Over a year ago, I recorded down the lessons I learned watching football:
https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2019/06/things-that-i-learned-from-football-and.html#more
Yesterday, I woke up to a messages exclaiming that Liverpool FC won the Premier League. I was still quite in the dark. Chelsea beat Manchester City which means that with 7 games to spare Liverpool wins the league mathematically, ending a 30 year wait.
Being a football fan for 2 decades, I have watched amazing teams play - Van Nistelrooy's Man Utd, Thierry Henry's Arsenal (the invisibles), Drogba's Chelsea, Sergio Aguero's (Man City)... I think the Arsenal team played the best football those days.
The world recently went through a horrible 3 months due to COVID-19, and I think for most people (me included), football became secondary and the least of our concern. Lives were at stake, as the frontliners and medical workers worked around the clock. The economy has tanked, and people's livelihoods were at risk.
Personally, I have been keeping myself busy working, learning and exercising. I wouldn't want this crisis to go to waste. I am sure Jurgen Klopp's team was doing the same. To be honest, there were talks of canceling the season altogether, but I was quite sure it will not happen. The French canceled their season in early May, and gave Paris St. German the title.
Even if the season was canceled, in true Jurgen Klopp logic, he would just say, 'We'll try it again next season'. This was still the team, that lost the championship last season by a single point.
When Jurgen Klopp became Liverpool manager mid-way through 2015, he targeted to deliver trophies in 4 years time. The first season saw the team finishing 8th, without European football. I think it is also important to acknowledge Brendan Roger's work before this.
I bring a document pouch during all my travels, and during the early days, I noted down Klopp's words as a reminder. It was an answer he gave after losing a game.
In the first full year, the team reached the UEFA Cup Final (in 2017), led 1:0 at half time, but eventually lost to Seville. The second year the team reached the Champions League Final (in 2018) but lost to Real Madrid. There was an eerie feeling that Klopp was not destined to win trophies.
Tell that to Klopp, and his no-nonsense German accent would shoo you away. Tell him it's about fate, or Fengshui, and he will give you his trademark smile, before heading back to work, harder.
The Champions League defeat in June 2018 was crucial. Klopp went back to work, analyzed every single detail out there, and rounded up a solution. He used the money from the Coutinho sale (GBP 150 Mil) to buy Alison and Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool was never a "Big" club that attracts superstars. In fact, the current players were no way superstars-in-waiting. It's like, when you sign Alison or Van Dijk, the streets won't be packed with fans to welcome them. Klopp was not only able to put out a team that performs better than the sum of each player, but improve every player.
It was important to let players (who wanted to go) go - Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonson, Fernando Torress, Philip Coutinho... All of them left the club throughout the years. Some achieved great success. Hopefully, we do not need to sell our best players anymore.
The following season (2018-19) saw tremendous improvement, particularly in the defense. Van Dijk and Alison made such huge impacts that the team was confident going forward. It has been a long time, since the Sammi Hyypia days that Liverpool had a strong defense. In fact, the wingers - Trent and Robertson were able to push forward and record assist over assist. Liverpool swept everyone in Europe and lifted the Champions League in Madrid (June 2019). It took some pressure off Klopp. Finally, a trophy after the third year! And it was the biggest in Europe.
Domestically, Liverpool finished an agonizing one point behind eventual champions Manchester City. Many would drop their heads, give up, or look for other clubs/jobs. But Klopp kept the squad together. Many questioned his decision not to bring in reinforcement, or improve the squad. The other teams had cash and investors, but Liverpool were always balancing the books. They only bought with cash they earned by selling a player.
This year (2019-2020), Liverpool started the season flying, and never looked back. The English Premier League has been elusive for three decades, and no Liverpool fan actually dared to celebrate until it was mathematically impossible to be overtaken. Past experience were painful to watch or think. Great players like Michael Owner, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerard all had close shaves with the title. We never dared to count our chicks before they are hatched.
If there is one lesson we could learn from Liverpool's season, it is to always be positive, mind your own business (don't get worried of what others are doing) and always give your best.
As usual, Klopp will send his players out for a short vacation, and when they are back to work, he will push them to the limits again. It is amazing how Klopp motivates his team to perform so consistently. All the players and staffs deserve the credit.
When a player does not have Klopp's mentality or attitude, they find themselves shipped out. Mamadou Sakho was one of them.
Like everything in life, this season is not the end. All other teams will have another shot at the title again next season. The best teams are the ones who could dominate the league consistently (like Sir Alex's Man Utd). My wish is that the best team wins, and that football could bring humanity together. They say sports unite people.
I am just thankful that football is back.
https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2019/06/things-that-i-learned-from-football-and.html#more
Yesterday, I woke up to a messages exclaiming that Liverpool FC won the Premier League. I was still quite in the dark. Chelsea beat Manchester City which means that with 7 games to spare Liverpool wins the league mathematically, ending a 30 year wait.
Being a football fan for 2 decades, I have watched amazing teams play - Van Nistelrooy's Man Utd, Thierry Henry's Arsenal (the invisibles), Drogba's Chelsea, Sergio Aguero's (Man City)... I think the Arsenal team played the best football those days.
The first ever game I watched at Anfield was on New Year's eve 2017
When you go to Anfield, you also eat some Fish and Chips, says Kak Ram
Liverpool 1 : 0 Manchester City
I then started working part-time, became a hostel warden to fund my subsequent tickets (8 in total)
The view from Anfield Road
The world recently went through a horrible 3 months due to COVID-19, and I think for most people (me included), football became secondary and the least of our concern. Lives were at stake, as the frontliners and medical workers worked around the clock. The economy has tanked, and people's livelihoods were at risk.
Personally, I have been keeping myself busy working, learning and exercising. I wouldn't want this crisis to go to waste. I am sure Jurgen Klopp's team was doing the same. To be honest, there were talks of canceling the season altogether, but I was quite sure it will not happen. The French canceled their season in early May, and gave Paris St. German the title.
Even if the season was canceled, in true Jurgen Klopp logic, he would just say, 'We'll try it again next season'. This was still the team, that lost the championship last season by a single point.
When Jurgen Klopp became Liverpool manager mid-way through 2015, he targeted to deliver trophies in 4 years time. The first season saw the team finishing 8th, without European football. I think it is also important to acknowledge Brendan Roger's work before this.
I bring a document pouch during all my travels, and during the early days, I noted down Klopp's words as a reminder. It was an answer he gave after losing a game.
You can fall down but you must stand up again
In the first full year, the team reached the UEFA Cup Final (in 2017), led 1:0 at half time, but eventually lost to Seville. The second year the team reached the Champions League Final (in 2018) but lost to Real Madrid. There was an eerie feeling that Klopp was not destined to win trophies.
Tell that to Klopp, and his no-nonsense German accent would shoo you away. Tell him it's about fate, or Fengshui, and he will give you his trademark smile, before heading back to work, harder.
Liverpool 4 : 0 Arsenal (August 2017)
It was the 8th and last home game I attended - Salah's solo goal still plays in my brain
Attended one of the famous Anfield Champions League nights
The Champions League defeat in June 2018 was crucial. Klopp went back to work, analyzed every single detail out there, and rounded up a solution. He used the money from the Coutinho sale (GBP 150 Mil) to buy Alison and Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool was never a "Big" club that attracts superstars. In fact, the current players were no way superstars-in-waiting. It's like, when you sign Alison or Van Dijk, the streets won't be packed with fans to welcome them. Klopp was not only able to put out a team that performs better than the sum of each player, but improve every player.
It was important to let players (who wanted to go) go - Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonson, Fernando Torress, Philip Coutinho... All of them left the club throughout the years. Some achieved great success. Hopefully, we do not need to sell our best players anymore.
The following season (2018-19) saw tremendous improvement, particularly in the defense. Van Dijk and Alison made such huge impacts that the team was confident going forward. It has been a long time, since the Sammi Hyypia days that Liverpool had a strong defense. In fact, the wingers - Trent and Robertson were able to push forward and record assist over assist. Liverpool swept everyone in Europe and lifted the Champions League in Madrid (June 2019). It took some pressure off Klopp. Finally, a trophy after the third year! And it was the biggest in Europe.
Domestically, Liverpool finished an agonizing one point behind eventual champions Manchester City. Many would drop their heads, give up, or look for other clubs/jobs. But Klopp kept the squad together. Many questioned his decision not to bring in reinforcement, or improve the squad. The other teams had cash and investors, but Liverpool were always balancing the books. They only bought with cash they earned by selling a player.
Patience, pressure and perform
Outside Anfield, a memorial that remembers 96 fans who lost their lives in 1989
On top of Anfield's Main Stand
This year (2019-2020), Liverpool started the season flying, and never looked back. The English Premier League has been elusive for three decades, and no Liverpool fan actually dared to celebrate until it was mathematically impossible to be overtaken. Past experience were painful to watch or think. Great players like Michael Owner, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerard all had close shaves with the title. We never dared to count our chicks before they are hatched.
A packed stadium - I am sure we will revisit these scenes again
If there is one lesson we could learn from Liverpool's season, it is to always be positive, mind your own business (don't get worried of what others are doing) and always give your best.
When a player does not have Klopp's mentality or attitude, they find themselves shipped out. Mamadou Sakho was one of them.
Like everything in life, this season is not the end. All other teams will have another shot at the title again next season. The best teams are the ones who could dominate the league consistently (like Sir Alex's Man Utd). My wish is that the best team wins, and that football could bring humanity together. They say sports unite people.
I am just thankful that football is back.
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