I’m so glad that Jürgen was a Red

‘A good man, a good manager, one of the most successful’ - that’s how a young boy from Westport United’s academy squad described Jürgen Klopp, and I couldn’t agree more.

Arriving in 2015 from Borussia Dortmund, Klopp made an instant connection with Liverpool Football Club (LFC), its players, and their all important supporters.

At his opening press conference, Klopp described himself as ‘the normal one’ and Liverpool as a ‘special club’, one of which has definitely rang true. The exceptional changes Klopp has brought to LFC in the past nine years makes him anything but normal in the eyes of the fans.

As a Liverpool fan, both by choice and by birthright, as my father is a lifelong supporter, I’ve experienced first-hand the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with supporting the club, but nothing felt so terribly bittersweet as that January morning when Klopp announced his departure. 

Doubters to believers

Upon his arrival, Jürgen Klopp told everyone connected to the club that they needed to go from doubters to believers; something that Tony Seed used and turned into Klopp’s personal chant. 

‘I'm so Glad (That Jürgen is a Red)’, sung to the tune of the Beatles track, ‘I Feel Fine’, features the line ‘Jürgen said to me, you know. We'll win the Premier League, you know’, a line which echoes around Anfield on each game day.

Leading the club to a League cup and Europa League final in his inaugural year, it was clear a breath of fresh air had arrived at LFC.

Just a couple of months into the job, Klopp’s special kind of relationship with his players became evident. A 95th minute winner against Norwich City saw the team celebrate, perhaps too excitedly, as goalscorer Adam Lallana embraced his manager, who lost his glasses as the rest of the team joined in.

Most would say the new era of Liverpool became most evident in the 2017/18 season, when Klopp brought Liverpool back to the big stage; the Champion’s League Final in Kyiv.

Despite the season ending trophy-free with a European final defeat, ask a Liverpool fan their favourite season under Klopp’s management and many will answer 17/18.

It was during this time, the German manager showed his power to seek out good players and make them into great ones. 

An example of this is Andy Robertson, who was bought from Hull for just £8 million, and is now one of the team’s most respected players, and Scottish captain.

It was in this season when some of the club’s big names made their way to Anfield, including now captain, Virgil van Dijk, and arguably the best player to come to the club under Klopp, Mohamed Salah.

The 2018/19 season was where Klopp secured his first major trophy at the club.

Making it to the Champions League final required a miraculous win over Barcelona in the semi-final. That game became one of the most iconic and memorable in Klopp’s time at the club. 

Three nil down on aggregate, minus Salah and Firmino up front, a win against a team led by Messi, the greatest player of all time, was all but written off, however, with hope in their hearts, a packed Anfield, and a corner taken quickly, the Reds walked on to the Madrid final.

If any game captured the personality that Klopp brought to the club, it was that one.

Game-changing goalkeeping by Alisson Becker made all the difference against Tottenham in the final, pulling off eight saves to crown Liverpool champions of Europe.

_{Jürgen Klopp's mural near Anfield stadium in Liverpool}

The 2018/19 season gave birth to an elevated Liverpool side, reflected not only in Europe but also at home.

The Reds racked up 97 points, missing out on the title to Manchester City by a single point.

It was the beginning of Klopp’s ‘mentality monsters’, a term coined on Klopp’s focus on the psychological side of the sport.

It was the following season, 2019/20, that brought Liverpool’s first Premier League title in 30 years.

They had a mountain of momentum and belief, all but wrapping up the title win before the pandemic break.

When the moment of triumph finally came, an emotional Jürgen Klopp, draped in so much Liverpool merchandise you could have mistaken him for a fan, told TV cameras: "I have no words, it's unbelievable."

While the 2020/21 brought a lull, an end of season game away to West Bromwich Albion FC saw Brazilian goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, come up the field for a ninety-fifth minute corner, and in unbelievable fashion, he headed the ball to the back of the net. 

Losing his father shortly before, the moment was an emotional one, even watching from home. 

Reminiscing on the moment just last week, Klopp said: “We all felt the same in that moment when we did it, that it only happened for one reason, for his dad.”

With hope in our hearts

The 2021/2022 felt like Klopp's third ‘great team’, producing the same quality as 17/18 and 19/20.

Making it to the Champions League final, history looked to repeat itself as the Reds fell short 1-0 to Real Madrid in Paris, and the league title fell to Manchester City on the final day of matches. 

These losses narrowly stripped Liverpool of ‘the quadruple’.

The following season got off to a whopping start with a 3-1 victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Community Shield. 

The shield completed the silverware set for Jürgen Klopp, as he had won all available trophies with the team.

However, the rest of the campaign was inconsistent and ended in bitter disappointment for Liverpool. 

Poor performances ruled them out of the league, and cup contests saw the Reds knocked out in the fourth round of each.

At the end of a storm, there's a golden sky, and hope and belief, although never fully escaping Liverpool fans, was roaring again at the beginning of this 2023/24 season, with a bunch of fresh faces featured in the squad.

Exciting games filled with final quarter comebacks was the trend early in the season, and consistent wins started to edge Liverpool ahead in the title race.

As well as winning the Carabao Cup for the second time with Klopp, the Reds were early favourites in the Europa League competition.

Despite being on top form in the majority of games, between major injuries, performance slip-ups, and what some may see as unfair VAR decisions (Tottenham at home, I am looking at you), both league and European trophies began to slip further and further out of reach for Liverpool.

With the club’s involvement in the title race coming to an end last month, the opportunity of a perfect Klopp farewell ended with it.

However, if there is any club that radiates positivity and celebrates their own, no matter the number of trophies, it's LFC.

End of an era

Speaking to numerous Mayo supporters of the club, the one thing they all said they loved about Jürgen Klopp, was his personality, and how ‘nice’ and ‘down to earth’ he seems.

From his celebrations, which were mainly dugout situated, but did make way onto the pitch after a 96th minute Merseyside derby winner in which he leapt into Alisson’s arms, or his blunt reactions and responses to the press, there will be a lot to miss from the German boss.

With recent confirmation that Arne Slot will be appointed as Klopp’s successor, it’s clear that the Dutchman has big shoes to fill. However, it is hard to see anyone follow this once in a lifetime manager.

Memories, wins, and losses, Liverpool endured it all in the past nine years, and I for one, am so glad that Jürgen was a red.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Mayo News (@themayonews)