Liverpool were disjointed in their 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, registering only one shot on target in their 3-1 defeat at the Emirates, which also saw Ibrahima Konate sent off
The private joke going around Kirkby after Jurgen Klopp announced his surprise decision to step down at the end of the season was that the manager was blaming the Liverpool players for becoming too good, too soon.
Klopp always knew that he wouldn’t be seeing this team through to the end, unlike his previous one that he rode out over the hill, gathering successes in every competition they entered until time caught up with them last season.
Klopp’s plan had been to build this new side from scratch, leaving perhaps at the end of next season or maybe at the end of his contract in 2026, by which point he’d hope he had moulded this group of players into an outfit ready to win everything with a new manager.
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Anyone who saw Liverpool’s scintillating league performances in January, scoring four goals in each of the wins over Newcastle, Bournemouth and Chelsea, would say that this is a team which already looks ready for success though, and that is why Klopp feels it is right to step away and hand the keys over to a new driver.
Whether that proves to be a wise decision or not remains to be seen – as the Liverpool boss says, he has no idea what a normal life is so maybe he won’t like it? – but performances like the one at Arsenal are much more reminiscent of what Klopp had expected this season to be like, not what it has become.
Klopp’s side were disappointing at the Emirates ( Image: Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)
Liverpool were disjointed at the Emirates, registering just one shot on target and struggling to find any rhythm despite being gifted a goal via the arm of Gabriel. But perhaps that isn’t that surprising.
The Reds, or Purples, were missing several key components of their team on Sunday afternoon. There was no Mo Salah or Dominik Szoboszlai, there was barely a Trent Alexander-Arnold or Darwin Nunez, and Andy Robertson looked rusty in just his third cameo appearance off the bench since October. He might not have played at all had Conor Bradley been available, but the youngster was mourning the loss of his father.
Liverpool registered just one shot on target on Sunday ( Image: Getty Images)
Klopp’s team played like a side who haven’t played together often, and that is exactly what they are. A second Premier League defeat of the season was deserved, but the Liverpool manager will know that it doesn’t have to be a fatal loss.
His side play league games against Burnley, Brentford, Luton and Nottingham Forest between now and taking on Manchester City on the weekend of March 9, crucially at Anfield. If they win those four matches and then beat City then the title will be in their hands. And they can do that.
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