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As Jürgen Klopp aptly put it after last night’s 1-0 win over Ajax at Anfield, “there hasn’t been much to smile about” lately from Liverpool’s perspective.
That may seem like a slight exaggeration given the reality of their situation today: tied on points with Tottenham at the top of the Premier League (only second on goal difference), and already classified as group winner for the round of 16. of the Champions League with a game to spare. As such, they largely remain in pursuit of their two main goals, which is everything you could really hope for at this stage of the season.
Except not really He felt all that fun, really. Almost every week, there has been a constant stream of unfortunate events that Klopp and his players must deal with, whether they repeatedly find themselves on the wrong side of excruciating VAR decisions, players testing positive for Covid, or, whatever. more troublesome, an endless succession of injuries that leaves the team completely naked.
Despite all the meticulous planning Liverpool have done to put themselves in a position where they had arguably the most complete squad in Europe heading into the campaign, no one could have foreseen the series of events that have unfolded thus far. which has inevitably created an undercurrent of frustration and exasperation, even though the results have been mostly good. If it has been emotionally draining from a supporter’s perspective, then it doesn’t take much to imagine how draining it must have been for those directly involved.
In that context, therefore, last night’s win was the most refreshing tonic, and it was clear from Klopp’s full-time reaction how much it lifted his spirits. For the first time in weeks, he seemed genuinely euphoric, relieved by the strains and stress of the immensely challenging circumstances that he had to traverse a route through.
It wasn’t a classic European night by any means, but what Liverpool lacked in finesse and cohesion it more than made up for in their collective desire to dig deep and get the job done by whatever means necessary. While Sadio Mané, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah’s attacking trident was nowhere their sharpest in front of goal, it ultimately didn’t matter as others came to light in different ways.
Without a doubt, the most gratifying thing about the performance was the contributions of the trio of academy graduates: Caoimhin Kelleher, Neco Williams and Curtis Jones. They are all at slightly different junctures in their respective careers at Liverpool, but all three more than justified the faith placed in them by Klopp by seizing the opportunity they were given and doing exactly what the team required on the night.
Making his Champions League debut, Kelleher was consummate in every aspect of his game – stoppage, distribution, control of his area – and made sure that Alisson Becker’s absence was not even remotely a problem. After battling Atalanta and Brighton recently, and after some slightly shaky moments in the first half, Williams grew up in contention magnificently and deserved the stroke of luck that saw his left-handed center materialize in assist to win the match. .
Jones, meanwhile, could hardly look more comfortable at this level, further demonstrating his extraordinary progress over the past year, which has seen him develop the tactical acumen to accompany the natural ability required to be a regular first-team midfielder for this team. from Liverpool. The finish to his goal was sublime, volleying the outside of the boot from such a tight angle, and his growth in stature remains one of Liverpool’s most heartening stories of the season to date.
Beyond concluding the progression to the knockout stages, it was a night of triumph for Liverpool’s youth system, and one to be utterly proud of. As much as Kelleher, Williams and Jones have benefited greatly from the experience, it is important that they lived it together with their more experienced teammates, who seemed delighted by them. They will feel that they fully belong to the company of Salah, Mané and company, and vice versa. Nights like these improve confidence not only in themselves, but also in their colleagues, rather than feeling like spare parts simply thrown aside out of necessity in a crisis scenario.
Tougher tests will undoubtedly come as they continue to grow as veteran players, but here Liverpool’s youngsters showed quality and maturity in abundance. Above all, they gave everyone associated with Liverpool a reason to smile.
What I read on Liverpool.com
Ollie was on the podium last night, choosing his top three players against Ajax. No wonder who took the gold this time.
Dan also wrote a good post-match article specifically on Kelleher and the importance of his inclusion before Adrian.
Both are well worth your time.
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