The past week or so has been one of the toughest of the Jurgen Klopp era for Liverpool.
In case being thrashed at home by Atalanta wasn’t enough on Thursday, the Reds followed it up by likely putting themselves out of the running for the Premier League title on Sunday.
In truth, it had been coming. The warning signs had been there after the previous weekend’s draw against Manchester United. But Liverpool failed to heed them and bore witness to two extremely damaging Anfield defeats.
Fortunately, it isn’t something we’ve had to get used to under Klopp. The Reds usually bounce back, especially on home turf. But the latest two results are a stark reminder that things could be a whole lot different under a new manager next season.
Even Jurgen himself, usually so defiant after a loss, seemed a little resigned on Sunday. And according to former Liverpool player Conor Coady, things may have just become a bit too much for the German and his first-team squad.
Conor Coady makes Jurgen Klopp point
Klopp has made a habit of rubbing people up the wrong way after his team have been beaten. Jurgen is a winner and can often be prickly in the extreme after a defeat.
But the 56-year-old’s usual annoyance was notable by its absence both on Thursday and Sunday. And speaking to BBC 5 Live’s Monday Night Club last night, Coady suggested that the strain Klopp spoke about in January is now really kicking in.
“Klopp’s interview after the game, we all felt the same. We all felt it was a little bit downbeat,” said the England international.
“Sometimes when Liverpool lose he’s still got a smile on this face, he seems to smile on the line when a goal goes in and different things. You always think there’s something coming from Jurgen Klopp. It was very downbeat.
“You just wonder a little bit when he came out and did the interview when he was leaving about how tired he was, he’d had enough, it was a strain on him. Is that now becoming a strain on the players?
“The amount of balls they lost first half and the mistakes they were making, the three midfielders. It’s not known for Liverpool midfielders to be doing that. You just wonder if everything that’s happened with the manager this season is just taking its toll come the end of the season.”
What will Jurgen Klopp do next
It’s understandable if Klopp and his players are feeling a little drained after the last two results. It has been an emotional few months.
But from the manager’s point of view, he just has to give it everything he’s got for at least seven more games. Do that, and they might just have another two or three matches left, too.
There are five weeks left for Jurgen to leave his final, lasting mark on the club. Beyond that he’s already declared that he’ll be taking a break, so he has plenty of time to recharge after May.
Further into the future, you can see Klopp taking the Germany national team job. But certainly not yet. Time to give it all over these next, last weeks and leave with absolutely no regrets.