Some people, albeit many of them Everton fans, have speculated that Liverpool’s glory days could be over. This has been sparked by Liverpool’s recent defeat to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League Final.
That result will come as a bitter blow to Liverpool. For the players to pick themselves up after just losing out on the Premier League title too will be a tough ask.
Below, we’ll take a look back at the Champions League Final with Madrid, review Liverpool’s season and look ahead as to whether their impressive reign of dominance can continue.
The 2022 Champions League Final
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The 2022 Champions League Final saw Liverpool meet Real Madrid for the second time in recent years. Liverpool lost that first game and players, including Mohamed Salah, publicly announced they were looking for revenge this time around. The Reds dominated much of the game but couldn’t take their chances. Much to Liverpool’s dismay, Madrid scored midway through the second half. Liverpool fell to a disappointing defeat as they couldn’t find a way past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
A successful season?
Despite Liverpool losing out on the two biggest prizes of the season — the Premier League title and the Champions League — they still won two cups: the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. In the battle for the Premier League title, they defeated their closest rivals Manchester City, but slipped up in the final stretch for the title and lost it to Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues.
However, this wasn’t any ordinary season. Both Manchester City and Liverpool performed at extraordinary levels in multiple competitions. Liverpool fans will feel that their team couldn’t have done more to win the league; City were simply that bit better.
Liverpool fans can’t feel too hard done by, though. The season ended with silverware, a Champions League Final and the loss of a title by a whisker. Toward the end of the season, Liverpool also made some key signings, starting with their manager.
Klopp’s contract extension
Nothing has worried Liverpool fans more in recent years than the prospect of losing their manager, Jurgen Klopp. The German has become something of an icon, bordering legend, in the city. He’s led the Reds to their most fruitful period in a long-time.
Klopp has, however, signalled that the time may be nearing for him to move on, pointing to the end of his contract in 2024, but Liverpool fans can rest easy in the knowledge that it won’t be that soon. In April 2022, Klopp announced a 2-year extension to his contract, keeping him in place until 2026.
This is a huge boost to the club, perhaps bigger than the signing of any players. Klopp has reforged the Liverpool team and breathed new life into the club. He’s risen a fallen giant of the football world from the depths of mediocrity back to the very top of the game.
Klopp has the ability to get more out of players than other managers, instilling them with confidence and belief. He also has a great record of developing young players, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.
Replacing a manager as charismatic as Klopp is an impossible task, and with him remaining at the helm, the chances of the glory days enduring a while longer remain strong.
Transfers
Part of the argument behind Liverpool slipping from their mantle as champions is their aging squad. A number of Liverpool’s senior players are now over 30 years of age. Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk, James Milner and Jordan Henderson are all over 30. That’s a good number of quality players that require replacing.
Liverpool hasn’t been idle in the transfer market, however. They signed the fast and tricky Luis Diaz in January and he’s already made a big impact. Diogo Jota has also stepped up to fill the boots of Roberto Firmino.
However, Liverpool must do more in the transfer market, as well as keep hold of their best players, if they’re to continue their dominance into the future.
