Anfield Watch
·18. April 2024
Anfield Watch
·18. April 2024
Jurgen Klopp broke a Liverpool club record with one decision against Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League. He even managed to extend it.
Jurgen Klopp saw out his final European night with Liverpool on Thursday - and it was a miserable one. The Reds needed to win 3-0, of course, and it looked incredibly possible when Mohamed Salah converted a penalty inside seven minutes.
Only, the Reds never really offered anything after that. Salah had a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 but spurned it. Other than that, Liverpool had no great chances.
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In fact, they only managed two second-half shots and neither were a threat on goal.
But there was reason for optimism. Klopp actually managed to break a club record on the night and it's one that highlights a bright future at Liverpool even after he leaves.
Opta's Michael Reid points out that Klopp handed out the 174th appearance of the season to a player 21 or younger with the introduction of Harvey Elliott on 67 minutes.
That actually extended to 175 with Jayden Danns coming on with 10 minutes to play. Liverpool have never handed out more, surpassing the 1992/93 campaign.
And it's worth noting that the campaign 31 years ago featured the likes of Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler getting those games. If any of the current crop go on to reach those levels, Liverpool are set for the next little while.
But Klopp's faith in youth has been a hallmark of his time at Anfield. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones started on Thursday night - two Scousers from the academy who have cemented first-team places.
Yes, the boss may be leaving with the end of the season but his impact at the club will be felt for a long, long time to come. Liverpool will be much better off for that.
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