WHEN a craving that has stretched out for three decades is still to be sated, and a trophy so long yearned for is still to be lifted, thinking about what’s next can look a little like you’re getting ahead of yourself.
It’s part of the reason why the public messages from Jurgen Klopp and his players – like so many in elite sport – are always about the next game being the focus, and the only focus. Title talk, even when 22 points clear at the top of the table and at odds of 1/1000 to win it, is frowned upon.
Yet behind closed doors, perhaps in an office at Melwood or a smoke-filled room at Anfield, planning and plotting will be taking place. Klopp also frowns at talk of history in front of the cameras yet he surely knows why it’s still leaned on so readily by Liverpudlians.
The title is a trophy coveted like no other now because of the 30-year wait, which has often felt more like a curse. But what supporters really want is dominance – a period of power. And, yes, to truly get back on that “f****** perch” so famously referenced by Alex Ferguson. Deep down, everyone inside the club must dream of the same. Even if they don’t shout about it.
Jurgen Klopp’s win percentage of 61.69% is now greater than any manager in Liverpool’s history. pic.twitter.com/eLhT4T6kQL
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) February 4, 2020
A Bob Paisley statue has recently joined that of Bill Shankly on the Anfield footprint. It was long overdue for a man that supervised the gathering of three European Cups, six league championships, three League Cups and one UEFA Cup. Paisley was part of something special – a sustained level of brilliance – that put Liverpool on the map, planting the name Graeme Souness-style in the centre circle of football fans’ minds the world over.
It’s all in the past but it bears repeating. From 1973 to 1990, the Reds won 24 major trophies in 17 years – 11 league titles, four European Cups, three FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Cups. Anyone and everyone who walks through the doors at Anfield or Melwood is reminded of those remarkable feats every day.
For a long time – too long – it appeared to weigh everyone down. Managers were asked about that era on a loop, the legends of those times looked down from paintings and pictures on the walls while others now employed in the media scrutinised every move. And while it was always a source of pride for supporters, you wondered if what Liverpool once so remarkably achieved added to the pressure on the people trying to replicate it in the here and now.
“History is the base for us,” said Klopp on his arrival at Anfield in October 2015. “It’s not allowed to take the history in the backpack. You have to come in our race. I want to see the first step next week but not always compare with other times.”
The steps came, turned into a run, and now Liverpool are making giant leaps. But where to? Klopp can already point to a European Cup, a World Club Cup and a Super Cup. A Premier League title will surely be added to that haul. And who is ruling Liverpool out of the Champions League or the FA Cup now?
More than that though, is delivering that dominance over a sustained period of time. Klopp has committed to the club for another four years, which suggests he knows the club is in a place to compete. His assistant, Pep Ljinders, who also committed to the same spell, said: “I believe each football project is like the sun rising up and going down, and for our project it’s not even noon. That’s the reason why we committed for another four years."
As a Liverpool fan I feel like I'm dreaming. 30 years and we are 6 games away from claiming the title. Back on our perch. YNWA
— LFC (@LFC54110828) February 3, 2020
Right now there is much debate in the mainstream media about what Liverpool should prioritise for the rest of the season. Should it be winning the Premier League and attempting to retain the Champions League? Should it be the Treble? Should it be Arsenal’s Invincibles benchmark?
None appear to be mutually exclusive. And when you have a team, a squad, a club even, where the culture seems to be nailed on, the mentality second to none, and a winning habit now reinforced week by week, why would it be either/or rather than all of the above?
The hunger and desire to go harder and win more is clearly there at Liverpool by the bucketload. And it’s backed up by nous, numbers, resources and a spiralling reputation worldwide. The examples are there for all to see, from the first-team regulars to the teenage starlets who kicked Shrewsbury Town out of the FA Cup.
And there are no signs of an issue that has plagued Liverpool sides of the past either – the boom then bust. The peak then plateau. This Liverpool, under this manager, is all signed up, all in line and seemingly prepared to make a serious dent in records all around.
In Qatar, with Liverpool preparing for an ultimately successful World Club Cup challenge, Adam Lallana said it all: “It’s like an addiction: you win one medal and you want to win another. You want to win more.”
Shankly, Paisley, Kenny Dalglish. They would surely all be proud. And who knows, maybe one day Klopp will have a statue at Anfield all of his own. His place in Liverpool folklore is already guaranteed. It’s just a matter now of how many trophies he can win.
