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Liverpool are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, but they haven't been able to live up to that billing over the last three decades. The club hasn't won anything substantial apart from the miraculous UEFA Champions League triumph in 2005 and a League Cup under Dalglish in 2012.
But ever since the appointment of Jurgen Klopp, the narrative has changed and there is a high spirit among the Kop faithful that this could be the year. Finally, the time has come, it could really be their year!
Slowly and in a very structured manner, the team has evolved to a giant in world football. So what are the changes that the "Normal One" as described by Klopp himself has done to change the team to take a four-point lead provisionally in the league over defending champions, Manchester City.
Transfers
To make any team a force to reckon with, world-class players are needed and the plea to this dilemma was answered by new acquisitions. Alisson is already the best keeper in the league and is the perfect fit as he is brilliant on the ball and Virgil Van Dijk who was bought in January 2018 is a bargain at £75 million and is arguably the best defender in the world right now.
Fabinho (£40 million from Monaco) has started slowly but ever since he has been moved to the deep-lying playmaker role, his performances have been impressive and has been a major upgrade over the inconsistent Henderson.
Shaqiri seems to have solved the backup attacker problem Liverpool were suffering from, in previous seasons. He’s not only one making an impact from the bench but has given Klopp a new option to play Salah, Mane, Firmino and the former Bayern winger together.
Naby Keita is the perfect box to box player whom Klopp wishes to have in his team and is yet to hit his stride and this idea only sends shivers through opponent’s spines.
Playing style
Often Klopp is criticized for his style of "gegenpressing" and relentless attack, but this season the scenario has changed and Liverpool are not that attack first team anymore. The pressing is not seen at a high pace in opponent’s half anymore in later stages of a game.
He has learnt lessons from the previous experiences such as losing to lowly Swansea away or drawing to Watford at home. This season, the Reds have been able to shutdown opponents with 13 clean sheets and the other striking point is this team's ability to grind out results, as it did against Napoli in the Champions League do-or-die game. Klopp changed this team’s mentality to give up it’s style for substance against lower quality teams.
Thus, Liverpool have tweaked in a magnificent manner and are on course to win the Premier League and it is much more significant as it comes in a time period of Pep’s Manchester City, which has swept almost all records possible in the Spaniard's brief yet successful tenure. Hopefully this victory could be the start that they require to build on the success of last year’s Champions League final appearance and bring back the glory days to Anfield!
