Ranking all 9 Liverpool seasons under Jurgen Klopp | OneFootball

Highlights

Jurgen Klopp has become an iconic figure in the Premier League, with the German manager transforming Liverpool from a team struggling to keep up with the clubs around them, to being one of the best sides in Europe.

He will leave the club as one of the greatest managers in the long history of the English giants after guiding them to their first-ever Premier League trophy, a Champions League success, and a domestic cup double. There have been many memorable moments from the nine seasons he has spent in the Anfield dug-out, but which full campaign has been the very best?

GIVEMESPORT have decided to take a look at each of those nine seasons and rank them from best to worst below. It is important to stress that the expectation going into each of the campaigns was different and this plays a role in the eventual result.

1 2019/20

League position: 1st (Champions)

It had to be. Liverpool's title-winning campaign under Klopp saw the Reds wrap up the trophy in fewer games than any other team in history. This came after an incredible run of 26 wins from the first 27 games of the season, with the other game being a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were in fine form as the club achieved their first-ever Premier League triumph.

There will forever be rival fans who place an asterisk next to this success due to the fact the final part of the campaign was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Liverpool already had one hand on the trophy beforehand. No one could live with the heavy metal style of play and the solid foundation at the back as Klopp guided the team to their best season in well over 30 years.

2 2018/19

The 2018/19 season could have very easily been the undisputed best season under Klopp. If it hadn't been for John Stones' last-ditch goal-line clearance when the Reds travelled to Manchester City earlier in the season, it could have been Jordan Henderson lifting the trophy high, rather than Vincent Kompany for the Citizens.

While a remarkable points tally of 97 wasn't enough to secure glory in domestic football, there was still reason to feel joy for supporters of the club. Looking to be heading out of the Champions League in the semi-final stage after a 3-0 loss against Barcelona in the Nou Camp during the first leg, Klopp's side pulled off an unthinkable comeback to win the return fixture 4-0. They would go on to lift the sixth European Cup in the history of the club after a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the final.

3 2023/24

The news that their manager is stepping down at the end of the campaign could be all the motivation the Liverpool players need to see off the 2023/24 season in style. A fresh-looking team has found its feet after an underwhelming campaign and is fighting on four fronts. Currently leading the Premier League title race and still participating in the EFL Cup, Europa LEague and FA Cup, there is every chance it could be a special send-off for a special boss.

We are jumping ahead slightly and could look back on this prediction unfavourably, but Klopp has overhauled a midfield that looked knackered and out of ideas in the 2022/23 campaign, with young and hungry players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. The thought of a different face in the dug out may be daunting for some, but the players on the pitch have plenty still to give.

4 2021/22

League position: 2nd

Oh, what could have been. Liverpool once again came up just short of the incredible Manchester City team led by Pep Guardiola in the league, losing out by one point. Having already secured the EFL Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, the Reds would repeat the feat with another success in a shootout against the Blues in the FA Cup final.

The season would end with only two domestic cup victories - which is still a very good achievement - but a defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League final meant the club were only two games away from securing a record-breaking quadruple. Mohamed Salah was on fire as the Egyptian fired in over 20 league goals while Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane contributed heavily.

5 2016/17

League position: 4th

It may not have been one of the higher league finishes, but the 2016/17 season saw the Merseyside club secure a return to Europe's top table as a final day win over Middlesbrough guaranteed Champions League football would return to Anfield for the following season.

Sadio Mane was the star of the show during his first season in the team after signing from Southampton. Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino made up the rest of the front line, which made up for some slight defensive frailties the side had. The Premier League was taken by storm for large parts of Klopp's first full season in charge of the rampant Reds.

6 2020/21

League position: 3rd

Alisson Becker stole the limelight completely in the second last game of Liverpool's 2020/21 season. The Brazilian shot-stopper cemented himself as one of the few goalkeepers to have scored a Premier League goal as an injury-hit team managed to sneak into the top four.

Being without Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez for the majority of the campaign, Liverpool put in an underwhelming title defence as fans were still not allowed into stadiums due to the global pandemic. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho put in an admirable shift at centre-back, but all the key players being unavailable eventually added up, and the Reds lost form.

7 2017/18

League position: 4th

The biggest success to come from the 2017/18 season for Liverpool was that the club pulled off perhaps Klopp's best signing of all time, as Mohamed Salah signed from Roma. The winger linked up with Firmino and Mane to form one of the best front threes we have seen in the 21st century. Salah was the standout performer as his 32 league goals - the record at the time - were enough to help them to a second top four finish in a row.

After returning to the Champions League for the first time since the 2014/15 season, Klopp showed his European prowess as he led his team all the way to the final of the competition. Unfortunately the juggernaut that is Real Madrid spoiled the English club's party, but it was still an exciting season to follow the club.

8 2015/16

League position: 8th

Klopp was not afforded the opportunity to bring in his desired players in the summer transfer window, as he replaced Rodgers in October 2015. He still managed to mark his stamp on the team as signs of the manager's 'heavy metal football' were becoming evident. The highlight of the campaign came on a famous European night at Anfield as a late Dejan Lovren header wrapped up a comeback victory over Klopp's former club, Borussia Dortmund.

This was a glimpse into the special nights that would lie ahead for the boss and his new team, although an eighth place finish in the Premier League left much to be desired. This was the only time Liverpool finished below fifth position under the German boss. The defensive issues that were present under his predecessor were too much for Klopp to overcome as his side were beaten 3-1 by Sevilla in the Europa League final.

9 2022/23

Due to expectations of Liverpool going head-to-head with Manchester City for the Premier League title once more heading into the 2022/23 season, it has to go down as a massive failure to finish outside the top four. The loss of Champions League football after being dumped out of the competition by Real Madrid for a third time under Klopp, meant the German manager would never go on to take charge of another game in the tournament for the Reds.

The loss of Mane threw off the balance of the front line and although Salah continued to be a monster statistically, the legs of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago and Fabinho had started to lose the energy they once prided themselves on. The engine room is the most vital part of a Klopp system and this is where it failed and knocked the rest of the side off balance. A resurgent end to the season saw the club qualify for the Europa League, but this wasn't good enough in general.