When Jürgen Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015, the team had been struggling with mediocrity for decades. There hadn’t been any devastating losses or embarrassing table finishes but the glory days of the 1970s and 80s were behind them. After an eighth-place finish in Klopp’s first season, it has been an exciting and hopeful time for Liverpool fans.
Until last season. After a fairly embarrassing season, Liverpool barely managed to cling to a spot in the top five. They had lost Sadio Mané and Divock Origi, and had a defence that seemed disinterested. It was a hard season to watch — even the 7-0 thrashing they gave Manchester United in March did little to raise fans’ spirits.
Change was needed and the departures of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and James Milner forced that change to happen. Klopp took the opportunity to rebuild his team and reaffirm his status as one of the best football managers in the history of the game.
It was rumoured that Klopp had been a contender to manage the German national team. It would be a feather in his cap and a high point in his managing career. Thankfully, Klopp has confirmed that he has no intention of leaving Liverpool any time soon and supporters are hopeful that he’ll extend his contract with the club. This spot was then later taken by Julian Nagelsmann, one of the youngest head coaches in Bundesliga history.
Betting on Liverpool this season
Last season’s performance left a lot to be desired and many thought that perhaps Klopp’s magic touch had started to fade. There have also been concerns about the age of the team. There were plenty of youngsters and old veteran players, but very few players in the key stage in between.
Betting on Liverpool to win is a fairly smart bet, especially considering how they’ve been playing this season. There are few teams that can consistently hold their own against Liverpool, and while nothing is guaranteed, many of the leading sportsbooks offer short odds on Liverpool to win most of their games.
Betting on football matches where a win seems certain can become repetitive and boring. You can always mix it up by adding in prop bets on things like who will score or what the final score might be. Thankfully, most online sportsbooks have diversified and are now paired with online casinos. Being able to play a few slots or live blackjack can break things up and keep it interesting.
If by some horrible bad luck Liverpool begins to have a season that resembles last year’s, it might also be a good idea to have a distraction on hand that you can use to look away from the game.
Changes to the team
But what exactly has Jürgen Klopp done to prevent last year’s result from being the start of a downhill slide? Firstly, there seems to have been a bit of an attitude adjustment for a few of the players. The casualness and boredom they were approaching the game with has been replaced with a renewed energy and dedication. How that was achieved, we’re very curious to know!
Klopp’s managerial style hasn’t changed and he still favours an aggressive, agile style of play. What has changed are some of the fresh faces on the pitch. Darwin Núñez was signed by Liverpool in June 2022 and some commentators initially thought his performance signalled he was going to be a very costly mistake for the club. Whether it was transfer jitters or a brief struggle to adapt to Premier League play, Núñez has overcome it and is now a major asset on the pitch.
The other young talent being foregrounded by Klopp includes Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch — all new summer transfers. They join other youngsters Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic in bringing down the average age of the squad considerably.
While some of these youngsters may still be struggling to find themselves as players, Klopp is the kind of manager who can work off the rough edges. He has experience in moulding players into exactly what he needs and this season should reflect that talent.
The Europa League
In an interview this spring, Klopp announced that he was going to be making winning the Europa League his goal for the season. It is the one trophy that Liverpool hasn’t won with Klopp. This might just be the year to change that.
The Europa League is the rebranded UEFA Cup. Liverpool won the UEFA Cup multiple times but the new Europa League title has escaped them. The Europa League has been dominated by teams from La Liga, with current title holders Sevilla having won five times since 2009. Liverpool actually faced Sevilla in the Europa League final in 2016, losing 3-1.
Despite that previous history, Liverpool has a good chance of snagging the title this year. As Klopp emphasised in recent interviews, the team is in a strong place currently. The machinery of the team runs smoothly and even new players are able to slot into it fairly quickly. They are healthier, with fewer injuries than the last few seasons as well.
More importantly, as Klopp has noted, the team is excited to be playing. Any slump or tension has been dealt with and the players are enjoying themselves on the field and enjoying one another’s company. As important as the physical aspect of the game is, it’s also impossible to overstate the importance of the mental side of the sport.
Of course, it won’t be entirely smooth sailing — the Europa League this year includes some very tough competitors. In the group stage, they’ve already had their first match against Linzer ASK and will be playing Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise. The real tests are likely to come if they face Ajax, Marseille, Roma or Atalanta.
Final thoughts
The 2023-24 season may be Jürgen Klopp’s best chance to snare the trophy that’s been eluding him for nearly a decade. He has a motivated, focused and refreshed team that shares his confidence and respects his leadership. The talent on the pitch and the youthful energy of Liverpool’s youngest players might be just what Klopp’s methods need to secure them the Europa League title.
