My Love Affair With A German

A Personal Perspective on Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool Reign

My Love Affair with a German

Jurgen Klopp is special. He didn’t just revitalise a team that, despite still winning trophies every so often, had been nothing near the top top level for a couple of decades. He connected with a city and a fan base and made them believe again. He took Liverpool to incredible heights and made success and challenging for trophies and titles the expectation, rather than just a dream. He motivated players and took many to a level that it wasn’t believed was possible. He ingratiated himself to many with his likeable character and has been a respected voice within the league. He is a man that we all felt like we knew, even though the vast majority of us have never actually met him. He brought happiness to so many people and the thought of him not being there any more isn’t an easy one to accept. Football moves on, life moves on, but it doesn’t make it easy.

For me, Klopp will also be extra special as the incredible heights that Liverpool have achieved during his tenure have coincided with some of the biggest events in my own life. Over the past 9 years I have watched Liverpool grow, win virtually every trophy there is to win, watched players morph into titans, fallen in love with the team over and over again, but I have also fallen in love myself, bought a house, got married and had children. I have forged a successful career for myself and have had the results to show for hard work. When I think back on this period of my life when I am older, they will surely always be some of the happiest memories I have, but they will also always be inextricably linked with Jurgen.

In this blog, I am going to look over some of my favourite moments from Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool and reflect these against my own special moments and life at that time. I am, of course, not saying that Liverpool and their manager had anything to do with my own life events, but they are synchronised due to my feelings about the team and therefore provide a fantastic example of the mission statement I set out for this blog in the first place.

August 14th 2016: Arsenal 3 Liverpool 4

This was the first game of Klopp’s first full season in charge and provided a glimpse of the incredibly exciting times that were ahead. Yes, at the end of the previous season we had the comeback against Dortmund and getting to the Europa League final but this was the start of things to come, the chance to properly start again. Playing against Arsenal away is never going to be the easiest way to open a league campaign and it was made even more difficult when going a goal down after around half an hour. This was compounded by the fact that Liverpool had already conceded a penalty only a couple of minutes beforehand, which Mignolet had saved, only to shortly go behind anyway. Not great.

I had recently made a decision about a fresh start for myself too and had committed to moving back to Scotland to continue teaching there. There were various reasons behind this, mostly monetary, but I was excited about starting over, just like Liverpool fans were excited about their proper new start. Unfortunately, bureaucratic rules made it impossible for me to make the move at the beginning of the school year and I would have to wait until January for this to happen, but I was actually at home for this game as it was still the summer holidays.

As usual, I was watching in The Occidental, with more than a few other Liverpool sympathisers, and suffice to say none were too pleased about going behind. 

This was all about to change however. In first half stoppage time, Philippe Coutinho won a free kick fully 30 years out from goal. He then proceeded to pick himself up off the floor and curl it into to top corner, leaving Petr Cech in goal with no chance. With one strike of a boot, momentum had changed, right at the perfect time in the match. This was proved true as, in just 18 minutes at the start of the second half, Liverpool scored three more times (Lallana and Coutinho again with great finishes before a wonderful solo run in from the wing and a curled finish by Sadio Mane for a brilliant individual goal) to make it 4-1. These bursts of attacking pressure, characterised by quick movement both with and off the ball, became a trademark of the Liverpool team under Klopp and blew many an opposition team away.

Yes, on this occasion Arsenal did come back and score two more goals themselves (the Reds defence wouldn’t fully be shored up until the arrival of Virgil Van Dijk in January 2018) to make the ending a little nervous, but the glimpses of the Klopp way were there for all to see. 

A positive beginning to a fresh start for the team, just like my own to come soon.

The Rise of Robbo 

For me, nothing epitomises Klopp’s man management style than the rise to glory of Liverpool’s left-back Andy Robertson.

I had watched Robbo at Dundee United and yes, he looked like a good player who was potentially destined for bigger things, and this came to play when he moved to Hull City. Despite impressing there, many an eyebrow was raised when he signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2017, directly following Hull’s relegation from the Premier League. The team needed a new left-back as Alberto Moreno had proven unreliable, despite flashes of talent, and most fans were expecting a bigger name to come in to solve the problems. Klopp knew better though. He had seen something in the passion that Robertson played with, something he could mould and use in his emerging juggernaut.

Robertson didn’t become a regular straight away however. In a move that Klopp would later echo with other players, Robbo was eased in gradually, given time to learn the system, the ‘Liverpool way’ before eventually forcing his way into the first XI through his performances, and he never looked back from there. His dynamic play down the left flank and sheer determination in all situations have made him a fan favourite and an absolute game changer. 

As of April of this year, Robertson holds the record for the most assists ever by a Premier League defender, only just ahead of teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold (another huge beneficiary of Klopp’s willingness to take a chance on a player and mould/mentor them to greatness). Not even the most die-hard Dundee United fan would have predicted that this would be what the future held for Robbo when he was playing at Tannadice. His belief in himself and his own abilities alongside hard work and perseverance, nurtured by the man who saw something in him and encouraged him onwards showed just what can happen.

At the same time, I was making progress in my own career. When I’d first moved back to Scotland I struggled at work initially as I too had to get used to a new system of working and a new curriculum. I had gone from being very confident in my own abilities to questioning how I was doing things. However, hard work and perseverance paid off for me as well and I ended up becoming far better at my job than I was before. Along the way, there were various different people that believed in me and encouraged me and it is amazing the difference that makes. Often, all people need is for someone to see something in them and to be given a chance. That is what Klopp seems to do for his players.

April 4th 2018 - Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg: Liverpool 3 Manchester City 0

Kim (my now wife) and I had met in the February of 2018 and things were going really well. We had decided to take a short holiday to Aberfeldy together, our first trip away, at the start of the Easter holidays. Kim had no interest in football whatsoever but was aware of my love for the game and for Liverpool in particular (I couldn’t exactly hide it!)

I often say that it is lucky that we met during a period of time where Liverpool were playing well as if she had seen the moods that I can get into when things aren’t going well early on then we might not be where we are at this point!

Anyway, right in the middle of this break, Liverpool were to be playing in what was their biggest game for a long time, a Champions League Quarter Final against rivals Manchester City. Obviously I was going to watch the game, mini-break or not. Luckily, Kim was still keen enough to indulge me at this stage, provided I buy dinner first of course.

Despite City’s overall dominance at this point, since Klopp had taken over, Liverpool had won most of their meetings with City (the Carabao Cup final in 2016, on penalties, and a humbling 5-0 defeat earlier in the 2017/18 season aside) so although I was nervous, I went into the game with some confidence.

We settled down in the Black Watch pub in Aberfeldy, lovely spot if you’re ever visiting, alongside some of the locals, including the postman, still in full uniform. As always before a big game, there was a buzz and lots of discussion about what people thought would happen. Even I, in my wildest dreams, couldn’t have predicted the night ahead though.

Again, in one of those Klopp signature attacking blitzes seen before against Arsenal, Liverpool went 3-0 up by the time half an hour was gone, the pick of the goals being a screamer from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his peak moment in a Liverpool shirt. And this time the defence didn’t falter, keeping a clean sheet and ensuring a strong position for the return game.

I was beside myself and I think it was nice for Kim to see how happy I was in this situation. I swear she even got a little bit excited herself at one point! She still doesn’t understand how I can care so much about something I have no control over but she tolerates it and that is enough. 

May 7th 2019 - Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg: Liverpool 4 Barcelona 0

Another of those famous Anfield European nights and another of those never-say-die performances during the Klopp regime. Liverpool hadn’t won the Champions League, despite beating City, the previous year, the less said about Loris Karius in the final the better, and it didn’t look like they would do so again the following year after succumbing 3-0 to the might Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the first leg of this tie. To make matters worse, Mo Salah wasn’t available for this game. It would take a miracle.

Luckily, Klopp’s Liverpool were adept at serving those up and over the course of the evening I watched transfixed as that miracle occurred.

I had moved into Kim’s small flat by this point (we were waiting on our house being ready) and had been warned that I couldn’t scream and shout whilst watching the football as it wasn’t fair on the neighbours. Usually, this meant going to the pub for the games but, after the defeat in the first leg, I wasn’t feeling too confident so decided to just watch at home. Suffice to say, the neighbours would just have to forgive me for that evening as Liverpool did the unthinkable. An early Divock Origi goal provided small hope but then nothing else happened until half time. This all changed ten minutes into the second half and a quick fire Gini Wijnaldum double which almost took the roof off Anfield and had me jumping up and down on the couch screaming my head off. By the time Trent (aided by the quick thinking of the ball boy) had the foresight to take a swift corner, dinked in by Origi again for the fourth, limbs were everywhere, Klopp was fist pumping, and I was literally running around the living room with my shirt swinging over my head. An amazing evening I will never forget. Sorry neighbours.

June 25th 2020 - Chelsea 2 Manchester City 1

Why a game that Liverpool weren’t actually involved in? Because this is the one that finally, after 30 long years and a season paused by COVID-19, won us the league.

Liverpool had been incredible that season. Klopp had his team firing on all cylinders and at one point they had opened up a 23-point gap against nearest challengers City.

Then the virus hit and everything went mental. No one knew what was going to happen. Some countries finished their leagues as they were and some said they would continue when it was safe again. Some voided their league seasons altogether (this was unthinkable as a Liverpool fan considering the lead they had built up). Finally common sense saw out and the decision was made to finish the league, in empty stadiums, once it was deemed safe to do so. Having waited for so long, I think it made me appreciate it even more when everything started up again. I was also awaiting becoming a father for the first time (my daughter Esme would arrive in August) and I feel it made it extra special, almost like a turning point, that I been waiting so long for both things to happen and then suddenly it looked like they were both going to come at once.

Understandably ring rusty, there was a 0-0 draw in the first game back in a Merseyside derby with Everton and then a 4-0 hammering of Crystal Palace the night before this Chelsea-Man City game which meant that if City lost, the title was ours. 

I don’t even really remember the game, or who scored, I just remember the scenes of jubilation of Klopp and the Liverpool players watching, the fans setting off fireworks outside the ground, an overjoyed message from ‘King’ Kenny and me, on my own in my man room watching (due to social distancing rules). It was an incredible moment for me and one that I will never forget. I remember phoning my Dad to tell him and being a bit emotional. Obviously I would have loved to have been able to share the moment with others but it will live with me forever.

May 19th 2024: Liverpool 2 Wolves 0

Klopp’s last game in charge. The performance and the result didn’t really matter, though it was nice to finish off the season with a win. It was also disappointing that we weren’t still fighting for the title on that last day of the season. Regardless though, everyone was determined to send the boss off with a party and the singing of his song continuously for the last 5 minutes or so was incredible. The club did themselves very proud afterwards with the presentations for departing players and staff and then it was time for the main man himself to speak. And he didn’t disappoint.

Klopp was gracious, thankful and kind, towards his players, staff, the fans and the city. Would we really expect anything less of this man. He even demanded that the fans get behind the new manager, Arne Slot, and, in true Klopp fashion, created a new chant for him with a big grin on his face. Once the talking was over, fans didn’t want to leave. They didn’t want to believe it was all over. Some were still there almost 2 hours and the final whistle. And who was there with them? Jurgen Klopp. Still giving time to the people.

I had been looking forward to the moment but didn’t want it to come at the same time. I wanted to support the club and the manager but knew it would be emotional for all. Kim even let me wear my Liverpool top out and about that day, which is something that never happens.

Other things I will miss about Jurgen:

The smile

The laugh

The glasses (yes they’ve been gone for a while but it’s still not the same)

The continuous chats/ arguments with the fourth officials (they may be glad he’s gone)

The hugs

The fist pumps (genuinely my favourite thing he did)

Jurgen Klopp is one of a kind. He will never, and never should be, replaced by anyone. He stood for the club, made everyone dream again and won the hearts of all fans - Esme’s first ever teddy bear is even called Jurgen.

Life won’t be the same but life goes on. Thanks for the memories.