, to show how far the club has progressed.

But the fact remains that since that picture was taken, eight years ago, Liverpool have won just one trophy. The Carling Cup. On penalties. Against Cardiff City.

Jurgen Klopp, who’s been manager for nearly three of those years, admitted this week it wasn’t good enough.

That signing top talent, playing fantastic football and going on barnstorming cup runs now has to translate into lifting silver.

“You are right and people will say that. It is the next step,” was his response when asked if Liverpool need to win a trophy this season.

And he was wise not to fudge his answer, but to recognise the logic in that demand, especially after smashing the world records paid for a defender and goalkeeper.

For a club of Liverpool’s standing in the global game it is baffling that they have gone 28 years without winning their domestic title, despite appearing in three Champions League finals in that time. But what is more frustrating for fans used to seeing trophies picked up even in the barren title years, is that for the past dozen seasons they have only won that single League Cup.

That indignity will be forgotten if Klopp wins a cup this season and is challenging for the Premier League at the death.

And with the squad he’s put together and the level they achieved at times last term when they thrice beat runaway title-winners Manchester City, they should be doing both. Because with Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Keita and Mo Salah, Klopp has built, in the space of a year, a potentially world-class spine at a club which hasn’t truly had one since the great teams of the 1980s.

The only other Liverpool side close to calling its spine world-class was the 2008-9 one with Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, which narrowly missed out on the title. But at least one of those would be the first to admit he wasn’t worldclass.

Whether this current spine is, remains to be seen. But Van Dijk and Salah have taken Liverpool up a level, Keita has shown in the Bundesliga he’s a special talent and, even if he takes time to settle in, Brazil’s No.1 can’t fail to be an upgrade on any keeper Liverpool have had since Reina.

The squad has flaws. Dejan Lovren is yet to prove he’s a consistent enough partner for Van Dijk, they lack a serious No.9 option if Roberto Firmino is out and with the Nabil Fekir deal appearing dead, they still haven’t replaced Philippe Coutinho.

But Liverpool’s squad is now stronger, deeper and more joined up than it has been for a very long time.

When Klopp was reminded last week of his incredulous response to Manchester United paying a world-record fee for Paul Pogba, he said: “Back then £100million was a crazy number. Since then the world obviously changed.”

The expectations of their fans never changes though. Winning one trophy, any one, this season, is the minimum expected.

Fortunately, Klopp knows it.