He protests to the contrary until he’s red in the face… but there is little doubt Jurgen Klopp is more than dreaming of that mythical quadruple.
And why wouldn’t he? No team in world football has ever come this deep into a season still in contention for the four major trophies, not team has been near it, let alone close enough to put hot breath on the trophies. The Liverpool manager knows his history, he knows there will be no chance like this anytime soon. If ever. For any club. He knows it is legend in the making, even if his team should be denied in the home stretch.
Favourites in the Champions League, joint FA Cup favourites, and a point behind Manchester City in the Premier League. They are 12 games from immortality. Hell, put it like that, and it would be madness not to go “full throttle” a phrase Klopp himself has copyrighted. You could see in his team selection here he knows Liverpool must give everything - risk everything. When history is within touching distance, it is no time to recoil the hand for fear of getting burned.
Of course, he knows it could backfire on him spectacularly - target everything, win nothing. That was the risk he took here at Anfield with seven changes, and a new-look defence that was shaky, to put it mildly. So he gambled on handing Benfica a shock result, to give them a chance on Sunday.
The heartbeat of his team taken out, but with clear intent, get the job done without fuss, and with enough left for the next challenge. They come thick and fast this month, no time to breathe… but time to dream. They have the cavalry in Europe too, in five subs, and that was all the insurance Klopp needed.
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Not that he actually needed it, with Mohamed Salah, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho on before the hour, but after the game was put to bed, by Roberto Firmino’s simple goal. Klopp thinks the quadruple is possible, knows it with this squad - and this win was proof enough with a shadow side - even if he’s too smart to say so in public. His actions speak louder than words though, and he will go full throttle towards history.
