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The precedent
Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho are the stars who have left Anfield Stadium for pastures anew in the recent past, and all of them have something in common; they were poached by Europe’s elite, and were quite keen to force moves away from Merseyside.
Liverpool, with such a rich history and such attacking flair now under Jurgen Klopp, continue to have to deal with their stars being attracted away by Europe’s best. Just this window, Emre Can refused to extend his contract with the Reds, finding Juventus a more lucrative option. When questioned about the motive of his move, he listed one reason as “to win titles”.
The current predicament
Liverpool last season were so dynamic in attack, so direct in approach, so eloquent in expression, and so revitalised in their pressing. Yet they fell short at the final hurdle in the Champions League to defending champions Real Madrid after sacrificing finishing higher up in the league to get to that final date with Madrid in Kiev.
Despite playing some of the most compelling football last season, subjugating teams to their will, Liverpool wound up without a trophy, whereas Sterling, Coutinho and Suarez all won their respective leagues by a significant margin.
The Plan Forward
This season, however, Liverpool have broken the bank on reinforcements, with Fabinho, Shaqiri, Naby Keita, and Alisson Becker all arriving with large price tags, but even larger ambitions and a determination to turn the club’s fortunes around once and for all. Christian Pulisic may still arrive at Anfield ahead of the new season as well.
Jurgen Klopp faces a defining season; his passion on the sidelines and his man management skills have been second to none whenever he has taken to the dugout as a Liverpool manager, or a Borussia Dortmund manager, for that matter. However, one box he has failed to check during his time in England is that of silverware.
He has guided Liverpool to a Europa League final and a Champions League final, but wound up on the wrong side on both occasions. And given how short a football player’s career is, one wonders exactly when a player’s patience wears thin at the lack of accolades to his name, especially when you consider the breathtaking style of football being played. It only adds to the frustration – if the football is so good, why won’t it translate into results? No one wants to play beautiful football and have nothing to show for it.
And now that this Liverpool team, on paper, seems to have no prominent weaknesses – with Fabinho, Van Dijk and Alisson Becker all arriving to plug major voids in Liverpool’s set up – one would think that this side assembled by Jurgen Klopp is probably the best in the past decade or so, and best equipped to seriously contend for, and be triumphant, in all competitions.
The possible repercussions
However, with that in mind, it is necessary to look at the one huge contingency. If the strongest Liverpool side of the decade falls short when it matters most, then can any Liverpool side manage to win that elusive Premier League trophy?
And the effect it will have will be massive: that of a potential mass exodus. The big question is, at what point do the likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino say, “Hey, I’m a good player and I ought to have something to show for it by now. But if it just isn’t working out for me here, and I’ve got the likes of City, Juventus, Barcelona and Madrid all waiting in the wings for my signature, why should I stay?”
And if and when that happens, where does the ripple effect leave the likes of Robertson and Sadio Mane? Wouldn’t it be normal to expect them to say, “Well, if the core of the team doesn’t believe in the project and doesn’t expect to win silverware, why should I stay?”
It is true that as and when the flaws appear in the system, efforts will be made to improve the team through further investment, and Liverpool may eventually have themselves the strongest side in their entire history, but time is clearly running out for them.
Once such thoughts start to enter the minds of the present players, what message does that send to the youngsters? And where does that leave Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool as a club?
