Megathread: How Jurgen Klopp ruined the season

Season ruined.
That is quite literally how I’d describe this season—one where we "only" managed to pick up two trophies.
Winning the Carabao Cup and the US Open Cup isn't exactly something a giant like this can brag about.

Real Madrid played it smart; they knew Liverpool FC would be pressing hard and putting pressure on their back line. They managed to keep a clean sheet in the first half, which—if you ask me—was exactly their plan.

In the second half, though, Real Madrid shook off the shackles and looked much better.

Jurgen Klopp simply underdelivered. In my opinion, he started the match with the wrong lineup.
Luis Diaz, who everyone seems to be raving about, just isn't what Liverpool FC needs. From the moment he arrived up until this very match, I honestly haven't seen the value in a €40m player.

Diogo Jota is so much better, yet Roberto Firmino is just... finished.
It’s a shame that Klopp didn't even account for the fact that AAT was unavailable on the right side.
To be fair, his counterpart on the left didn't have a fairy-tale game either, but it remains a total mystery why not a single cross from the right wing found anyone.

What can I even say about Klopp?
He is the synonym for a modern manager—a man everyone adores—but today, I found myself cursing him for everything under the sun.

Why?
In his five-plus years managing Liverpool FC, the man has won everything. But this season, after leading a dead heat against Manchester City and fighting all the way to the final, you just completely blow it.

Think about it: Carlo Ancelotti returns to Real Madrid, and in his second stint during his very first season back, he wins the Premier League and the Champions League. Meanwhile, Klopp, who has spent years building and molding this squad, only manages to win two damn cups??
How, Jurgen Klopp, how??

Honestly, tonight he just killed my desire to follow Liverpool FC as a club. To lead a team to the final of the biggest competition and perform that miserably—to be so blind and make such nonsensical substitutions—I’m actually speechless.

Klopp is the greatest "flop" tragedy of modern football. From superstar status to a total letdown.
He can be a tactician, a genius, or a psychologist—he can be a mix of Aristotle and Sokratis Papastathopoulos for all I care—but man, you are a massive failure, and clearly, some sort of bad karma that isn't worthy of a great club like Liverpool FC. 👎

A flawed analysis

Rachel Cooper3 said:A flawed analysis

I’ve pretty much poured my heart out right here.
Dammit, Jurgen Klopp—I am absolutely livid after that performance!!
I honestly don't even have the words for what we just witnessed tonight.
And Luis Diaz???
People are just obsessed with him, but let's be real—the guy isn't a starter, plain and simple. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota is the kind of player who can actually disrupt the opposition when things get messy.
It was awful; I’m speechless... tonight was easily Flopp's biggest embarrassment yet.

How Jurgen Klopp sabotaged the season: An outside perspective

Robert Palmer said:How Jurgen Klopp sabotaged the season: An outside perspective

😁

That’s exactly my point. Setting aside my little jabs at Floppa, the reality is that a season where you just win the US Open Cup can't be labeled "GREAT." Making the Champions League final and finishing runner-up in the Premier League doesn't cut it as a great season in my book. I'll give you a GOOD season, but for me, "great" seasons are reserved for ATG seasons. No matter how much Liverpool fans try to spin it, that's just not the case here.

The Carabao Cup? What even is that? 🤣 I don't even count those kinds of trophies. In club football, there are really only three trophies that matter: the league title, the Champions League, and the main national cup. Outside of the US, you don't see this endless string of meaningless cups that fall way below the level of the US Open Cup, let alone the league or the Champions League.

Flopp is basically the Kevin Durant of this situation—always coming in second, but somehow even more frustrating.

Let’s be honest here, on their way to the final, Liverpool FC had to go through Inter Milan, Benfica, and Villarreal CF. I don't think anyone has ever had such an easy run to a final. Both him and Pep Guardiola get way too much hype in the media, which makes sense since the Premier League revolves around all that money, so you end up with a mix of truth and pure exaggeration. They are both great managers, sure, but they aren't the absolute best or as legendary as the headlines claim. Both have dumped massive amounts of cash into players lately—I’d say Jurgen Klopp spent around $500 million over five years, while Pep Guardiola topped $600 million—but they both seem to struggle when it comes to finals and high-stakes matches like this. I was watching the faces of the Liverpool FC players during those last 20 minutes, and you could just tell they didn't even believe they could score an equalizer, let alone win...

If you don't have that grit inside you, or if your manager doesn't instill it, then you simply lose the game.

And yeah, Roberto Firmino seems to have completely fallen off, almost like he just broke down and couldn't find his way back. It's a shame, because that trio was absolutely lethal back in their prime. Such a pity...

On the other hand, I wouldn't blame him for the league title slipping away by a hair; he had some tough competition, and in a marathon like this, it's the tiny details that cost you...

I find myself agreeing with most of what's been said here, but I have to say, this take on Luis Diaz is a massive miss... The guy has been an incredible signing, and he looked solid again yesterday. In my eyes, he’s actually outperforming both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane right now. Honestly, I felt like we lost our momentum the moment he came off; it seemed like Jurgen Klopp just didn't have the guts to bench one of those two, even though they were having a rough night.

Eric White14 said:I find myself agreeing with most of what's been said here, but I have to say, this take on Luis Diaz is a massive miss... The guy has been an incredible signing, and he looked solid again yesterday. In my eyes, he’s actually outperforming both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane right now. Honestly, I felt like we lost our momentum the moment he came off; it seemed like Jurgen Klopp just didn't have the guts to bench one of those two, even though they were having a rough night.

See, if you ask me, Luis Diaz is actually the one who missed the mark. He didn't break through on the wing once yesterday—and if anything, the fact that he was subbed out so early proves my point.
The mistake was starting him in the first place. Since Diogo Jota arrived at Liverpool FC, he’s immediately become a core part of the squad, so it’s a bit of a puzzle to me why he wasn't in the starting eleven.
Then there's the issue of AAT being totally unavailable. It felt like Jurgen Klopp played the lineup assuming there wasn't a reliable solution, though personally, I would have thrown James Milner in regardless of the circumstances.
AAT was one of the worst performers yesterday—not a single useful cross to speak of, and frankly, he's to blame for the goal.
One of the brighter spots for Liverpool FC was Mohamed Salah, along with Sadio Mane, who both remained a constant threat until the very end.
You could clearly see Sadio Mane tiring as the match progressed, whereas Mohamed Salah had that moment where he perfectly controlled the ball and let a shot fly toward the goal.

Ultimately, I think the error lies with Jurgen Klopp and his starting XI. For me, Luis Diaz has been the biggest disappointment of this half-season in terms of his performances for Liverpool FC.

Honestly, this season has truly exceeded even my most optimistic expectations, hasn't it?

A brilliant, heated breakdown 👍 people will be debating for years—why on earth did Diaz start the 63rd game of the season instead of bringing on a fresh Chamberlain off the bench?