With Liverpool having finalised their latest summer signing, Roma and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, Reds fans find themselves with a sense of cautious optimism.
After a number of trophy-dry years and agonising second-placed finishes, can Jurgen Klopp finally be the man to deliver for a club so used to being on top?
Alisson joins fellow new signings, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri at Liverpool, amidst a level of spending which represents real ambition from within the club. The Brazilian will surely walk right into the starting eleven, replacing mistake-prone Loris Karius, whose Champions League final performance was heavily criticised.
Alongside this flurry of impressive transfer activity comes the commitment of current star players to the team. Balon d’Or contender Mohamed Salah recently signed a five-year contract, demonstrating his own belief in Liverpool’s prospects. This will come as a relief to fans with the club having previously failed to retain their big name players, with both Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho joining Barcelona.
All this makes for exciting reading for the Anfield faithful. There is, however, a certain pressure developing on manager Jurgen Klopp as a result. Having spent nearly £400 million since taking charge in 2015 (although his net-spend sits much lower), Klopp will be expected to challenge for silverware in the coming season.
The ugly underbelly of the German’s tenure at Liverpool contrasts with the exciting gegenpressing style we’ve come to expect from his teams. Of the three finals the club have competed in since his arrival, each has resulted in defeat. The argument has been made that in said finals, Liverpool were competing with teams that were either evenly matched, or superior to their side. As such, it seems fair that we should take those losses with a pinch of salt.
Hope should also be taken from these losses too, as, particularly in the most recent European Cup final run, Liverpool were often seen as the underdogs against highly regarded sides such as Guardiola’s Manchester City and a Roma side who defeated Barcelona.
However, having bolstered the squad significantly, any shortcomings in regards to silverware this season will, no doubt, garner unwanted questions. A club with the stature of Liverpool warrants competing for the highest accolades in the game and Klopp knows that. He’ll be looking to his new stars to inspire the team to go that one step further and lift the first trophy since the League Cup success in 2012.
Past record favours Liverpool and their managers. Klopp made his name at Dortmund, a talented side who managed to break the Bayern dominance of the Bundesliga. He’ll be hoping to do the same in England, shattering the Manchester City dynasty before it’s even established itself.
All of the past years of squad building have culminated in a side that could be one of the best in Europe. With solid defenders and a front three to make the largest clubs envious, we could be looking at a great team in the making. All that’s left is for them to deliver.
The pressure is on and Klopp will lead his troops into the new season knowing that his hunt for silverware, if successful, could elevate him to legendary manager in the eyes of the Kop, alongside the likes of Dalglish and Shankly.
The next season, and those that follow, could define his place in history as Liverpool’s latest hero or the man who couldn’t quite get them there. Will he deliver? Only time will tell.
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