Jürgen Klopp led Liverpool to a six-year low last season, but that may have contributed to avoiding a difficult transfer conundrum in the summer.
Liverpool received a wake-up call against Luton that they had hoped to avoid. If the 95th-minute equalizer was reminiscent of the team’s never-say-die attitude at its peak, the overall direction of the game resembled an altogether less pleasant period for Jürgen Klopp.
Last season was not Liverpool’s worst league finish under Klopp, but it was certainly the lowest point overall. After all, the team had just completed an unprecedented quadruple push, having won two of those trophies — qualification for the Champions League was not a goal, it was assumed.
Perhaps this was part of the issue. The bigger issue, however, was a team that had completely lost its engine and appeared uniquely vulnerable against bottom-half opponents.
That will have all come back to Klopp as Luton sliced through Liverpool on the counter to take a shock lead. There is no doubt that he has vastly improved the team in the transfer market and on the training field over the summer — with the rejuvenated midfield and subsequent improvement in the press preventing teams from picking off the high line at will — but this will have prompted flashbacks to last season’s disappointing failure.
But, as long as Klopp can make this a one-time occurrence, it’s not the end of the world. Liverpool is still in the title race, having gained ground on Arsenal and Tottenham over the weekend. Meanwhile, it is on track in the other competitions.
This season, of course, includes the Europa League. Liverpool is making the best of a bad situation, and will have the opportunity tomorrow to secure group qualification with two games to spare, all while giving some fringe players a chance to shine.
Among the biggest beneficiaries is Caoimhín Kelleher. Naturally, Klopp did not turn to his second-choice stopper in the Champions League last season, but he has felt able to do so in Europe’s secondary competition. It remains to be seen if he keeps the gloves throughout the tournament, but the upshot is that he has already made more appearances than he did in the last campaign.
With Liverpool into the League Cup quarter-final as well, Kelleher could be set to reprise the heroic role he played in 2021/22. Amid a surprisingly fierce battle for Ireland’s number one jersey, this upswing in game time could not have come at a more important time.
Turning 25 later this month, Kelleher is entering a critical stage of his career. As a goalkeeper, his peak years may still be a little way off, but it’s surprising to have got this far in professional football without once having been first-choice anywhere.
Such is the esteem in which Liverpool holds Kelleher, he has never even been sent out on loan. Instead, having graduated from the youth ranks, it was a direct pathway to becoming Alisson’s number two.
There was gossip in the summer that he could seek a transfer away, and in truth it would have been an understandable choice. From what we have seen of Kelleher in a Liverpool shirt, it’s fair to say he could start for a lot of Premier League teams.
But perhaps the failure to qualify for the Champions League has helped Klopp. It has produced this natural pathway to minutes for Kelleher, at the very least delaying the awkward transfer call and allowing the club to keep hold of a hugely talented player.
Kelleher has spoken to the club website about his increased opportunities. He is grateful for the trust placed in him by Klopp:
Leave a Reply