Liverpool have been having been an unexpectedly brilliant season during Jurgen Klopp’s last in charge.
The Reds were dismal last year, ending up in fifth place in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League football. A big rebuild was needed in the summer and, as a result, not a great deal was expected of Liverpool in 2023/24.
Under the expert guidance of Klopp though, the Reds have come roaring back. Aided by some excellent pieces of business in the off-season, Liverpool are challenging for the title again.
At the very least they’ve already added to their extensive trophy history, bagging the Carabao Cup in February. All of that with a big chunk of the first-team squad out injured, too.
Of course, the shadow hanging over the Reds last nine fixtures is that those will be Klopp’s last as Liverpool manager. But according to former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray, that may not actually be a shadow after all.
Glenn Murray hails Jurgen Klopp’s ‘genius’ move
There’s no question that Liverpool are going to miss Klopp terribly once he’s gone. Plenty can scarcely remember how Liverpool Football Club looked without the German.
In the short, medium and long-term future of the Reds, nothing good can come from losing their greatest figure of the modern era.
Having said that though, it does seem as though the imminent departure of their boss has given every member of Klopp’s team a boost. They are desperate to send Jurgen out in the very best way possible.
Had the 56-year-old kept his exit this summer a secret until the last moment, that may not have happened. So, as Murray told The Kelly and Wrighty Show, Klopp’s decision to announce that he’s leaving in January should be seen as a ‘genius’ piece of management.
“I think he’s done an exceptional job,” praised the pundit. “Him announcing his leaving when he did has just given them that little bit extra. Everyone wants to send him off on a high. I think it’s genius management by Jurgen Klopp.”
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This is right on the money from Murray. But it shouldn’t be a surprise. Klopp is a genius of a manager after all. He rarely gets these things wrong.
Perhaps we’ll never know the true meaning behind the timing of his announcement in January. Maybe it was simply a case of the press getting a hold of the information and needing to go out on his terms.
But we know Jurgen better than that. He knew that announcing it too early could cause the team to run out of steam on an emotion-charged season. Too late and it might all be for nothing. In January though, with just under half a season to play, the timing was ideal.
Since then, Liverpool have 14 played games, winning 11 and losing just twice. Klopp now has a minimum of 11 games left and a maximum of 14. For the players, it’s time to give absolutely everything. For the fans, let’s enjoy every last second of our genius Kloppo.