Don't really post on here that much anymore due to the utter shite that gets spouted and the constant bickering, especially since the turn of the year. Find myself browsing on my phone more out of habit than choice due to using the usually excellent forum for nearly a decade. Don't really know what has made me post this either to be honest, maybe it's just to vent some frustration, maybe offer some rational and realistic thinking of our season, or time, under Klopp so far.
7, 6, 8, 7, 2, 6, 8. My old man sent me an email with that as the subject title. I knew straight away what it was; one of those fucking stupid number 'trick sequences' and for a brief moment I was trying to figure out the next number. Part of the problem is people started to think the next number was 1. It probably isn't. It did quickly dawn on me (I think the 2 gave it away due to it looking out of place) that it is in fact our league positions over the last few years. Well, it's not even a 'few' years as it's more than half a decade. Two 8th placed finishes, two 7th placed finishes and two 6th placed finishes in 7 seasons of football. Yet, when we find ourselves in fifth place, able to move within 1 point of 2nd by close of play next weekend, I'm seeing Klopp should be gone (not so much on here as on Twitter), that we are in a crisis and even the Echo likening him to Brendan. I love Brendan by the way, but Klopp is different fucking gravy. Granted 2017 hasn't exactly been great, but the fact we are still where we are a run of results which fits right in with most of our last 7 seasons, we still find ourselves right in the mix at getting back to the Champions League. I miss that music so much, goosebumps
every time.
We're sitting in 5th, 4 points behind a Spurs side who have finished above us with much more frequency than they ever have done. A side who has got together a fantastic group of players who are consistent and play a good brand of football with a coach tipped to go to the very top. We are 3 points behind a City side with surplus amounts of cash, a very strong squad with a world class forward and one of the best coaches of this era. Laughably people said they were in crisis a few weeks ago. Then again those people said Chelsea were too after losing to us and Arsenal and that we were on course for the title. Amazing how quickly things can change. We're also 1 point behind an Arsenal side who are always fucking there and won't budge from the top four spots yet every year we ask if it is the year they finally miss out. This year possibly more than ever although I wouldn't be putting any money on it. We are also a point ahead of a United side who have spent a lot of money on some very good players under a manager who has been there and done it in this league. Ourselves? We don't make any big noises in the transfer market and are getting on with things with a relatively weak squad when injuries and luck deplete it over busy periods. Losing both Coutinho and/then Mane was a massive blow doing the most busiest time of the season and we have suffered because of it. It's not the sole reason, but it is a huge reason. You take any of those other sides two best players out consecutively over the christmas and new year period and they'd suffer too.
Klopp being seemingly reluctant to drop Emre Can from midfield even when he has our best midfield (based on this season) available doesn't help. I'm a big Emre fan and it appears Klopp is too. So hopefully he plays his way out of this current rut, which isn't as bad as people are making out. But I do want to see the other 3 in midfield again for now. Also, his refusal to let Sakho just apologise, serve his time and come back in when our first choice centre back pairing cant string a consistent run of games between them doesn't help. That situation gets magnified with their deputies being a midfielder who's legs are so shot he has been moved to back up centre back, and a young lad who's barely played a senior game in the position and has had horrible injury problems are two other big factors. We have Klavan as well, who looks a decent back up but due to the first choice two being unavailable far too much he has played more than he should and has been exposed. I'm on the fence with the Sakho situation and certainly don't want to go over it but what I will say is that Klopp deserves to and has earned enough trust to allow us to back him on that decision. Because I know he will rectify it in the summer. And while on the subject of defenders, we are plodding along with good, honest Milner at left back. A great player to have in the squad who will be a good player anywhere on the pitch, but over a prolonged period he will get caught out and any weaknesses exposed in unfamiliar positions if he spends too much time there. Again, Klopp has earned our trust and will rectify it in the summer. I simply refuse to believe he won't. Add to this that a striker who has shown has a world class scoring touch refuses to buy into the philosophy and that world class touch seemingly disappearing, it's a fucking miracle we are where we are. And I haven't even mentioned the goalkeeping situation. Miracle indeed.
The fact some people were even talking about the title highlights just how much good work Klopp has done but also how some of our fanbase has become deluded. Maybe deluded is too strong (not for some mind) but I'm surprised at just how many people thought we could do it. Top four was my hope for the season, fighting for it being the bare minimum. The aforementioned problems plus the horrible luck with Coutinho and Mane meant it would all get a little difficult at some point. i'll admit I didn't think we'd see such a bad run of form but then I didn't think we'd see such a good run at the beginning of the season. Maybe if we'd have evened all the results out a bit more people wouldn't have been deluding themselves of the title and others wouldn't have been calling crisis now? I'm just glad we got ourselves into such a good position that we can dust ourselves down now and go again and it shouldn't affect us too much.
I don't even know if this post even belongs in this thread so I will just have to add; yes I am fucking enjoying it. If you're not, just type Jurgen Klopp into Youtube, look at a few gifs, watch a few vids of that manic laugh. Maybe watch that Dortmund game again, or some highlights from earlier in the season. You'll enjoy it then and might even get behind everyone. If you don't; fuck off.
