Anfield Until The End 16/17

Twelve Months Strong

Do you remember what you were doing today just last year?

I was coming home, tired from school and ready to get a quick nap. But I dunno, something just compelled me to look up stuff for Liverpool.

And everything. Blew. Up. 

This Is Anfield, The Liverpool Offside, The Liverpool Index, all the like were BUZZING. And I was too. Even the Liverpool Twitter has noticed the aura about this all. That aura? It's called the Klopp Era.

It's not a secret that we were in transition. Technically, we still are. But back to 2015. 

We were in 10th place. Drew to a weak Everton side that would have rolled over if we just tried a bit more. C'mon Rodgers, I don't get where this is coming from. I came to Liverpool to dream a bit, not get worried and stressed by life AND 'Pool! Everything gets awkward when he goes. We feel bad, maybe we went too far. We didn't say enough good things. Darn. We blew it now.

Will the interm be good? Hopefully he's a good guy and at least better than the shipwreck that is Chelsea. Reports, reports and more reports. They don't sound too good either. The U23s weren't all that great and here he is, a possible Liverpool manager. C'mon! Shankly was here! We need someone BETTER! 

They heard us. They got us a Liverpool fan in the shape of an angry, hug-loving German named Jürgen Norbert Klopp.

Fast forward to our first lost. We lost to Palace. 1-2. Was this real? I need to take a nap, I'll wake up, and it'll be the reverse. We didn't lose it, that's a lie.

Jürgen thought opposite. Stop doubting it. It happened. Let it go. Stop moaning and stop leaving the stadium, I felt alone, the team felt alone. The atmosphere died. The passion left. Who were we again?

We remember after City. 1-4. We're Liverpool, y'know, the most successful English team. Our hopes are high. Everyone's happy. Firmino looks great with Coutinho! Can we win the league now?

Fast forward again. It's Dortmund. At home. 

Mkhitaryan. Aubameyang. 

Was this still the first ten minutes?

I knew it was 0-2 to them, but I still ran home from school. Call it stupidity at the time, but looking back at it now, a total leap of faith. Do something Liverpool . . . 

Second I get home, still 0-2. Good, they waited for me. They waited too long. Half time, score is still the same. Say goodbye to Europe? Just become Dortmund supporters? Hey, anyone know how to spell Gündoğan without trouble? 

Whoa, Origi scored. Nice run by Can, Klopp's a bit surprised, everyone is too, join the party Kloppo.

The stadium gets a bit louder.

Reus. It had to be him. The guy that we've been tracking for ages, apparently was our child mascot once, puts the dagger in our hearts. And slowly turns the thing.

Sorta quiet now, yeah?

Coutinho-o-o-o! What a goal! Klopp gets a bit wilder. Celebrations start looking a bit more serious. Something's behind them, a reason, a statement, but what?

Stadium's getting to it's normal sound again.

Sakho . . . what are you doing so far up?! We're still losing to Dortmund! We suck at set pieces and you're up here and  . . . never mind, carry on. TIED WITH DORTMUND!

The stadium is on it's feet. The stewards don't care, this isn't like the West Ham stuff now, this has a certain feeling to it. Things slide, people look like legends. Hey, did Klopp get a new hair-do? He looks like he's glowing or something . . .

Dejan Lovren. It had to be him.

Half (or should we say all) the fans hated him. He was off social media until a month or so before this match because of them, too much hate, pressure, stupidity. 

He started to spark under Klopp, look like he knew what being a better center back was. Then he looked solid. Sakho-Lovren was the center back pairing to beat, hardly any goals conceded. 

So yes, it had to be him.

And it had to be Milner to assist it.

People didn't like him either, had too many yellows, didn't do anything. We looked boring with him. No wonder he was called Boring James Milner.

Then Klopp moves his position and he looks like a genius, out-assisting Özil. No way.

So yes, the goal went in.

Yes, the injured Emre Can, who had to go away on crutches, literally sprinted across the pitch just to hug Dejan. We lost Dejan in the crowd, the fans hugged him too much.

The stadium was at full noise. I'm sure the Everton side was truly pissed. No sound like it in a few years, maybe more, and we were just gloating.

Then Mkhitaryan . . . or Gündoğan . . . who knows, they're both spectacular at set pieces, the Dortmund thing. They have a chance to level it. Then Dortmund will leave. They'll go home winners. We can't have this.

I watch that set piece with my heart in my mouth. With hope, I was murmuring You'll Never Walk Alone. To me, the match was over. It had to be, please and thanks. 

It left  . . . one of those two's foot, it sailed and sailed. It looked like it was going in. Then it disappeared. Where'd it go . . . ? Not in the net? We won? What . . .

WE WON!

It was a final, in it's own special way. 

It made Anfield a fortress from then on.

It showed how good everyone was from then on: Lovren, Can, Origi, Coutinho, Klopp. Just everyone. Even the people on the bench.

The fans were louder from that day on. Too many believers were in the stands, so many you could hardly hear the away fans at Anfield. It was beautiful. 

That was us on our best night, showing us our high water mark under Klopp. We could dominate in Europe, do whatever we wanted whenever, even if it was the 94th minute. 

It also showed our worst. 

Two goals in ten minutes? Ouch, sloppy defense, yeah? Our midfield was weak, Firmino, the usually stellar guy, was weak. Can was down and we were exposed. 

But in that match, around the end, I finally found out what was behind all those celebrations: This is Anfield, See What We Can Do, We're A Team. The one celebration that got me the most was one sort of lost in time. One of those goals went in and Firmino looked a bit stunned, naturally. Klopp then runs over and then hugs him, Firmino's confusion then melts away into pure happiness. That one? We're A Band of Brothers, led by our Intimidating 'Father', Be Afraid.

Or maybe that was a different match and I'm just losing it. It was Dortmund, okay? I think we're allowed a moment of insanity when it comes to that match.

It has been a year, believe it or not. 

And we have gotten better, believe it or not. 

We achieved a lot in the past year, gotten stronger, done more than we could possibly imagine. 

Now we're in fourth.

We've broken so many beautiful records, scored a lot of good goals, made so many people smile. 

I wouldn't take this year back for a single moment. Would you?

But there are more to come, Herr Klopp will be here for many more years to come. 

Let's just enjoy the Normal One and his laughs. Those winning streaks and cheers, those goals and celebrations.

Let's live in the Klopp Era, not exist in it.