IS THIS THE BEST LIVERPOOL TEAM IN HISTORY?
KEHINDE GIWA
Over the years, Liverpool Football Club has been at the forefront of English football, and has been part of the creme de la creme of the European football community. This is attributed to huge investments made on the academy, quality players, and the coaching crew.
At the continental level, Liverpool is Britain’s most successful football outfit with 6 Uefa Champions League (UCL) Trophies. 2005, they staged unarguably the greatest comeback in European football history when they clawed back from three goals down to defeat Ac Milan in an epic game in Instabul. Two years after, they came up against the same Milan side in the UCL final in Athens and lost by a goal margin.
They recorded exemplary feats in Europe's elite and most lucrative competition by being at the last four for three consecutive years and were a major threat for every opposition, as well as the competition’s favorite in every season. Last time they won the UCL before 2005 was in 1984. They had been pushing and pushing until the golden moment came.
However, despite being England’s second most successful club, the REDS haven’t been unable to win the EPL since its inception in 1990. The club came close under Rafael Benitez, lost the league to city by whiskers under Brendan Rodgers, and have paraded some very brilliant footballers to not win the most coveted prize in the United Kingdom.
From goalkeeper to attack, the last thirty years has seen Liverpool produce astoundingly gifted footballers – game changers and football torchbearers who literally added fire to games when it was cold and dull.
From the Iconic Steven Gerrard, who began the resurgence at Instabul in 2005, and won the UCL for the football club for the first time since 1984.
Gerrard went on to win the FA cup for Liverpool against Westham in 2006 at the millennium stadium in wales. He is regarded by football experts as Liverpool’s greatest captain, and one of the most influential football leaders in the European game.
Liverpool paraded in the past, Fernando Torres, who had an incredible first season and took the league by storm. The impregnable duo of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hypia at the heart of the defence, John Arne Risse at left-back, Steve Finnan at right-back, world-cup winning midfielder, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Morientes, Dirk Kuyt, Smicer, and the list is endless.
They paraded some of Europe’s finest players at all levels and still couldn’t lay their hands on the trophy.
Fast forward to 2015, the club began a ‘new project’ and hired German tactician, Jurgen Klopp.
The German had won two consecutive German Bundesliga titles with Borrusia Dortmund and had taken them to the UCL final in 2013, the first time they did so since 1997, then under Ottmar Hitzfield.
In 2016, the club’s home ground, Arnfield, was expanded to accommodate more fans and was further attestation that the Liverpool Chiefs meant business in taking the club to the next level.
Jurgen Klopp had gone on to sign some very good players since he arrived but many believe his present crop of players is the best in the club’s history and perhaps the most complete side in the world.
The Goalkeeper signed from Roma, is believed to be the best signing for the football club in that position for many years. Liverpool has struggled to get a solid backup since the departure of Reina. Allison is very good with his feet and has great reflexes. In 2019 he was named The Best FIFA Goalkeeper and was also the recipient of the inaugural Yashin Trophy.
Virgil Van Dijk is the best defender in the world. His addition has been so immense and undeniable for the football club.
He brings everything to the Liverpool backline – stability, assurance, leadership, organization, cohesion, calmness, presence, and an aerial threat when going forward. He reads tackles very well, and he is very intelligent in his passing. Many believe he is the best defender in EPL history despite spending about two years at Southampton before migrating to Merseyside for a then world-record fee of 75 million pounds.
The Liverpool full-backs, Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson are Europe’s deadliest full-backs. They are good at whipping in wicked crosses, have lots of energy and intensity, and have plenty of pace to burn.
Going forward, the Liverpool front three is the most lethal attacking force in the world. Mo Sallah scored over 40 goals last season and hasn’t stopped scoring since then. Sadio Mane is the best player on the African continent and he offers so much in energy, sheer individual brilliance, and an eye for goal. Bobby Firminho is the most complete striker in the world. Drops deep and orchestrates movement, makes tackles for the team, supports the midfield, he is creative, he is aware of his teammates’ positioning and he scores breath-taking goals. The best false nine in the world by a country mile.
Liverpool’s midfield has a robust, highly versatile, and experienced James Milner who has over 400 EPL appearances. Jordan Henderson has developed and matured into a solid footballer after his 20 million pounds move from Sunderland many when he was just 20. Fabinho comes with versatility and creativity, he is very comfortable on the ball too, and Naby Keita, who caught the eye at Leipzig is an interesting prospect who moves with the ball very good, and scores brilliant goals too.
The Liverpool squad got to the final of the UCL and lost to Madrid in Kyiv, and then won the UCL last year against Tottenham in Madrid.
They lead the EPL table with a storming 25 points ahead of EPL champions, and Pep Guardiola’s ‘heavy metal’ football-playing Manchester City. This is a further testament to the quality embedded in Liverpool’s squad. The team is a blend of old and youth, the manager seems like he is driving the ‘project’ very well, and the club can almost do no wrong right now.
The present crop of players is a gift to the fans in this generation. The attacking trio is always a joy to watch when in their elements and can take apart any defense in the world. Indeed, this crop of players is in the process of not just being the best in the club’s history, but the best in premier league history.
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