Liverpool showed they are a big dog ...with the fight of one

INSTEAD of again butchering Mark Twain’s most famous quote – or misquote, as it so often is interpreted – perhaps Liverpool’s resurrection here is best summed up by another of his pearls.

“To succeed in life you need two things: ignorance and confidence,” he wrote, conveniently paraphrasing for us the words of Jurgen Klopp, the day before this astonishing Premier League record-equalling victory over sorry Bournemouth.

The Reds boss had rather calmly spoken of his team meeting with his players in midweek, to discuss the ‘crisis’ which had apparently begun to gather following their worst start under him during his Anfield tenure.

It was a lengthy one, he had explained, but there was no venting, no screaming and shouting. Just perspective. Yes, Liverpool had failed to win their opening three matches, but there are worse things in life.

Klopp had conceded that things were wrong, but not as wrong as the hysteria surrounding his side had suggested. So ignorance of everything outside their camp was required – “We cannot do things simply to please the outside world,” he had suggested. “Just ignore all that.”

It was about confidence in what they had achieved over the past six years, and belief that it would not suddenly desert them now. That muscle memory was spectacularly evident here against Scott Parker’s poor unfortunates.

It wasn’t only the joint record Premier League win ever, it was Liverpool’s highest score in the competition, and equal to the biggest win in their top-flight history too. It was one for the ages. But to do it after such a stuttering start, and with so many injuries AND questions about them, it was a statement from Klopp’s side like no other. We can steal another inaccurate Twain quote (this time wrongly attributed to him) to sum it up: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” The truth is, Liverpool needed something here on a perfect Merseyside afternoon with the clear blue skies radiating a shimmering glow across Anfield. They delivered it, with a ferocious intent.

From skipper Jordan Henderson to the equally

shimmering form of Roberto Firmino (whose smile was even more dazzling than the late August sunshine), there was an expression almost of anger in this performance.

They wanted to put things right. They wanted to illustrate clearly that the physical and emotional despair of missing out on a quadruple only in their final two games of an epic campaign will not be their defining moment. They are still five points behind Manchester City of course, after their great rival’s statement of their own in a remarkable comeback win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool still have a tricky trip to Newcastle on Wednesday. Yet the landscape looks so different now, and that is the real secret of success.

Klopp said before the game: “I got washed with all kinds of water in my life, highs and lows, and it is all about how you deal with it.”

Exactly. These actions are louder than all the words spoken about Liverpool’s start to the season, about the loss of Sadio Mane and the need for a midfielder. They are over losing the league to City, over the devastation of