by There is no middle ground for Liverpool during Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour which reaches Wembley on Sunday.
History will record that they were motivated by the emotional impact of his long farewell or that they were incapacitated.
Nuance has taken a much longer sabbatical from football than the one Klopp plans to enjoy next season and possibly beyond. Forget the injuries that have decimated their squad in the run-up to the Carabao Cup final, Chelsea’s £500 million squad, or the impressive skills of title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.
When Klopp spoke before the game about writing the final chapters of his reign, the authors chronicling this moment in Anfield history circled the day he announced his departure as the defining moment on the plot. Win a trophy or two, and his decision to inform the world will be the ultimate motivational lecture. Fail, and the naysayers will suggest that Liverpool wanted too much for their legendary departing coach.
Andrew Robertson understands that, which is why he is trying to shrug off the mental side effects of Klopp’s impending departure and belt out the cold, hard reality of collecting trophies.
“We have to use him in two ways,” says the Scotland captain. “We have to pitch it to one side to a certain extent, and the fans can get emotional.
“But also, we want to cancel something. We know that the manager who brought this club back to where it belongs is leaving in the summer — and we want him to leave with a big promotion.
“That gives us extra motivation. But we can’t get caught up in all the emotion. We’ve done that very well since the announcement. We’ve gotten our heads around it.
“The last game of the season will be emotional for the manager and his team and all the fans. But as players we still have a job to do.”
It seems everyone is caught up in the story of Klopp’s last dance. How to explain Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s brilliant suggestions that referees must be careful not to be guests at Klopp’s leaving party?
Liverpool’s biggest problem on Sunday will be the number of VIPs absent from their first farewell.
Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota would have started at Wembley. Instead, Klopp has received a series of deflated RSVPs courtesy of his medical department.
As one of the few members of Klopp’s leadership group still standing, that makes Robertson’s recent return from a dislocated shoulder particularly timely. When he looks around the dressing room on Sunday afternoon, he will see 20-year-old novices recast as veterans.
“Harvey [Elliott] He was making his 100th appearance for the club on Wednesday, and suddenly he’s one of the most experienced players!” said Robertson.
“We’ve lost a lot of players but we have to deal with the excitement of the youngsters.”
Liverpool could benefit from the fear of youth. No more so than Conor Bradley, the Northern Irishman’s rapid rise from promising squad player to Kop idol.
“He’s going to have an incredible career,” says Robertson. “Conor has shown he can do it at the highest level. There is a lot of hype around him, but now he has shown that he can do it every week.
“Before every game he plays and during training, that’s what I tell him – it’s good to be the new kid on the block, but with that comes expectation. And he is dealing with that unbelievably well.
“His consistency has been outstanding so far and he needs to continue like that. That’s what makes you a really good player. That’s what I’m trying to drive home with him, because the skill he has, the ability to play football, the athleticism is there to see.
“He has all the attributes. He is a hard worker. He is a good boy. He listens to all the other lads and takes everything in his stride. He is always in the gym and working hard on the training ground.”
Klopp labeled Liverpool 2.0 last summer. He didn’t even expect a title-challenging team to emerge so soon. Now it’s here – and on the threshold of another domestic trophy – only victory will fuel the romantics who await an inspirational ending to Klopp’s book.
“Winning will not take away the pressure [giving Klopp the perfect departure] because when you play for this club you are under pressure to win every competition,” says Robertson.
“You feel that from the day you sign. Injuries or no injuries, Liverpool fans have hope.”
