Perspective

A post match article by Matty

As usual with me, I’m absolutely furious immediately after the result if it doesn’t go our way, give myself time to think it over, realize it isn’t bad at all and move on happily with my day. In this case I had a bunch of shrubbery in my backyard that needed to be chopped down, there’s a whole hill that’s visible for the first time in years. Life goes on, and there are more important things than football, believe it or not.

As much as we’re all gonna bitch about the finishing levels, which were frankly about as bad as MLS youth teams, or how United only got a point because of self-inflicted errors, there’s a lot of good in that game. We were shaky early, normal for this season, but we grew into the game, pinned United deep, got an early goal, created loads of chances. As much as it’s on ourselves for losing two points in that game, we should also recognize just how fucking good we were for most of that game. Perhaps that’s why there’s so much more vitriol after that game. It’s a perfect storm really. Performed well, should’ve gotten three points but didn’t, it’s our own fault for doing so, and it’s against one of our biggest rivals. That also means we haven’t beat United once this season, which I’m sure leaves an even more sour taste in the mouth.

It should be remembered that this is really just the first year of the rebuild. I think that’s been largely forgotten in the whole storyline of this being Klopp’s last season in charge and the upstart nature of our rise back to the top of the league. Really we shouldn’t even be here at all. Arsenal have spent heavily to try and cross that last bridge between them and a long-awaited title, City underwent a bit of a rebuild themselves after winning an historic treble but still had Haaland, De Bruyne and Rodri leading an experienced group of serial winners. Liverpool had an entirely new midfield, inexperienced forwards, and a defense that looks older and creakier by the day. And while everybody has valiantly stepped up, I think we all should’ve realized how much of an uphill climb it was going to be in order to properly challenge City and City London Edition. We’re still ahead of schedule, folks.

As one era begins, another one ends. And Klopp’s legacy is simple for us but more complicated in the broad football world. He brought us back to relevance and won every trophy in the book, but just like his days at Dortmund this squad left a lot more trophies on the table. Lost two leagues by a point, quite possibly could lose this league by a point as well, lost two Champions League finals, one of which was particularly egregious and similar to the United game, these are the things that history looks on and makes judgement over.

Klopp’s legacy in the game as a whole will be a manager who played entertaining football, challenged teams with better players and bigger budgets, but rarely ever pulled off the ultimate victory when the chips were down. We’ve had discussions on here about the style of football, do we want to be entertained or do we want to win? Because boring football like City and now Arsenal win trophies, championships. They control games until you can barely keep your eyes open, but that chokes out the opposition until they break down and then it’s game over. Klopp’s Liverpool never could control games like that. We always left teams with a chance to win, no matter how much we pressured them, and it’s bitten us in the ass many times.

None of this is to say we shouldn’t appreciate Klopp or the players he’s gifted us with, but that as much as we appreciate what we’ve won, we could’ve done so much more and failed to do so, and just like this United game it was mostly our fault. Not all hope is lost, but it sure feels that way. Finishing is fickle and erratic in this sport, look at Haaland’s numbers from last season compared to this season as a perfect example. Not every clinical finisher stays clinical, and not every normal player stays normal in front of goal. It’s quite possible Arsenal and City could slip up again, unlikely as it may be. After all, no team’s been perfect this season, no team’s won 32 out of 32 games. But just as Arsenal and City could slip up, so could we.

Ultimately, does any of this matter? Should we just enjoy the last games of the Klopp era for what they are, enjoy the team that’s still trying to figure it all out and winning anyways, and see where it all leaves us? Perhaps that would be the easier, less stressful way to watch, especially seeing as we don’t have control over a damn thing and therefore shouldn’t worry so much about trying to. But that goes against human nature itself, doesn’t it? We try to make sense of everything, make it fit our sense of logic, of reason. Yet the world itself is irrational, illogical and unreasonable. So maybe we should just roll with the flow, see where the team takes us. Trust in Klopp to pull off one final miracle, if the football gods will let him. Maybe entertaining football doesn’t win trophies, but maybe sport is meant for entertainment anyways. Who knows what the future holds? We just have to wait and see what it has in store.

Do I think we’ll win the league, or any other trophy this season? I’d say history suggests we’re toast but new history can always be made. We’re all along for the ride, it’s just a question of whether or not we allow ourselves to have fun with it. Personally I think I need to not worry so much about some of this shit for my own sake. Just sit back and enjoy the ride more.