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"Klopp is building something special at Anfield." - Gary McAllister
The Advent
When Brendan Rodgers was sacked by Liverpool after yet another dispiriting draw against their derby rivals Everton in 2015, all eyes turned to former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp. In fact, it was the availability of the bespectacled German that made the Liverpool faithful confident enough to call for the axing of their Northern Irish boss.
The Fenway Sports Group - the club owners who are often condemned by the fans for their bootless decisions - this time opted to go with the supporters and appointed Klopp in no time.
The ex-Mainz coach put pen to paper, agreeing to take over as the club manager with the excitement of a 19-year-old signing for his favourite club and that was enough to convince everyone that he was tailored for Liverpool. A match made in heaven!
It was not a champion squad that he had inherited rather a decent side that had a shaky footing and that was the first obstacle in his way at his new club.
From doubters to believers!
Although there were a sundry number of things to be changed at the club, Klopp was on the ball and knew exactly where to begin.
It wasn't the squad that needed rebuilding. Rather, the years of ceaseless turbulence had caused incredulity in the Kop, the Anfield Road and anything and everything related with this historic English club, and it was this incredulity that was needed to be uprooted first.
"We have to change from doubters to believers. Now!", Klopp rallied in his first interview as Liverpool boss.
The newly appointed gaffer was right. There was some sort of bleakness at the club and such dubiety doesn't go well with a club of Liverpool's stature. That doubtfulness was a bigger fiasco than the club's inability to win trophies for years.
And hence, changing the Liverpool family 'from doubters to believers' was the first impediment the then 48-year-old faced.
His rallying cry in his first interview was just not enough to do that, but it definitely awakened the fans from their long sleep of cynicism. It was the unfolding of something exceptional.
Liverpool was placed tenth on the league table when he arrived and it seemed to be an onerous task for Klopp to show the supporters some sort of augury of success.
Despite all that, he led the club to the finals of the Captial One Cup and UEFA Europa League. Even though the team's valiant efforts in both the competitions went fruitless as they faced defeats in both of them, it was not that it went down the drain. In fact, it succoured Klopp's cause.
Slowly, Liverpool were turning into believers again and the Reds' incredible 4-3 victory against Klopp's former side Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the quarter-final of the Europa League was a superlative example for that.
The Rise
Once his initial hurdle was overcome, it was time for Klopp to accelerate. His accolades with Dortmund in the Bundesliga meant that there were eyes closely watching him. Anything substandard would result in ruthless opprobrium from friends and foes, and he knew that more than anyone else.
The prodigious amount of pressure and trials weren't able to put Klopp down. The German's first two full seasons at Liverpool saw the club finish in the top 4 of the league consecutively - a feat novel to them since 2009.
And Liverpool's unbelievable Champions League run this season is an exemplary indication of what is yet to come under the 50-year-old.
Even when his nitpickers strewed deceptive numbers suggesting that he was no better than his predecessor, a much more bona fide approach showed the opposite. The appreciable improvement in the overall performances of players like Alberto Moreno, Loris Karius and Dejan Lovren - who were earlier considered deadwood - is yet another example to it
When Roberto Firmino, a flash in the pan on the verge of being termed as another steeply priced flop signing abruptly turned into the linchpin of the team or when Trent Alexander-Arnold, a crude teenager from Merseyside turned into a shrewd right-back with a spot in his national side's world cup squad or when Andy Robertson, your average mid-table team left-back turned into a class act, many naysayers still denied Klopp's acumen.
The reason why Klopp's detractors like to prey on him is because the stats are not on his side. Trophy-less five years, six consecutive final defeats and numbers of that sort are used to lambaste him.
But there must be a reason that the Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool fans adore their often wickedly smiling gaffer (Klopp still remains the boss to the Mainz and Dortmund supporters despite his departure) ain't it?
There is some kind of euphoria that the German bestows in their hearts. The mould of football he administers and the fervour with which he stands in the technical area make the fans want to cherish him. They feel he is one of them and not many managers in the history of the beautiful game prospered in doing that.
The Destiny
This week Liverpool wrapped up a deal for Brazilian midfielder Fabinho and no one actually saw it coming. Like one twitter user aptly said, two years ago the Monaco player would have joined Manchester City or even Barcelona, but now he joined the Reds and none other than Klopp is the reason for it.
On three occasions Klopp and his boys came close, but no cigar. and that should be it. The moment has come for one of England's most triumphant clubs to recoup their identity. It is time for them to write a story of their own - one long epic story.
What fate holds for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool Football Club remains to be known, but you can bet your life that it is going to be one helluva cock and bull story.
Gary McAllister was right. It ain't a squad that the Liverpool manager is building. It is something special. An empire!
What's your take on Jurgen Klopp's reign at the Kop? Sound off in the comments below!
