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Liverpool FC: From European powerhouses to EPL powder puffs

6th May, 2016
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Jurgen Klopp (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Roar Guru
6th May, 2016
1
2120 Reads

After witnessing another magical home performance from Liverpool this morning, callers from the UK were questioned on why the crowd and players do not get up for games played during daylight hours and in general, the EPL.

Examples were made of clashes in the EPL against Crystal Palace and West Ham. As a fan it’s frustrating to take the inconsistent performances dished out at home against sides that in the past we’d expect to beat.

A point was made that fans reach fever pitch for night-time fixtures due to the long build up. I think the extra pints downed pre-match plays their part as well.

Night games and in particular European nights have been the bread and butter of Liverpool FC since the mid-1960s when Bill Shankly was at the helm. If Jurgen Klopp is to take this side to title contenders, he needs not only the players but the fans to make Anfield a fortress for all visiting sides, be it Bournemouth FC or Barcelona FC.

We need the 12th man (not Billy Birmingham) week in, week out. Liverpool fans need a messiah to manage the team, and in the zany and brilliant Klopp they have their man. It’s been a long time since Liverpool have had a manager of his quality. He has talked up the crowd in the media to great effect and hopefully powder puffs seen in the EPL will be a thing of the past.

An elder caller quite rightfully made a decent point that the increase in the price of matchday tickets and tourists gaining easier access to EPL seats have added to the more muted support of the fans. But one thing is for sure, while Manchester City have a bottomless supply of funds to assist Pep Guardiola in the transfer market, they can’t buy history or an atmosphere quite like Anfield.

It will be interesting to see how he deals with a club without the European pedigree already instilled at previous clubs he’s managed. The strange atmosphere created by both players and fans during the first leg of Manchester City’s UCL semi-final against Real Madrid was example that their fans have not yet embraced the role they can play in lifting their side to greater heights.

Liverpool have exceeded a lot of expectations, accounting for Manchester United and launching an unbelievable comeback against Borussia Dortmund, before the easier than expected dismissal of Villarreal this morning. But it will all count for zero if they are runners-up in Switzerland in a fortnight’s time.

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If Liverpool lift the Europa Cup, be afraid, be very afraid. Champions League football will predictably equal greater pulling power for Klopp in signing the likes of Mario Gotze, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and other high-quality targets.

We have seen glimpses of what Klopp’s sides can achieve in destroying Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton away. With players better suited to his tactics brought in during the transfer window, chances are we’ll see more of these results next season.

One thing is for sure, the 2016-2017 EPL title race will be exciting to follow with up to seven sides capable of taking the crown from Leicester. The days of a three- or four-horse race are slowly being put to bed by sides like the Foxes, Tottenham and to a lesser extent Slaven Bilic’s West Ham.

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