The impossible job doesn’t seem so daunting anymore.
Barring a miraculous turn of events, Arne Slot, the man identified by Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s perfect successor, will not conquer the Premier League champions this summer.
Instead, the current Feyenoord manager looks set to inherit a team that is limping towards the consolation prize of Champions League qualification to accompany their Carabao Cup final triumph in February. The problems are evident and the room for improvement is considerable.
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It all started with a self-inflicted defeat against arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup. Then came a mistake-filled Europa League exit at the hands of Atalanta. Now their title challenge is also in ruins after taking just four points from the 12 on offer in a quick rematch with United and against Crystal Palace, Fulham and now Everton.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
The television documentarians, who have been filming behind the scenes at Liverpool since December, thought they were capturing a precious, victorious and historic farewell. However, The Last Dance, as some players and staff have called it — a reference to the hit Netflix series about Michael Jordan’s triumphant final season with basketball’s Chicago Bulls — involved too many missteps.
They fell flat on their faces at Goodison Park on Wednesday. The Merseyside derby gave Klopp plenty of memories to cherish throughout his eight-year reign. He once had to fork out an £8,000 fine to the Football Association for deciding to celebrate a dramatic late winner from Divock Origi by running manically to the center circle to embrace his goalkeeper, Alisson.
Klopp had lost just one of his first 18 meetings with Everton before last night, and no fans were there to see it happen as the match took place behind closed doors at Anfield during the COVID-19 pandemic. But his last taste of this appointment represented one of the most shocking moments of his tenure.
“You lost the championship at Goodison Park,” cheered the home crowd as Everton celebrated their first home win against Liverpool since October 2010.
Everton fans after beating Liverpool: “You lost the championship at Goodison Park” 😅
🤳 @Everton_Extra pic.twitter.com/oFOvnQPsXT
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 24, 2024
Liverpool started that day together bottom of the table, and a beleaguered Roy Hodgson fielded a line-up that included Paul Konchesky, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Joe Cole. The failures were sadly predictable with the club in chaos.
This was very different. This was Liverpool competing for the title in the final month of a season and looking to increase the pressure on rivals Arsenal and Manchester City after Sunday’s moral victory at Craven Cottage. What they did against opposition threatened with relegation was pitiful.
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The array of empty seats in the away side when the final whistle blew was both stark and understandable.
“I think everyone needs to ask themselves whether they have really given everything and really want to win the league?” said captain Virgil van Dijk, who complained about Liverpool “for not winning challenges” and for wasting opportunities “where we should have scored.”
Instead of unleashing a post-victory barrage of punches, there was a dejected Klopp’s apology to the fans for the paucity of what had been served. So vulnerable on the one hand, so toothless on the other.
Klopp was in a depressed mood after the defeat (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
There was an alarming naivety from Liverpool in conceding a number of cheap free kicks and allowing themselves to be bullied as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both punished terrible defending from set pieces.
Their firepower has allowed Klopp’s side to dig themselves out of numerous holes when they have fallen behind this season, but that ability has evaporated, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah both hopelessly out of form.
If, as expected, Slot takes over, he will have some big decisions to make, together with new sporting director Richard Hughes.
Like: Is Nunez really the number 9 capable of taking Liverpool to where they want to be?
The Uruguayan’s tally of 18 goals and 13 assists in all club competitions this season is, at first glance, respectable. But when the stakes were raised, he failed to deliver on his goals, failing to score in eight of his last nine appearances. Nunez will turn 25 in June, he is not a kid, but the rough edges and irregular manifestations remain there for all to see. So many opportunities were taken from him and wasted.
He was so ineffective last night that Klopp’s reluctance to replace him with 18-year-old Jayden Danns in the second half was baffling.
Nunez fired blanks again against Everton (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
And what about Salah, 32 in June and entering the final year of his contract a couple of weeks later? At Christmas, offering him an extension seemed like a no-brainer, given his prolific attacking responses.
But since suffering a hamstring injury during the Africa Cup of Nations in January and then suffering another collapse shortly after his return to Liverpool, he has been nowhere near his usual levels. The Egyptian has scored just two goals in his last seven games – and they were both penalties.
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Like Nunez, he appears to lack confidence and was a waste against Everton.
The tireless Luis Diaz was the only Liverpool striker to carry any kind of continued threat, as Diogo Jota’s renewed absence due to a hip problem and the late withdrawal of Cody Gakpo after his partner went into labor were strongly felt.
Liverpool’s front line clearly needs to be strengthened in the summer. The same goes for midfield and defence, with Joel Matip and Thiago expected to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season. We’re talking about three or four high-quality additions rather than radical changes.
It appears Slot will be tasked with reviving the fortunes of Dominik Szoboszlai, who lit up the Premier League in the first half of this debut season but has since lost his way. Central defender Ibrahima Konate is another concern, given his recent dip in form and the amount of football he is missing. Jarell Quansah definitely should have started ahead of him at Goodison.
You can blame injuries or players returning to the pitch and lacking pace for what transpired in the match, as Liverpool look like such a declining force. We can also point the finger at mental and physical tiredness, given the lack of energy and dynamism.
Ibrahima Konate’s form has worsened (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Perhaps the pressure and emotion of Klopp’s departure also played a role.
The manager has repeatedly referred to the damage done to mood by two visits to Old Trafford in quick succession, when his team returned home feeling changed by their cup defeat and then 2-2 league draw. He hasn’t been able to find solutions to the problems on both ends of the pitch.
What you I cannot Klopp’s decision to make it public at the end of January is to blame with his decision to resign this summer.
For a start, Liverpool won nine of their next ten matches, including the Carabao Cup final. And keeping it a secret was simply not an option as the club undertook an extensive search for his successor. First, Klopp’s staff needed to know where they stood in terms of their future.
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Rewind to last August and, after such a turbulent summer, most Liverpool fans would have happily accepted a season with a trophy and a top-four finish. But expectation levels soared after a bright start and once Klopp made his intentions clear, getting the big prizes became an energy-consuming obsession.
Three weeks ago today, Liverpool beat Sheffield United 3-1 to move two points clear at the top of the table, with all three contenders with eight games to go. They were masters of their own destiny. It already feels like a lifetime ago, considering how much momentum has been wasted.
Whatever happens, Klopp’s legacy at Anfield is secure. He was the most transformative figure in the club’s history since Bill Shankly. He will still be guaranteed the warmest of greetings next month, but his extraordinary reign looks set to have a decidedly disappointing end.
Slot has made it clear he wants the job as Liverpool look to agree a compensation package with Feyenoord. His attacking style, his track record in developing young talent and his incisive personality are all deemed worthy.
There are big boots to fill, but the final stages of Klopp’s reign have also exposed some glaring frailties as one era ends and another begins.
(Top photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)