A year back Liverpool were struggling against league two opposition Carlisle United in the Carling Cup. The match ended with some poor penalties being taken and Liverpool nervously winning it 3-2. The signs were already there that it was the nearing the end of the Brendan Rodgers’ era. Contrast that to the victory against Derby County, Liverpool were emphatic in their performances. Jurgen Klopp has built a team which has started fans and pundits alike to take notice of them.
Work ethic and flexibility
The work ethic of the team is exceptional. Liverpool top the table when it comes to the distance covered on the pitch in the Premier League. The team is no longer dependent on superstars. Liverpool has started at least one league game without one of Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge and in none of the games it seemed to make a big difference on the performance or the outcome.
This is some progress considering that Liverpool's main question in the previous few seasons was when would Sturridge or Coutinho return to the side. The pressure on these players also seemed to hamper some of their performances.
Also read: 5 reasons why Jurgen Klopp is the perfect choice for Liverpool
The flexibility in the team is also exceptional. Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Adam Lallana all have played in roles which are not usually considered their best positions on the pitch. The difference in the attitude of the players is also stark. The manager has put the interests of the team clearly ahead of the players’ interests.
There were reports of players like Sturridge and Milner signing for Liverpool because the previous management would play them in their preferred roles as a central striker and central midfielder respectively. One could argue that Milner is a square peg in a round hole just like Emre Can was during Rodgers’ era. But the ploy has worked so far especially taking the pressure off the shoulders of Alberto Moreno whose confidence has dipped a lot.
No longer are Liverpool fans worried if Coutinho is likely to be tempted by European heavyweights. Same is the case with Sturridge as Divock Origi has proven that with development he can be a decent replacement for Sturridge.
Recruitment strategy
During Rodgers' time at Liverpool, the incoming transfers were always reported as either a committee signing or a Rodgers’ choice. The gaps between the manager and the other members of the committee were apparent and leaked to the press often. Under Klopp, so far there has been no evidence to suggest the same.
Reports suggest that Klopp has a greater say in the choice of the players. On the face of it, the manager and the transfer committee are in sync in terms of vision. Klopp has also emphasised on the development of players both from academy and first team players.
Although his predecessor Rodgers did also speak a lot about the development of players. It did not reflect in his actions especially with the treatment dished out to the likes of Can, Lazar Markovic and Luis Alberto. Klopp's trust on Ings is also another testament to his belief in developing players.
There were reports of Liverpool having received an offer for Danny Ings and Klopp rejected it saying that the striker was a part of his plans. The likes of Sheyi Ojo, Cameron Brannagan and Joe Gomez have already caught the attention of Klopp and could soon be a part of the first team in the coming seasons. Klopp's past experiences include overseeing the development of the likes of Marco Reus and Mario Gotze.
Footballing identity and squad
Liverpool seemed to have lost its footballing identity in the last few seasons under Rodgers. The Northern Irishman started off with a tiki-taka system but soon shifted to a counter attacking style and then simply lost the plot in the final two seasons. The balance was lost in the team by shifting to a fairly defensive formation and opponents started countering it easily.
Under Klopp, Liverpool recently have a good balance. The counter pressing style is especially attractive to watch and the Reds also have been excellent in possession with a great improvement in the decision-making of players.
With the addition of the likes of Joel Matip, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane and Marko Grujic, Klopp has addressed the weaknesses of height and strength in the team. Klopp has also provided confidence to the likes of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana, two players who were thought by many to be ones most likely to leave after the German’s arrival at the club. Adam Lallana is perhaps one of the first names on the team sheet these days.
Emre Can, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino have also rediscovered their form under Klopp. The depth in the squad seems to be pretty good quite different to previous title challenging seasons when Fernando Torres or Luis Suarez had the likes of David Ngog or Iago Aspas as their backups or the likes of Victor Moses or Nabil El Zhar as backups for the wingers.
There have been exceptional performances away from home against big teams but never with such consistency. The bigger challenge remains to maintain the consistency against teams which are ready to park the bus and allow the majority of the possession to Liverpool.
Klopp managed to take Liverpool to two finals last season without any additions to his squad. With an increased capacity in Anfield, if Liverpool can start making Anfield ‘a fortress’ again with the added support, it could be one roller-coaster ride this season.
When Klopp came to Liverpool last season, he mentioned about turning ‘doubters’ to ‘believers’ . The journey has begun quite well. It is still early times in the season, but the signs look really promising for Liverpool and Klopp.
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