Jurgen Klopp has turned to 120 different players during his reign as Liverpool manager, but who should hold the title as his most important? Opinions are divided.
With seven major trophies won during his time at Anfield, in addition to other title pursuits and cup final appearances, Klopp’s teams have always given us moments to treasure.
He transformed the club from the inside out and made Liverpool a destination rather than a stepping stone, helping to create a legacy for players that would stand the test of time.
This makes it difficult to come to a consensus when it comes to assessing who the most important players were during his tenure, as many made lasting contributions.
Below are the four candidates, who do you agree with?
Virgil van Dijk – Henry Jackson
There are a few players who have to contend, including Alisson, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, but for me it has to be Virgil van Dijk.
From the moment he arrived, Liverpool improved significantly – it’s easy to forget that they reached the Champions League final within five months. Honestly, there’s no way it could have happened without him. He changed everything from the quality within the team to the mindset.
If he doesn’t get relegated in 2022/23, Van Dijk’s level was higher than any centre-back I’ve seen in my life, and that’s not even hyperbolic. My dad remembers the 1960s and is not a Liverpool fan and even he said it was the best he had ever seen!
The Dutchman is a perfect defender and has no weaknesses: he is strong, tall, lightning fast, excellent on the ball, a leader, a great reader of the game and a calming presence for those around him.
Such is his aura, most players don’t even try to tackle him – his ‘no dribble’ stats are ridiculously impressive.
If I see a better centre-back for Liverpool in the coming decades, that will be something special, and I think Van Dijk has about three years left in him at a very high level.
Roberto Firmino – Jack Lusby
One of the first games I sat in the press box for during Klopp’s reign was the 4-1 win at Man City in November 2015 when things really started to click.
The manager introduced Firmino in the No.10 role as he returned from an injury that saw him miss his first games in charge, but he was at the Etihad, leading the line.
His display that night set the tone for what was to come over the next eight seasons as Klopp built his system around Firmino’s unique ability.
With Firmino in the side, there was a confidence that Liverpool would outplay the opposition, while his unselfishness in attack allowed Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to shine as goalscorers.
He also provided the assurances Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson needed to develop into two of the best attacking full-backs in the world, and his relentless industry effectively gave us an extra man.
Put simply, everything great about Klopp’s Liverpool came, in a way, through Firmino – and the juggling act required since he left only proves that.
“When I knew I was coming here I knew I had a good player,” Klopp said in 2016. “I was very much looking forward to working with him.”
To think that Rodgers had him playing at right back…
Mohamed Salah – Joanna Durkan
That Salah remains underappreciated outside of Liverpool’s four walls is astonishing, his credentials are staggering and you wonder if we’ll see anything like it anytime soon.
His consistency under Klopp is second to none, which is why he is already fifth in the club’s all-time goalscoring list with 211 goals in 349 appearances.
He has scored 20 or more goals in each of his seven seasons, and while some have accused him of being selfish, only once in the same period did he provide fewer than 10 assists in a campaign.
He’s composed, he gets you off your feet, and he’s the kind of player you always think is capable of a moment of genius on the drop of a hat – Man City at Anfield 2021, anyone?
The standards he has set for himself make him an easy target for criticism if he falls even an inch short of expectations, but Salah has been a hugely important player under Klopp.
Salah has scored 20.3 per cent of the goals in Klopp’s tenure – it’s utterly ridiculous, these two are made for each other.
Alison – Sam Milne
Every big team needs a great goalkeeper and, like Van Dijk, Alisson made an immediate impact on his arrival.
After having to make do with Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, the chasm in class between Alisson and his predecessors became immediately apparent.
The goalkeeper was key to so many points picked up by Liverpool during his six years at the club.
You can point to the obvious moments when he saved the Reds, figuratively and literally – his save against Napoli to send Liverpool through in the 2018/19 Champions League, for example – but his brilliance can sometimes be hard to measure.
His uncanny ability to position himself perfectly, make otherwise difficult defenses look easy, exudes a calmness throughout the team and intimidates the opposition into thinking twice.
His one-on-one stopping is unlike anything we’ve ever seen and you can even see his technique working on Caoimhin Kelleher, although credit must go to outgoing coach John Achterberg for that.
One particular stat that best shows Alisson’s impact on Liverpool’s success is PSxG-GA (expected goals after kick minus goals allowed).
In simpler terms, xG after a shot is the rate of expected goals minus the number of actual goals conceded.
Alisson has consistently been one of the best in the world in this regard. In the 2022/23 season, he saved 0.27 goals per game. Spread over 38 matches, that’s more than 10 more goals saved than other ‘keepers.
Perhaps only Salah can claim to have had such a direct impact at both ends of the pitch. Oh, and Alisson can score too!
That it was not an easy choice speaks volumes about the players Klopp had at his disposal during his nine seasons.
In that respect, honorable mentions you feel must also extend to Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold – but even this list could go on and on!
