Funnily enough, one of our best displays this season was under Rodgers, the draw away at Arsenal where we outplayed a title contender and but for a superb performance from Petr Cech may well have come away with the spoils.
In hindsight, the match may have well have been the turning point not just in the season, but the probable catalyst for Brendan Rodgers demise.
Had we won and and attained nine points from our first three games the confidence from having beaten Arsenal may well have given us the foundation to become contenders under ourselves instead of becoming rudderless both on and off the field.
It’s very easy to say that Liverpool are only going through an upward curve as reaction to having a Klopp at the helm. Obviously, its partially true. But its not only the of beating Chelsea, Man City and Southampton away from home it was the strength and style of the performances.
It is the realisation that the players have bought into Klopp’s philosophy, in such a short space of time.
In contrast it was difficult to fathom why Brendan Rodgers refused to plug the gaps. As Steven Gerrard’s ability to dominate games began to wane, Rodgers inability to implement successor planning began to unravel and by the end he looked engulfed by the expectations of being the manager of the one of the world’s great clubs.
One of the interesting facets about the regeneration under Klopp is Lucas Leiva’s revival and his sudden growth into being a key player. It’s not just what he is doing physically as a holding midfielder, it is the fact he has become a commanding presence. Whereas under Rodgers there was a disconnect between the midfield and the defence, Lucas is seen to quite forcibly marshal his troops and bellow orders to those around him.
In a space of time Jurgen Klopp has deciphered Lucas mental strengths and aligned the qualities in battle to those of Emre Can and Martin Skrtel giving Liverpool an semblance of a spine. It’s early days, but although there is still a propensity to throw away silly goals, Klopp wants to instil more of a defensive mind set, offset by an ability to be penetrative in the final third of the pitch.
But there are elements to the play which suggest that it’s not only about us tripping the Klopp fantastic, but there are other elements helping along their marked improvement.
If we take Alberto Moreno as an example, under Brendan Rodgers there appeared to be a lack of confidence in the player’s capabilities as a defender. In fact, Rodgers chose to start the season with an inexperience centre-half in Joe Gomez at left back and when Moreno did finally take over he was deployed as a wing-back. He still offers width as a full-back, but he operates more as a conventional full-back with the obvious confidence of manager behind him.
If there is any player who defines the change in mood music its Emre Can. He came to the club having been used as a defender for Bayer Leverkusen, but it was in the midfield where he future lay. Brendan Rodgers used him in 2014-15 and the start of the 2015-16 season primarily as the right-side of three centre-half’s.
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| Emre Can improving under Klopp |
The return of Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson and even Jordon Rossiter and Jon Flanagan will present Klopp with even more depth, but particularly the comebacks of Sturridge and Henderson’s proven quality and experience throws up the possibility Liverpool taking up their challenge to another notch.
Sturridge fitness holds the key as to the level of success Liverpool can achieve this season.
The recent Southampton game was case in point. After having a barely a kick for the first 20 minutes Sturridge was presented two chances which he took decisively. The first was all about his ability to fashioned out something from nothing in beating the defender all ends up before clinically driving his shot into the corner.
The second was about his predatory instincts as he ghosted in to take the ball on the half-volley from close-range.
The return of Jordan Henderson means Jurgen Klopp can manage Milner’s mileage intake and continue the uplift with the added dimension of having a midfielder who make runs from box to box.
Flanagan will provide much needed cover in the right-back position while Rossiter hopefully gets the games to help his progress.
Jurgen Klopp’s dynamism has certainly electrified the Premier League and will be interesting to see if Liverpool decide to buy in the January window whether he can use his obvious charisma to entice top talent to follow him to Anfield.
Interest times at Anfield and Klopp reiterates as in times past we’ll take each game as it comes, but should Liverpool get a result away to Newcastle this afternoon the level of expectation will rise exponentially, but fortunately Klopp exudes the confidence of someone who has been there before.
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