Reasons why Klopp’s Liverpool deserve to win the Europa League

Since the start of the season it’s been a roller coaster journey for Liverpool Football Club. Brendan Rodgers had a horror start of the campaign. Liverpool carried their depleted form in the league from last season and they started the campaign as they ended the last time around where they were humiliated 6-1 at Stoke City. 

And to complete the misery it was Steven Gerrard’s (who is arguably the greatest ever player to play for Liverpool) last game in a Red shirt. He actually scored in that game. Shock and faces of despair arose as Liverpool carried their shocking form in the start of the new season.

The team was heading nowhere and questions were asked about Brendan Rodger’s job. He had no answer to the criticism he received and fans very getting worried about yet another season going to waste. On 4^th October 2015 he was finally released by the club owners. A new chapter was about to start in Liverpool Football Club’s history. Jurgen Klopp was appointed as the manager on 8^th of October just 4 days after the sacking of Rodgers. Many claim that the sacking of Rodgers was at the wrong time and he should’ve been sacked way before the start of the season. Nevertheless, Klopp took over and everyone was emphatic  about his inclusion. He was known as a very passionate and a desirous manager in his Mainz and Dortmund days. He is well known for his astonishing connection with  the players and the fans. He grinds out the best in his players and is right up there with the likes of Mourinho, Guardiola, Wenger etc. Liverpool fans knew there were exciting times ahead but there was some work to be done. Rodgers left the squad with no confidence and ambition whatsoever. The change of attitude in players was much needed to bring the best out of them and give satisfying results as a team.

Klopp’s appointment sent a sigh of relief to majority of the fans. His connection with the fans and his amazing passion for the game can only be match with the passion and loyalty of Liverpool fans. It is a match made in heaven. Fans have been waiting for so long for someone to deliver the Premier League title for Liverpool. It was Rafael Benitez who came the closest to the League glory and Rodgers as well. Liverpool played immensely great on the big occasions like in the champions league fixtures and big league games with Chelsea and Man United. Rodgers failed to deliver in Europe.

Jurgen Klopp’s appointment was a blessing for a club like Liverpool who are rich in history yet underachieving in the modern era. They needed someone of his stature to build a team which will give happiness as well as glory to the loyal fans. Players like Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Joe Allen, Lucas and Mignolet were criticized and fans wanted them to leave the club for good. Klopp’s appointment changed the whole complexion of the squad. The players who were low on confidence delivered when it mattered. There were questions asked about James Milner being the captain of the club in Henderson’s absence. He was bought on a free transfer from city and was made the vice captain by Rodgers. There was tremendous pressure on his shoulders. He took his time but then settled in the squad quite nicely and played a crucial role in some of the big games they played under Klopp.

The two most difficult fixtures of the season for any team were the away fixtures to Man City and Chelsea. Liverpool went to Stamford Bridge and literally stunned the defending champions winning 3-1 with a brace from Coutinho and a goal from Benteke. Few weeks after that they had another big game against City at the Etihad where they literally destroyed Manchester City with one of the most breathtaking performances of the season by a visiting  side. Jurgen Klopp’s men set the trend to deliver on big occasions and same happened in Europe where they were ready to face their fiercest rivals Manchester United in the round of 16. Goals from Firmino and Sturridge led to a 2 goal advantage in the second leg where Coutinho’s marvelous chip to De Gea stunned the Old Trafford faithful and Liverpool cruised through to the quarterfinal where they were set to face the tournament favorites and Jurgen Klopp’s former team Borussia Dortmund. This fixture had everything in the build up. It was set to be an emotional return for Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool went to Dortmund for first leg where they played really well and held Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw.

The stage was set at Anfield as a memorable European night was about to take place. Liverpool were blown away in the first 10 minutes of the game where BVB took a 2 goal lead thanks to Mkhitaryan and Aubemayang. Anfield was stunned by the performance. They were leading 3-1 on aggregate now with 2 away goals. Liverpool had to win the game somehow to go through to the semis and the stage was set in the second half for a thrilling European contest between two giants. Origi gave some hope as he scored at the Kop end. The score was 3-2 in in favor of BVB and to make it worse, Marco Reus scored at the other end to make it 3-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate. Now Liverpool needed 3 goals from somewhere to clinch the place in the semis and it looked impossible. The crowd got behind them just as they did at Istanbul more than a decade ago. If somehow Liverpool manages to win the game this would go right up there with the famous Istanbul comeback.

Coutinho started the comeback with a stunning goal at the far bottom corner from outside the box to give 

Liverpool some hope. Just before the 80^th Minute Mama Sakho headed in from close range to make it 3-3 and 4-4 on aggregate but BVB were still ahead on away goals rule. Now it got the crowd on it’s feet for the last 10 minutes of the game. And the moment came in the stoppage time where Sturridge played a nutmeg pass to Milner who delivered an amazing cross from right flank and Dejan Lovren of all people jumped the highest and headed in the winnig goal for the Reds in front of the Kop. The roar was too big that even the disabled Liverpool fans at the Kop end sitting in wheelchairs were brought to there feet to enjoy a memorable comeback. This is what Jurgen Klopp injected to this Liverpool side. The heart to play for the club. The intention of not giving up at any cost. Liverpool players made history.

Villareal was the team ready to face Liverpool in the semi final. They produced some great performances against the big sides of Spain. At the other hand Liverpool came all guns blazing and were most probably the favorites to win the game. It was a tough ask for Klopp’s men. First leg was played in Villareal and both teams played very well but it was the home side who took advantage in the last minute and went on to win the first leg 1-0. This was Liverpool’s first defeat in Europe this season.

The return leg was played at Anfield and as expected it turned out to be yet another famous European night and Liverpool cruised through a 3-0 win. Sturridge and Lallana got on the score sheet and opening goal being an own goal. It was expected, everyone saw this performance coming. Klopp has injected passion and energy to this squad. But the question is that can they go all the way through and end their trophy drought. It is the biggest opportunity and we know Liverpool and Klopp are capable to deliver the trophy. “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

Evaluating all of Liverpool’s summer signings of 2015/16

For the past 5 years, Liverpool have drained over 300 Million on new players. It started for Kenny Dalglish when he bought in players for over 100 Million and none of them apart from Suarez (off course) showed any quality. He went for the ‘potential world class players’ instead of buying the proven quality which haunted them afterwards.

King Kenny was shown the exit door on May 16^th 2012 and the owners appointed Brendan Rodgers as the club’s new man in charge. He brought in the likes of Borini, Allen, Assaidi and Sahin in the summer. The only quality signings came on the January transfer window of 2012/13 season where he bought in Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge. Emre Can, Sakho, Mignolet, and Moreno are his only decent signings thus far. During his tenure, he has spent over 200 Million and yet Liverpool are still relying on their injury prone striker to score goals.

Rodgers was given the benefit of the doubt when Owners gave him the vote of confidence and one last chance after the bizarre 2014/15 season where he failed to deliver. Liverpool were forced to sell Raheem Sterling to Manchester City for almost 50 million pounds. Players like Lambert, Borini and Aspas were sold too. This meant than Rodgers still has a healthy amount of money to spend on new signings.

James Milner:

He was bought for free from Man City as Liverpool looked to strengthen their squad depth. Many eyebrows were raised when the fans heard about Liverpool’s first signing of the season because Steven Gerrard was released by the club and Sterling also left which made the Kopites very concerned about the ongoing politics at the club. Rodgers rated him as a team leader and gave him the vice captaincy straight away.  Milner has been pretty average so far. He maybe the hardest working outfield player in the Premier League but with just 3 goals in 20 appearances so far, he isn’t doing the team any favors.

Joe Gomez:

Early days, of course, but the teenager has already exceeded expectations while performing in an unaccustomed left-back role. He is injured right now and probably will miss the rest of the season but he is definitely one for the future.  

Danny Ings:

Ings was considered fourth-choice striker on his arrival, but as the time passed, he become a regular starter and a possible England international. One of the only few positives of this season so far. The highlight of his career at Liverpool so far is the goal in the Merseyside Derby and the connection with the fans as he was praised for his hard work and commitment on the field.

Adam Bogdan:

Taken on as a backup to Mignolet, the Hungarian knows he is a squad player but his penalty saves spared Liverpool a Capital One Cup earlier this season.

Nathaniel Clyne:

Brought in to replace Glen Johnson, the England man has been steady if unspectacular, but would benefit from greater consistency around him in terms of performance and selection. He is my personal favorite signing and has shown glimpses of why he should be the England’s number 1 choice for the upcoming Euros in France.

Roberto Firmino:

Liverpool splashed out a surprising amount of money on the forward in the hope he could prove as inspirational as Coutinho or Luis Suarez. Troubled by injuries in his early spell. He came back strongly and gave some staggering performances as under Jurgen Klopp at Man City where he scored and assisted goals and could’ve even got a hattrick. His little plays near the final third and his vision is brilliant. He only needs a good supporting striker with him upfront who could cash on his through balls and short passes. Uptill now he has impressed us a lot, but we still haven’t seen his best as of yet but one thing is for sure that he is one hell of a talented Brazilian.

Christian Benteke:

Here’s the final and the most debatable signing of 2015/16 season.  Benteke began the campaign as a lone striker and played only 45 minutes playing alongside another front man before being hamstrung. He came back and saw his side struggling for goals. With 7 goals in his 19 appearances so far, the big Belgian is being criticized for his not-so-good work rate. Jurgen Klopp wants his players to presss and to work harder to win the ball and Benteke’s style of play doesn’t seems to impress Klopp and his strategies. There’s a big debate of whether Liverpool should play to his strengths or does Benteke need to adopt the Klopp’s style of play. We will see how he copes and gel with the current squad and hopefully he’ll prove his worth.

  

Is Jordon Ibe the perfect Raheem Sterling replacement?

He signed for Liverpool On 12 December 2011 and On 7th November 2015, he is now rated among Europe's top youngsters to compete for the Golden Boy Award. He is just 19 years old and playing regular first team football with Liverpool. He has scored his first goal for the club which handed them their first win in europe this season. He's none other than Jordon Ibe. He is currently the only winger in the Liverpool squad, yes you read it right! On 16 March 2013, Ibe was called up to the bench for the Premier League game at Southampton.

Three months later, Ibe impressed in his Premier League debut for Liverpool in the final game of the season, starting the match and assisting Philippe Coutinho for the only goal of the match against Queens Park Rangers. He was, however, substituted in the 63rd minute for Fabio Borini after putting on a positive display.

It has been an impressive start for Jordon Ibe's young Liverpool career. He was introduced to the first team early due to his impressive loan spell at Derby County in the 2014-15 season where he scored 5 goals in 20 games and played a vital role in producing decent results for Derby. It was Raheem Sterling who ran the show in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 season on the wings for Liverpool by scoring 9 and 7 goals in respective seasons. Due to his lustrous performances in both seasons especially in his last season which was 2014-15 season, he actually lead the attack from the centre because of lack of options and most specifically should I say, Lack of quality was the reason he played in that role because Suarez was off to Catalonia and Sturridge was too busy getting himself fully fit for the season.

Manchester City came all guns blazing and splashed a staggering 49 Million offer which Brendan Rodgers and neither Owner could reject. And the 2014 Golden Boy award winner has now completed his transfer to the Etihad which left the club finding his replacement with the money got from his transfer. Shockingly, Liverpool never bought a direct replacement for Sterling instead the invested in different positions due to which calling back Jordon Ibe was mandatory and it happened. Liverpool got off to a shaky start in the new season and which left the owners no option but to sack the current manager Brendan Rodgers. It was the fan favorite, one of the world class managers, a Champions League finalist and a 2 time Bundesliga winner with Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp who took charge at Anfield! His appointment as the merseyside club took the football world by shock. He is well known for his clinquant attitude with the players and the fans. Jordon Ibe is one of those players who are enjoying playing under Klopp. He knows where the player fits in the team and what is his preferred position. Ibe had the opportunity to shine under him and he is taking that chance exquisitely by performing under him. Ibe is often criticized by some fans for his poor decision making and lack of game awareness especially in the Rodgers's era.

We all know when a player is out of confidence and nothing seems right for him no matter how hard he tries. It seems as if the confidence is being injected by Klopp to his players and they are now playing with no fear and which is proving vital for the club and most importantly we are seeing good results under him.

We may call it a rejuvenation of Ibe or whatever you like, the man is performing up to his very best and living up to his expectations. His immense pace and incredibly good physique in such young age is proving imperative for him. Most importantly, he has got his head right and making good meaningful passes adding to his much improved game awareness he got his reward by scoring the only goal in Liverpool's splendid win over Rubin Kazan in Europa League which handed the Reds their first win in Europe this season. He has been given immense praise for his improved gameplay by the Journos and former Liverpool players and pundits.

He was rated as the next big thing after Raheem Sterling and we all know he has got what it takes to become one of the best young players in England and Europe. He just has to carry on with the form he is in right now and cement his place in the first team for as long as possible. There' no denying that Ibe is pure quality and he can be utilized spectacularly and the manager is doing just that. We all hope he becomes a star and stay at Anfield for as long as possible.

What's next for Lazar Markovic?

The Serbian International forward Lazar Markovic joined Liverpool on 15th July 2014, completing his move from Benfica for £20 Million after he won a domestic treble with them in his only season there. 

He had been rated one of the finest young prospects in European football before joining Liverpool. Much excitement and anticipation was surrounding Markovic as he made his Liverpool debut against Manchester City after coming on to replace Philippe Coutinho on 60 minutes. He looked fresh ready to go on a little cameo that day but that was just a trailer of what he is capable of. Sadly, he failed to live up to his expectations. To play for club of Liverpool's stature and to hold a price tag around 20 Million, it will heighten up the expectations and Lazar failed to prove his worth. He scored 3 goals in a total of 23 matches he played in all competitions, one of them being at Anfield against Tottenham. It has been a roller coaster ride for him in his first season. He played out of position in most of the season. He was frequently used as a wing-back when Brendan Rodgers had to redeem the poor form the Reds were in. With the introduction of Jordon Ibe into the first team and Adam Lallana getting fit adding to his injury problems late in 2014, he struggled throughout his career so far.

With the introduction of Roberto Firmino in the team and Coutinho being in the form of his life, there’s no chance for Markovic to fit in his preferably no.10 role. He might go out on loan anywhere or maybe for a permanent transfer. If he wants, he can fight for his place in the team but it is clear that Brendan Rodgers doesn’t like him in the no.10 role. The question is, What’s next for Markovic?