Liverpool’s road to the Final

Liverpool’s road to the Final

The team to support in the '70s, triumphant victories, and Klopp the RocknRolla.

Where’ve All The Titles Gone?

Liverpool’s success in recent years, putting the club amongst Europe’s great teams, would be something of a surprise with today’s millennials. Most young football fans would no doubt rank Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea higher.

Liverpool traditionally have been a side that have failed to challenge for the top spots domestically – although there was that one slip up in 2014, and a slip-up it was.

Back in 2014, Captain Steven Gerrard, arguably Liverpool’s greatest player, slipped to give Chelsea a win that secured Man City their second championship in over 50 years.

The Sacrifice.

Liverpool are a club which, like Arsenal, puts a great deal of emphasis on growing players internally.

Only recently have clubs like Chelsea and Man City been giving youngsters a change to shine on the main stage.

It is these types of elements that make the club so great, that and an illustrious history of success.

Past Glories

If you asked a child of the 1970s who their favourite team were, their answer would very likely be Liverpool – ignoring any regional bias.

The era of the late 1970s through to the 1980s was a time of glory, both domestically, and in Europe for Liverpool Football Club.

Pair that with an era of fantastic music and culture – Liverpool became almost a second team to most football fans. It is why so many rivals admire the club irrespectively of their recent dominance – barring Manchester United fans, who’d rather see City win the league.

Their side featured players – icons more like – in strikers like Ian Rush; a tall, formidable striker with a moustache that could set the Kop-end alight; powerful and skilful, he dominated defences.

The Prospect of Greatness

The Liverpool side today that is on the verge falling short of a league title with an incredible 97 points, it’s reminiscent of those glory days that allowed football in England to be the great sport it is today.

Only this time, unfortunately, the state of culture and music, or at-least politics, doesn’t have the same flavour as it did back then.

Britain may have a female Prime Minister, but she certainly isn’t rustling feathers in Europe like the Merseyside team have.

Oppositions fright at the sight of their top-three in Sala, Firmino and Mane. Collectively this season, they’ve got 66 goals between them. They are by far the most formidable attacking side in the Premiership – probably in European football.

Why is it now that Liverpool have emerged as such a great side and how did great players like Gerrard as captain of the side not dominate the league like Henderson is doing for Liverpool today, leading the side week in, week out?

The German Crusader 

The answer – according to one Liverpool fan, is Klopp.

“Klopp, Klopp by a country-mile. He has built our team, but more importantly, he’s restored our values,” said Caleb James, 23, from Bath.

Jurgen Klopp is a German manager, with a personality – and what others might call an ego – to match anyone in his position.

He is a manager that’s had great success along the road – winning titles for Borussia Dortmund and getting them to the final of the Champions League – but, he’s now making his mark at Liverpool, a big one too, one that looks a lot like Shankly in those glory days.

When asked, “One word for Klopp”, Caleb James, who calls himself Liverpool’s biggest fan, coming from Bath, gave this answer.

“Rock’N’Rolla.”

Fans of Liverpool wouldn’t doubt what he says to be wrong, they love him.

In a sense, Klopp is probably a bit of a Rock’N’Rolla; he isn’t someone who is overly concerned about dressing-up smart on a matchday, in fact, he’s always worn a Liverpool tracksuit; he doesn’t shave, his five-o’clock shadow has become somewhat of a trade mark; and his tactics, the way his side generate speed is nothing short of Rock’N’Roll.

But what put Klopp into the Rock’N’Roll category was what his side managed to do last Tuesday, the 6^th of May 2019.

What A Day To Remember: That Tuesday Night In May

Stats for Liverpool vs Barcelona. Note the possession, shots on target, and goals. Credit: Johnathan Elderfield

This day for the fans, ‘who will never walk alone,’ is one, like Istanbul, that will be remembered for as, ‘where were you when that happened.’

Barcelona, a team that possesses the greatest player to ever walk the Earth, Lionel Messi, along with a line-up that is nothing short of world-class – Suarez, Busquets, Rakitic, Coutinho – failed to beat a Liverpool side, even with a 3 - 0 lead. Going into the game.

It all started on a hot spring night in Barcelona, Liverpool went into the game coming off the back of a 5-0 victory over Huddersfield; goals weren’t an issue for Liverpool, it was there defence that needed to be consulted.

The Liverpool side during the first leg didn’t play badly, many thought that on the night they deserved more, and that the result was even an injustice of their performance.

“I was gutted after that game, I know I am a Liverpool fan, and that comes with its biases, but we played so well in Barcelona,” says Jake Grubb, 23, from Padstow.

“If it wasn’t for that little man up front [Lionel Messi], along with some bad-luck on the night, we’d have not been so down hearted about the second-leg.”

Klopp’s tactics on the night of the second-leg were nothing short of mesmerising.

“The way in which he utilised our man Origi, having had next to no game time this season was genius,” Jake adds.

Jake Grubb with Girlfriend, Rihana Davey at Anfield. Credit: Jake Grubb 

It didn’t take so much a tactical genius to beat a great Barca’ side in that style on the night, but more of a tenacity, something extra, from the heart.

Former Liverpool Manager and club legend said, “some say that football is a matter of life and death, I say it’s more than that” – Bill Shankly.

Liverpool played like their life depended on it last Tuesday, that resilience, attitude, and approach would have only stemmed from one source – Jurgen Klopp.

The team pressed from the get-go, leaving no time for Barcelona – a side that is accustomed to playing the ball short and fast – to make any progress in front of goal.

At one point – the side that needed to win at least 4 – 0 to go through to the final – scored two goals in the short space of 4 minutes, thanks to Dutchman, Wijnaldum.

Going into the game, it didn’t look all that great for Liverpool. They were missing key players up front in starlet Mohammad Salah, and Brazilian, Roberto Firmino.

As a consequence, they played youngster Divock Origi, who’d just come back on loan from Bournemouth, and Xherdan Shaqiri – a promising player at the 2014 World-Cup who’d not quite lived out to his expectations.

Wanda Metropolitano: The Final

Liverpool will take on domestic rivals Tottenham Hotspurs on the 31^st of May, in their second consecutive UEFA Champions League Final, this year though, as favourites, they’ll be primed to lift the trophy, the 6^th time in the club’s history to do so.

The Final is taking place at the newly constructed Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, home to Atletico Madrid.

Infographic on the Champions League Final 2019. Credit: Johnathan Elderfield