FOR all the facts and figures that inform us on football, there remains something more – something you can’t pinpoint or measure, but something that is vital to any successful team.
We know Jurgen Klopp is a big believer in belief – he famously said so in his very first day in the job as Liverpool manager. And now – three years and three months on – we can see just what he was talking about.
Prior to Klopp’s arrival, confidence on the pitch was fragile while the fanbase was fractured off it. Brendan Rodgers may have led Liverpool to the last credible title challenge in 2013-14 but the doubts never truly faded even during an exhilarating season that saw The Reds notch up a club record 101 goals in the league.
According to FiveThirtyEight's SPI, Liverpool have a 77% chance of winning the Premier League title this season.
Man City are down to 16%. pic.twitter.com/GMTfAnwoZE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 14, 2019
There was a red-zone feel to that chase for the title with Liverpool’s swashbuckling style coming agonisingly close to proving enough to lift the title only for Manchester City to eventually triumph by just two points.
The told-you-sos later pointed to a defence that shipped 50 Premier League goals, a manager minus the experience of the rarified air at the top and a squad containing players including Ally Cissoko, Jon Flanagan and Victor Moses that simply wasn’t strong enough.
Rodgers himself said after the crucial defeat to Chelsea at Anfield that season: “We tried everything we could but our game is based on being offensively creative as opposed to stopping."
Ultimately, that statement, alongside many others that were ill-considered, made sure the doubters always had ammunition when Rodgers’ reign came under the microscope.
Liverpool's top-line stats after 22 PL games 2008-19, covering the last two times we came close to winning the title in 08-09 & 13-14. We'd scored more at this point in both 13-14 and Klopp's first full season. Had conceded four more in 08-09. #LFC From https://t.co/v7z2RlCKbi pic.twitter.com/MwSVTrx2P5
— Russell Pegg (@Russell_Pegg) January 16, 2019
Fast forward to the current challenge and the vibe around Liverpool FC couldn’t be more different. When Klopp walked into Melwood in October 2015 he found himself working with a group that lacked resilience, character and the mental reserves required to dig deep and find a way.
Too often shoulders slumped, heads bowed and a defeatist cloud hung over performances. It had creeped into the crowd’s behaviour too.
As Klopp said then: “At this moment all the LFC family is a little bit too nervous, a little bit too pessimistic, a little bit too much in doubt. They all celebrate the game and there is a fantastic atmosphere in the stadium, But they don’t believe at the moment. They only see five years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago.
“History is great. But only to remember. Now we have the possibility to write a new story if we want. but we have to clear a few things and maybe we can do this and be as successful as we can be.”
Pep Guardiola: "If Liverpool win then I will congratulate Jurgen Klopp because it will be well deserved. All we can do is win our games. We cannot control what Liverpool do. All we can do is be there until the end."
— Oliver Bond (@Oliver__Bond) January 15, 2019
The pessimistic streak that ran through Liverpool like the writing through Blackpool rock is now nowhere to be seen. Once, The Reds seemed to jump from ‘crisis’ to ‘crisis’ – whether it was Luis Suarez’s future, or behaviour, Steven Gerrard’s contract, or hints that all wasn’t well between manager, owners and staff, there was a soap opera feel to operations under the crest of the Liverbird.
Now? Now we have the manager of Liverpool publicly proclaiming that 105 points might be needed to win the title with a grin on his face. Now we have Klopp shrugging his shoulders at the idea of buying a new centre half because he’s happy to turn to midfielder and sometime right back Fabinho to fill in.
And now we have a group of players so well drilled, so focused collectively that there has barely been a controversy from within all season long. What we have seen instead are the clear signs of work on the minds as well as the bodies. Read the interviews again, study the quotes.
Roberto Firmino is the first line of the Liverpool defence, he was born to play under Jürgen Klopp. pic.twitter.com/mejy7f1YMu
— RF9 (@SambaRole) January 13, 2019
Klopp’s interest in psychology is no secret – from his study of sport science in earlier life to pictures of his Melwood bookshelf showing Daniel Kahneman’s best seller Thinking, Fast and Slow among others.
Anyone who has dipped a toe in the subject can see the key messages appear again and again from manager and players alike. The positive thinking, focusing on yourself and what you can control and not anything else (like Manchester City for example).
There is also a steely side to this group which again only adds to the feeling that this is a different Liverpool to those that have tried and failed in the past.
Fabinho plays centre half, doesn’t moan, looks driven and wins over more fans. James Milner plays a season at left-back and now looks set to fill on the other side with the injury to Trent Alexander Arnold. Will that be a problem? At other clubs, with other players, maybe. Not at Liverpool. Not with Milner.
Hard Work and Fun at Melwood #XS23 #LFC #YNWA @LFC pic.twitter.com/U7G297m0z3
— Xherdan Shaqiri (@XS_11official) January 15, 2019
“We are all willing to play in different positions if we have to,” said Andy Robertson at the weekend. The message is clear. We carry on. We keep going. We find a way. Further, there is a cleverness too. Most times, the media can be a distraction. We saw that last weekend with the never-ending overplaying of the centre half “crisis”.
In that case, you crack on and keep quiet. But what if you can use the media to your advantage? What if you’re savvy enough to recognise an opportunity for a potential edge?
Again, Robertson was at it at the weekend. Does a narrative of Mo Salah diving help Liverpool’s title challenge? Of course not. So it has to be challenged. And Robertson got stuck in like he was facing a winger trying one step over too many.
Unstoppable.
Mo's perfect penalty, from every angle. pic.twitter.com/XFaLr6PPwQ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 15, 2019
“If people are starting to say Mo has gone down easily, it’s not fair because the one against Arsenal, especially, he got clipped three times on his way down and they still appealed it so it’s a bit of desperation,” he said post match.
“I’ve not seen this Brighton one [again] but it’s a no-brainer for the referee.”
All for one and one for all. There is confidence coursing through this Liverpool side and it’s spread to the stands too. Doubters? We’ll leave that to those outside looking in. Here it’s all about belief. And that's growing week by week. Bring on Palace.
