Is Jurgen Klopp showing why it's the right time to leave Liverpool? | OneFootball

The memories that Jurgen Klopp has given Liverpool fans will last a lifetime.

To at least one generation, if not more, he is the most important thing to happen at Anfield in their Reds-supporting lives.

Most importantly, Klopp finally ended that long Premier League title drought in 2020, not to mention clinching Champions League the year before, winning many other trophies along the way.

The football has been scintillating, more than living up to the German's "heavy metal" reputation, and he has signed players who have turned into legends.

All of this sums up why news of Klopp leaving back in January left many millions of fans around the world bereft, with Liverpool's colossal leader moving on just after rebuilding the midfield and seemingly beginning his 2.0 era.

But then the last month or so happened.

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This season had threatened to be an iconic one, with a quadruple on the table well into the campaign, and a feeling that Liverpool's players would "do it for Klopp".

The manner in which the Reds' campaign has unravelled has been as surprising as it has been devastating, however, with quality and belief lost by the minute.

Ever since a wasteful Liverpool exited the FA Cup at the hands of Manchester United last month, nothing has felt the same, with shaky league displays often bringing wins, until grim back-to-back showings at Old Trafford and at home to Crystal Palace.

Sandwiched in between was the woeful 3-0 loss to Atalanta at Anfield, and while Liverpool won 1-0 in Italy on Thursday night, they were sent crashing out of the Europa League in weak fashion.

As Klopp acknowledged the supporters after the final whistle, there was something telling about his demeanour: he looked tired.

Reds displays mirroring their manager's fatigue

The 56-year-old has cited fatigue as a key reason for deciding to step down as Liverpool manager, and having looked a vibrant figure who was reborn after last season's struggles, he has cut a far more jaded soul of late.

Meanwhile, the Reds' performances have mirrored their manager, with leggy displays being made even worse by some of the most shoddy finishing in recent memory.

A spark appears to have gone out of Klopp and his team, and while some will unfairly put it down it a poor attitude, the effort levels of this manager and these players should never be questioned.

They want this every bit as us - they have gone to the wall across four different competitions this season and it has caught up with them.

Football - UEFA Europa League - Quarter-Final 1st Leg - Liverpool FC v BC Atalanta LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Thursday, April 11, 2024: Liverpool s manager Jürgen Klopp before the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final 1st Leg match between Liverpool FC and BC Atalanta at Anfield. Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda LIVERPOOL Anfield MERSEYSIDE ENGLAND PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2024-04-11-Liverpool_Atalanta-15

For Klopp, so much of his brilliance is down to intensity and charisma, proving to be an elite leader of men who gets every last drop of ability and fight out of his squad.

He makes them believe that they are capable of anything and the same has applied with his relationship with the fanbase for much of his tenure, more than delivering on his "doubters to believers" promise back in 2015.

Klopp feels like a legendary boxer who doesn't quite have any more to give in the 12th round, with nearly nine years of relentlessness looking like it has taken its toll.

Some may feel that this is a shotgun reaction, considering the Liverpool boss appeared to be flying earlier in the season, but the fact that he informed the club of his decision last autumn suggests that he has put on a convincing front a lot of the time.

Klopp leaving at exactly the right time

This handful of recent matches have suggested that Klopp is leaving at exactly the right time, though, and that a new manager is needed to take this side forward.

Many would understandably be delighted to see him stay put, of course, such is his legendary status, but it appears as though he has little left to give.

There is even an argument to say that Klopp would be under pressure to keep his job if he wasn't leaving, but that could be hyperbolic, considering Liverpool are still only two points off top spot in the Premier League.

The hope is that this shock dip in form proves to be a blip, with Klopp about to enjoy one unforgettble last huurah, clinching the title in the last six matches.

The way things are going at the moment, however, Liverpool feel more likely to drop points in every game than win the lot.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Klopp's legacy shouldn't and won't be affected, and we have simply reached the end of the road in one of the greats chapters in Reds history.

The iconic German deserves the most memorable send-off imaginable, with title glory the perfect way to bow out, but it increasingly looks like that fairytale ending that won't come true.

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