Three goals, a clean sheet, 76 points recorded, fourth spot secured and a 50th victory reached under Jurgen Klopp.
Gini Wijnaldum pounded his chest after lifting the nerves with an
expert finish, Philippe Coutinho pointed skyward as he converted another
curling free-kick, and the Liverpool manager engaged in his trademark
run and leap on the touchline when Adam Lallana buried a break.
Job done at Anfield - and in style too. The Reds showed off their
stunning new home kits for next season as they made their efforts in
this one count with a patient then potent pummelling of Middlesbrough.
Fittingly, given Liverpool’s difficulties against deep defences, a strong finish had to be secured by solving that very issue.
The relegated visitors spent much of the encounter with a back six
and, bar rare breaks through the lively Patrick Bamford, had neither the
ambition nor the desire to be a nuisance in Liverpool’s box.
Their hindering approach frustrated Klopp’s side and ramped up the
anxiety at Anfield, where news of early leads for Manchester City and
Arsenal filtered through.
However, on the stroke of half-time, when Roberto Firmino flicked the
ball to Wijnaldum, the pressure eased and the party started. The
Dutchman’s godly first touch was followed by a rising rasper past Brad
Guzan at the near post as the stadium erupted and Liverpool came to life
after the break.
Coutinho found the bottom-left corner with another belting direct
free-kick to end as the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions before
Lallana netted his first of the year to contribute to the festive mood.
Only twice in the preceding 10 seasons have Liverpool recorded a
higher points total, and only on two occasions in the previous eight
have they finished in the top four.
This crucial step of shifting the club back among Europe’s elite is
exactly what Fenway Sports Group envisaged when they plumped for Klopp
to succeed Brendan Rodgers.
It is only the beginning of a process of rejuvenation, though, one
which the manager has used to convince Coutinho his immediate future is
best served at Anfield despite the persuasions of Barcelona, and has
detailed in his pitches to potential signings.
The German has indicated discussions with players high on the club’s
recruitment list have been promising as Liverpool are “a really
interesting project. Everybody can see it from outside, the mood is
different and a few people are different. But the base is still there –
the size and power of this club – and then the perspective. That’s
really changed and we feel this in the talks.”
Last season’s electric run in the Europa League, which included
seeing off Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal before
suffering defeat in the final to Sevilla, was enough to get Liverpool in
conversation with some premier footballers, but not enough to convince
them to opt for L4.
With the Reds bettering Arsenal and Jose Mourinho’s men in an
extremely competitive league season, there has been a noticeable change.
“The players are really positive and I felt that this year in
comparison to last year,” Klopp revealed. “They saw our way and they saw
the football. That’s good.”
He will have highlighted the first half of 2016-17 to them, when the
Merseysiders - close to full strength every matchday - were undoubtedly
among the most spellbinding teams on the continent.
The front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Coutinho
dovetailed phenomenally as the Reds emerged as early pacesetters. They
were at the summit in mid-November, and as the games and injuries began
to multiply ahead of the festive break, dropped to Chelsea’s closest
challengers heading into the New Year.
With captain Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge,
Coutinho, Mane, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip unavailable at differing and
often coinciding stanzas, their fall in 2017 was steeper - with only
10 wins in 24 games across all competitions.
Liverpool have battled rather than blitzed their way into the
Champions League places, which may seem anti-climatic given their
stellar start, but it remains a success given the context of recent
history, the competitiveness of the campaign as well as the never-ending
setbacks they’ve endured.
“This is a special season,” Klopp noted prior to Sunday’s finale. “It
didn’t happen too often that you need 76 points to be sure of the
Champions League and so the players were always ready, ready to bounce
back in different situations, ready to accept different situations
around the squad. They were always focused. They really deserve it.”
Liverpool’s place atop the 'Big Six' mini-league and their
performances in those encounters serve as evidence of what the club is
capable of.
Klopp will know their difficulties in breaking down the more
obstructive-minded sides - all six of the club's league defeats were
suffered against opponents outside the top seven - can be fixed by
signing dynamic players like Naby Keita to increase the quality options
at his disposal.
A pedigreed centre-back like Virgil van Dijk or Napoli’s Kalidou
Koulibaly is high on the priority list and will help reduce the
excessive amount of goals conceded. Matip and Lovren have formed a solid
partnership, but it hasn’t been one to rely on given their injuries
throughout the season. Bringing in a left-back, a wide forward and a
versatile option like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also on the to-do list.
Smart, decisive business was done last summer but the course of this
campaign has indicated it wasn’t enough; too often there was too little
Klopp could do to effect the game from the bench.
Another major lesson from 2016/17 is the necessity for balance.
Liverpool were attacking juggernauts in the autumn but left themselves
too exposed, while a safety-first approach was adopted for much of the
run-in, blunting their free-flowing football - it doesn’t have to be one
or the other; Klopp needs to meld both elements to make his side more
complete.
The manager is correct in his estimation, though: Liverpool are
indeed a really interesting project. The right additions and the
refining of their blueprint should keep the club’s curve pointing
upwards.
They need to ensure being among the best in the league is the norm
not the anomaly, although Klopp’s target will undoubtedly be higher.
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