At the turn of the year, Liverpool fans were handed the news that none of them wanted. Iconic manager Jurgen Klopp would be leaving the club at the end of the current season after eight-and-a-half wonderful years in charge.
Citing burnout as his reason for the departure, the maverick German boss announced the news mid-season so that the club had plenty of time to search for his successor, and it looked like his final campaign would be one to remember.
As recently as six weeks ago, the Reds were on the brink of an unprecedented quadruple. They were top of the Premier League, had defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, and were through to the quarter-finals of both the Europa League and the FA Cup. However,the wheels have well and truly come off since then.
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Defeats at home to Crystal Palace and away at Everton have seen them drop out of the title race, leaving fans devastated and totally changing the odds and predictions for coming matches. Now, websites providing betting on soccer are making Manchester City the short-priced -250 favourites to retain their crown – not something that LFC fans wanted to see.
They also suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Manchester United in a rollercoaster FA Cup tie, as well as being dumped out of Europe at the hands of Atalanta. Now, the quadruple is well and truly gone, and so too will Klopp in just a couple of months’ time.
Rumours persist about who will succeed him in the Anfield dugout. Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso has just ended Bayern Munich’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga and led Bayer Leverkusen to domestic glory for the first time in the club’s history.
He was the frontrunner for several weeks but has instead committed himself to the German side, with attention having now turned to Feyenoord manager Arne Slot.
With the appointment of a new head coach potentially just around the corner, we decided to take a look down memory lane at what happened the last four times Anfield had a change in the hot seat.
Jurgen Klopp
Klopp arrived at Liverpool in October 2015 following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, just over a year after the latter led the club to the brink of the Premier League title. Once the Irishman got the sack, there was only one man that many Scousers wanted to see succeed him, and they got their wish.
The German brought with him a reputation for passionate, high-energy football from his time at Borussia Dortmund, whom he led to back-to-back Meisterschales in 2011 and 2012. His appointment injected an immediate sense of optimism among the Anfield faithful, with his charismatic “heavy metal” football philosophy.
The Normal One – as he branded himself in his first press conference – had a rollercoaster first season, featuring memorable Europa League nights, including a remarkable comeback against his former club Dortmund, and leading Liverpool to the finals of the League Cup and Europa League.
Despite losing both, the progression was evident. The team finished eighth domestically, but the foundations were laid for future glories – a success which would bring the club its first league title in three decades and its sixth European Cup.
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers was appointed in June 2012, succeeding Sir Kenny Dalglish. Known for his philosophy of possession-based football, he had the challenge of rejuvenating a squad which had underachieved in the previous season under the iconic Scotsman.
His first season saw the arrivals of new talents such as Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, both of whom were signed for cut-price fees in January 2013 and became key players. The Reds ended the season in seventh place, showing signs of improvement in the second half of the campaign.
While no silverware was won, Rodgers’ first season was marked by the implementation of a style of play which would come to full fruition the following year as he led the club back to the Champions League for the first time in five years and came agonising close to winning the Premier League title.
Sir Kenny Dalglish
Dalglish’s return as Liverpool manager in January 2011, initially on an interim basis before being made permanent, was a move which united the fanbase. A club legend as both a player and manager, the legendary Scotsman steadied the ship after a tumultuous period under Roy Hodgson.
In the 2011/12 season, Liverpool won the League Cup – their first trophy in six years – but struggled in the league as they finished eighth. The powerbrokers on Merseyside decided that wasn’t good enough, and he was sent packing at the end of the campaign.
Roy Hodgson
Hodgson’s tenure at Liverpool was short-lived and is often remembered as a low point in the club’s recent history. Taking over in July 2010 from Rafa Benitez – a man who had transformed Liverpool into contenders once again, even leading them to the Champions League in his first season in charge – the task was never going to be easy.
However, the veteran English coach had just led Fulham to the Europa League final, which secured him the LMA Manager of the Year award, and many were hopeful that he could pick up where Benitez left off with the Reds.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t happen. Hodgson’s time at Anfield was marred by poor results and a disconnect with the fans. Under his management, the Reds’ playing style was criticised for being uninspiring, and the team found themselves in the relegation zone early in the season.
Hodgson left the club in January 2011 after just six months in charge, with the club sitting 12th in the table, having won just seven of his 20 league games.