October 4, 2015. The 225th Merseyside Derby was underway, and one manager was under increasing pressure.
Heading into the tie with Everton, Liverpool were a side in total flummox. Brendan Rodgers had seen the Reds already reach an unwanted historical milestone; on August 29th, West Ham had arrived at Anfield and departed with a 3-0 win in hand. That just so happened to be Liverpool's first home defeat to the Hammers since 1947.
By the time they welcomed bitter cross town rivals Everton to Anfield, Liverpool were a side in total flummox. They had failed to win their first two Europa League games, and since losing to West Ham, had won just one Premier League game: a 3-2 result against Aston Villa. The score-line, however, was quite deceiving, as the Reds went from 3-0 up to barely hanging on after shipping two goals in five minutes later in the second half.
A 1-1 draw in a derby is not the worst result. But for Rodgers, it marked the end of his tenure at Anfield. At the time of his departure, Liverpool were sitting in tenth spot after eight rounds. And the one-all stalemate was representative of a very disturbing trend: it marked the fifth time in six matches that the Reds had gone 1-0 up only to drop two points and settle for a 1-1 tie.
Mainz and Borussia Dortmund: The rebuilding phase
So, when Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield, no one really knew what to think.
The energetic German tactician cut his managerial teeth at Mainz shortly after hanging up his boots with the same club in 2001. During a spell there spanning seven years, he achieved several notable milestones, including guiding die Nullfünfer to their first ever promotion to the top flight during the 2003/2004 campaign.
But it was Signal Iduna Park where the former defender really made his name and became well known to fans outside of Germany. In 2011, Klopp guided Borussia Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title since the 2001/2002 season, and successfully ensured that die Schwarzgelben defended their domestic crown the following term. Other notable achievements include leading Dortmund to a historic all-German Champions League final in 2013.
However, his final term with the team was a rather frustrating one. At one point, die Schwarzgelben were actually bottom of the table, but managed to rebound admirably and finish in seventh.
Liverpool calls...and Klopp answers
On October 8, 2015, Liverpool announced they had a new manager. Nine days after that, Klopp took charge of the team for the first time in league action, which resulted in a scoreless road draw with Tottenham. However, it did not take him to win over the Anfield faithful.
It was even sweeter for supporters that Klopp's debut win in the Premier League was a 3-1 result over then reigning champions Chelsea. The following month, he successfully guided the Reds to their first Europa League victory of the season when they deservedly picked up a 1-0 win over Russian outfit Rubin Kazan and their 4-1 rout of Manchester City on November 22nd marked their first victory at the Etihad since 2008.
But by far his most notable achievements were the two finals Liverpool featured in that season. Impressively for a team who had started their Europa League campaign with draws against Bordeaux, the aforementioned Russian outfit Rubin Kazan, and Swiss side Sion, the Reds made it all the way to the final.
Although they were brushed aside by Europa League kings Sevilla, their path was far from easy. After edging out Bundesliga side Augsburg, Liverpool took on Manchester United (round of 16), Borussia Dortmund (quarter-finals) and Villarreal (semi-finals). The other, of course, was the League Cup, which they lost 3-1 on spot-kicks to Manchester City.
All in all, whilst settling for a runners-up spot would be certainly highly frustrating for the uber-competitive Klopp, it's not a bad output for a man who inherited a team who were in a seemingly never-ending downward spiral just months before.
Klopp's innovative tactics and passion have quickly made him into a fan favorite at Anfield
.jpg?q=75&w=634)
He also was not afraid to make some modifications. Rodgers had inherited troubled striker Mario Balotelli after AC Milan, desperate to get him away from the San Siro, somehow convinced the English side to fork over £16 million for his services. Unfortunately, the Italian international failed to make the grade and was promptly dispatched back to Milan the following season - albeit on a loan deal.
So, when the Rossoneri sent him back again at the end of the season, Klopp put an end to what was becoming a rather unfortunate "boomerang effect" concerning the enigmatic attacker. Suffice it to say, he made it very clear to Balotelli (and his loud-mouthed agent Mino Raiola) that there was no place for him at Anfield, and in a deal that was good for both the player and his club, he eventually moved on to Ligue 1 side Nice.
A personal milestone...but he's not getting all sentimental
On October 17th, Liverpool will take on Manchester United. Coincidentally, that will just so happen to be exactly one year to the date that he made his Premier League debut against Tottenham. Many people make a fuss about anniversaries, whether it be for professional or personal reasons.
However, he isn't exactly Mr. Sentimentality. In fact, in true Klopp fashion, his response to reporters who asked him if he was feeling teary-eyed and all that nonsense was simply brilliant:
"I have no time. And I am not in the mood for reflection, to be honest. It's a year, I'm a year older and all this sh--, but everything else is good. Not perfect, but in a good way".
Having taken over in October, this will be Klopp's first full season at the helm of Liverpool. And it's been a solid start thus far. The Reds will be coming into their game against Manchester United on a four-match winning streak (five across all competitions).
What will this term have in store for Liverpool and Klopp? Only time will tell, but if his work with past clubs Mainz and Dortmund is any indication, there could be more good times ahead for the Reds under his tenure.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
