The English football premier league has a new and first-time champion since the new format began in the 1992/1993 season. While we can all applaud the tireless vision of its owners, players, coaches, staff and incumbent – Liverpool’s journey does further inspire a few interesting lessons which is one of persistence, having a clear vision, staying focused, aligning and re-aligning actions to achieve your set objective.
The journey to success is filled with highs and lows
The famous Gerrard slip against Chelsea in 2014 marked the beginning of the end as Liverpool lost a 5-point lead at the top and finished second behind eventual winners, Manchester City. 21 years then into the barren run of no league title, that for many stands as a significant groaning moment of low for the club and avid supporters in recent times. And most especially a sad end to an illustrious career of a well-loved captain of the club, Steven Gerrard. The Hollywood happily ever after ending wasn’t meant to happen but the events of last season might have just erased the torment and countless years of wait as they watched their rivals Manchester United celebrate titles after titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Liverpool are no pushovers when it comes to the English and European football landscape and in fact have been winners in the past under previous notable managers like Gerrard Houllier and Rafa Benitez. Many still remember the famous 3 nil comeback in the final of the Champions league against AC Milan in Istanbul as perhaps one of the biggest footballing moments ever. Despite the highs of having won every other major local and international trophy, the premier league title has remained an elusive and visible blemish for the club coupled with the fact that their fiercest rival Manchester United have now overtaken them in number of league titles won. After a mix of years of near misses and shambolic campaigns, the journey to redemption began with the biggest acquisition ever and appointment of Jurgen Klopp in 2015 as Liverpool’s 8th Manager since the new league format started in 1992. For a club with an illustrious history, it must have been hard to conceive or imagine they would have waited this long to win the league again. Fast forward to 2020 and the eventual joy of being called champions again, the many years of frustration and lows as an organization indicate that this has not been a jolly ride. Kudos to the collective vision of the club and their persistence even in the face of adversity, near misses and even welcome distractions in form of other trophies won over the past 28 years.
Driving the fire of the sustained vision is the American ownership of John W. Henry of Fenway Sports Group who acquired the club in 2010. With each Managerial change and key player departures of Luiz Suarez in 2014 and Phillipe Coutinho in 2018, it would appear that the guiding vision of winning the league again became an inch more difficult. Doesn’t also help that the league became more competitive with consolidation of some old super powers and emergence of new strongholds. Asides the signature big hugs, intensity and fist pumps on the touch line under Klopp, with each year you could see the growth and more importantly the vision gaining momentum and flight. This was a team with purpose, collectiveness and cohesion. A carefully crafted environment where everyone has a unique role to play and from the surface of it and on-field performances, we could see week in week out that they were never going to stop fighting. The team spirit, emotional connection with fans (when they could still come to games) and the sacredness of Anfield, the ground where they play their home matches was the center of action as we watched the team claw back a 3-nil deficit in the champion league semi-final in 2019 against Barcelona, one of the perennial champions league winners in recent times. Yet another Hollywood ending beckoned, the stars were aligning and looked like the year where everything would finally click. Well, one did click, Liverpool were crowned champions league winners for the 6th time and English record by the way but failed to win the league having rallied 97 points, one point behind Manchester City and Pep Guardiola. The most point tally in recent times never to win the league.
As crushing as the one-point loss of the league would have been for the club, one can only imagine the torment and the overwhelming feeling of “we almost had it”. However, if anything did stand out as we watched the team approach the 2019/2020, it was the resilient feeling of an unfinished business. Even as Arsenal fans felt the sigh of relief as their unbeaten 49 matches record was preserved when Liverpool lost to Watford on the last day of February 2019, you could tell this is a team that wasn’t going to let things slip this time. Back to the drawing board as they say, and while every victory since then has not always been pretty they have managed to stay the course. Not even a sustained absence of football due to COVID-19 restrictions was going to halt the momentum. And eventually with Manchester City losing to Chelsea and eliminating the mathematical chance of them winning the title, Liverpool become champions of England again and at last. A true testament of persistence, working towards a shared vision and making necessary adjustments along the way. I sense a statue of Jurgen Klopp outside Anfield in the nearest future, your never know but who many wouldn’t contest such a gesture if made. Thoroughly well deserved.
Life doesn’t always come with happy endings like the movies but the most objective and even the subconsciously bias might take a moment to appreciate the long-awaited triumph and the unwavering dedication that has brought the current moment and milestone to fruition for Liverpool football club. It is an ending we all long for as we navigate our daily lives and ordeals. And without being too dramatic, this goes beyond football.
BJA | TDM 