Liverpool must continue to spend wisely to ensure there’s a glorious sequel to their exhilarating campaign

Who wants more? Liverpool have been getting used to epic near-misses in recent years
EPA/Armando Babani
John Dillon27 May 2018

There was drama, emotion and failure for Liverpool in Kiev.

To the hard-bitten, it will appear this is what they do best these days. Second under Brendan Rodgers. Defeat in the Europa League final in 2016. Now this. They have been getting used to epic near-misses in recent years.

Yet still, there is something vital to be taken away from the defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League final: The very fact that Jurgen Klopp’s side were there at all and the way they got there.

It is a new stature. Enhanced respect. A new recognition of what they may be capable of achieving. And a turbo-injection of belief.

That should be the view heading into next season even though the club has yet to win a trophy under their German’s rumbustious command.

For five years now, since the beginning of the 2013-14 season when Brendan Rodgers led the club to a second-placed finish, there has been a sense that Liverpool were a work in progress.

The ‘next thing’, perhaps. But not quite ready. It was, after all, against all the early-season odds that they reached Kiev.

This season’s campaign in Europe has changed that, though.

Yes, there will be those who can will rate Liverpool still as only a not- quite-good-enough cup side.

The mincing they received from the cynical Sergio Ramos and the Real Madrid machine was their second European final defeat in three years.

Yes, too, Manchester City will remain the favourites for the title in 2018-19.

In Pictures | Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Champions League Final 2018

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But when the new campaign begins, there should be a strong belief that Liverpool can challenge them seriously – especially after the summer spending spree which will now take place.

That will be fuelled by the advance through Europe this season both in terms of spending power and attracting players.

Judging Klopp’s side even now against a Manchester United team which looks flat and without a real sense of purpose, it will be Anfield not Old Trafford which Pep Guardiola must fear the most.

That is the case even though United finished second and Liverpool were fourth.

The achievement of reaching the final will be a spring board in itself for next season. It will send the club surging into next season brimming with purpose.

But here’s the real key thing. Liverpool have been smart operators in the transfer market in recent seasons. The £38 million spent on Mohamed Salah was seen by some as a gamble after his failure at Chelsea. If so, it was a jackpot winner.

Meanwhile, the £75m spent on defender Virgil van Dijk proved the owners are prepared to compete at the top end with the modern game’s over-inflated bidding wars.

Two summer’s before, Liverpool acquired Sadio Mane – their best performer in Kiev – and the versatile Georginio Wijnaldum.

They have proven themselves superbly suited to the job of driving the attacking cavalry charge which takes place ahead of them.

Photo: Reuters
REUTERS

It has shown Klopp as an adept team-builder with a clear vision in mind – to facilitate the thrilling, adventurous football which has made Liverpool so thrilling to watch these days.

There are weaknesses. Jordan Henderson was not effective against opposition of Madrid’s calibre, for example. Then again, it could have been a very different game if Ramos hadn’t muscled Salah out the action so quickly.

Based on the recruitment policy of the last two years, Liverpool can be expected to get things right again this summer, with Nabil Fekir said to be on the way from Lyon , while Naby Keira will finally arrive from RB Leipzig.

Of course, United will spend big, too. They must. But Paul Pogba’s ponderous presence is an £89m reminder that United haven’t spent as smartly as Liverpool lately.

But it’s unlikely that the big three London clubs will be writing too many huge cheques.

Chelsea, even with the arrival of a new manager imminent, seem to have lost their appetite for the transfer arms race. Arsenal have made it publicly plain that new coach Unai Emery’s resources are limited (by modern standards.)

At Tottenham, boss Mauricio Pochettino has demanded a more robust approach in the transfer market – but chairman Daniel Levy always likes to play things poker-style.

It suggests the power battle next season will be fought in the North West.

Perhaps a cold-eyed observer of Liverpool’s prospects would suggest that they are too wrapped up in emotion.

Loris Karius’s devastating mistakes in Kiev carried an echo of Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip against Chelsea at Anfield in 2014 which ended the title challenge.

The supporters march on Kiev bordered on being a quasi-religious crusade.

The semi-final victory against Roma was fraught with two goals conceded at home when 5-0 up and a night on the razor’s edge in the 4-2 second leg defeat which followed.

A sustained title challenge will require less, shall we say, excitement.

Yet in Klopp, Liverpool have the perfect, Messianic manager figure to capitalise on the nature of the club. The sense of mission on The Kop is, after all, a part of the armoury in a way unknown at any other major global club.

In the two defeats of City in the quarter-final, Liverpool also showed that they produce the best brand of football for usurping Guardiola’s own iconic way of playing the game.

After the 3-0 victory at Anfield, Klopp’s team came from behind in the return to win 2-1 – showing there is within them the capability of simply getting the job done.

The club will now sense within in itself that is in shape to take the next leap forward. Perhaps the experience of Kiev will make them more street-wise, too.

Passion is an over-rated concept in football. But for Klopp, and Liverpool, it’s a recognisable, tangible asset.

If they spend cleverly again and play as exhilaratingly as they have at times this season, the German can chase Guardiola all the way next time around.

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