Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure from the Premier League will see him join the ranks of esteemed managers who have left an indelible mark on the English top flight. Manuel Pellegrini, Claudio Ranieri, Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelotti, and Kenny Dalglish are among those whose legacies Klopp will undoubtedly be measured against. Yet, despite his undeniable status as one of the division’s defining figures, Klopp’s tenure will forever be defined by a solitary league title triumph. While that 2020 triumph was a historic moment, ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league crown, and his reign has been played out against the backdrop of a captivating rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, it feels like an insufficient reflection of Klopp’s colossal contribution to the Merseyside club. The German tactician will not depart with a second Premier League title to his name, a reality that became increasingly likely after Liverpool’s chastening defeat at the hands of local rivals Everton. “I can’t say now we are fully in [the title race],” Klopp conceded in the aftermath of that setback. “We need a crisis at [Manchester] City and Arsenal and need to win football games. You can read the table.” Indeed, the table makes for sobering reading for Liverpool supporters, with their team currently second but effectively third favorites for the title given City’s games in hand. Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0 project will not be crowned with a second league triumph, a fact that was perhaps acknowledged when Klopp initially announced his departure. The German was under no illusions, maintaining that his decision would not change even if Liverpool were to win everything or nothing. Long before Arne Slot was lined up as his successor, Klopp had accepted his fate. He is not Sir Alex Ferguson, and not simply because he was surprised by the Scot’s U-turn on retirement plans in 2002. Ferguson had initially intended to step down in 2012, only to remain for an additional year and bow out as a winner. Perhaps Klopp possesses a greater sense of perspective or a lesser hunger. He may instead depart with the bittersweet distinction of being the Premier League’s greatest runner-up, the man who finished second with 97 and 92 points. Nonetheless, he has played a pivotal role in creating a thrilling three-team title race this season. Amidst the schadenfreude from Everton fans and the chants of “you lost the league at Goodison Park,” Liverpool have exceeded most pre-season expectations. The initial aim was merely to secure Champions League qualification, but the last few weeks have been underwhelming. In the wake of Klopp’s announcement, there was a brief spell when it seemed Liverpool could be propelled to glory by an irresistible narrative; of comebacks and academy graduates, of a managerial master of substitutions and a team with a knack for late goals. But the quadruple dream has dwindled to a single trophy, with the Carabao Cup representing Klopp’s final piece of silverware at Anfield. Liverpool fielded a team against Derby County in the FA Cup that included Jayden Danns, James McConnell, and Bobby Clark, a testament to the club’s squad depth. However, they are unlikely to win another trophy with Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, or Dominik Szoboszlai in their ranks. There was always an element of the improbable with Klopp, so it was fitting that his final trophy was not won in mundane fashion. Yet, Liverpool 2.0 may forever remain an unfinished project. This season had brought a sense of renewal, as though it was a springboard to a potential second great Klopp team in 2025 or 2026. Now, regardless of who occupies the dugout, that will never come to pass. As encouraging as so many aspects of this season have been, Liverpool have not reached the heights of the 2018-20 team that won the Champions League and Premier League, amassing 196 points in two seasons. This side has been entertainingly flawed. Liverpool have kept fewer clean sheets than Everton this season, conceding first in 16 league games alone. That partly reflects Ibrahima Konate’s mixed season and the lack of a consistently high-class defensive midfielder since Fabinho’s departure. Liverpool’s squad players kept them in contention for eight months, as did their capacity to score goals. However, that ability has deserted them of late. Despite having 23 shots and enjoying 77 percent of possession against Everton, they failed to find the net. Similar profligacy was evident in defeats to Atalanta and Crystal Palace, where Liverpool had 19 and 21 attempts at goal respectively without scoring. A team that has scored 131 goals this season is suddenly struggling to find the back of the net. Mohamed Salah is arguably in the worst form of his Liverpool career, while Darwin Nunez’s profligacy has become costly. Diogo Jota, as he has been all too often, is sidelined once more. Of all the great Liverpool managers, Klopp is the most innately attacking. Lately, his attack has misfired. For a manager who attributed his decision to leave to the realization that his energy levels are not bottomless, his team have started to look drained: of verve, of ideas, of the Kloppian capacity to carry on regardless and conjure something special. “Not the most inspired performance of all time,” Klopp said after the defeat to Everton. He might have won the title in 2019 but for a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park; he almost certainly will not win it in 2024 after a 2-0 defeat. “We were not good enough,” he concluded. Liverpool have been good enough for the vast majority of this season and the vast majority of Klopp’s reign. But it has only brought him one league title, and with Klopp departing, the question is when Liverpool will win their next and whether it will be under Slot.
Klopp Departs Premier League with Legacy as One-Time Winner, Leaving Liverpool 2.0 Unfinished
