Jurgen Klopp had a habit of sounding prophetic. Or he had the capacity, whether through coaching and tactical prowess or force of personality, to make some of what he said come true. But, on his way out, he made a prediction with a difference: one he could no longer influence.
“Liverpool 2.0 does not end with me,” he said in May. “It’s just the new Liverpool. It’s just the start. They can make the next steps.” Seven months later, it could have sounded like wishful thinking. Liverpool could have floundered after his exit, sliding down the standings. Or a successor might have broken his team up. The future planning Klopp did with the signings in his last three years may have seemed irrelevant if those players were then sold, dropped or performing poorly.
