Jurgen Klopp’s arrival on Merseyside has understandably delighted the Anfield faithful.
Emphatic wins away to Chelsea and Manchester City have quickly fostered a sense of belief that was clearly absent during the final few months of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure.
It’s early days, but his influence is already starting to show, and the improvement in the team’s cohesion is astonishing.
Even after a 2-0 loss to a struggling Newcastle side, the Kop has a million reasons to trust in Klopp.
But among non-Liverpool fans, it has caused something of a crisis of conscience.
Over the last decade or so, the Merseysiders have always been an easy club to dislike, and an even easier one to mock.
From the Spice Boys’ white suits to Steven Gerrard’s iconic slip, there have been no shortage of things to ridicule Liverpool about. And with Brendan Rodgers running the show, there was no manager who offered himself up so easily.
His David Brent-like reliance on empty buzzwords, coupled with his apparent willingness to buy into his own hype after Luis Suarez almost single-handedly dragged his side to a Premier League title, made him a perfect target for opposing fans.
Rodgers suffered from an acute lack of self-awareness, which was ultimately his downfall. He pictured himself as some sort of possession-based messiah for the uncultured English game, as if it were 1915 and not 2015.
But while Liverpool fans have already declared Klopp their new saviour, the difference lies in his reaction to such declarations.
In his opening press conference as Liverpool manager, the German tried to play up his humility by calling himself “the normal one”.
In the weeks since, Klopp has shown himself to be anything but normal. He has his players performing like they actually know what they are doing, as they believe in themselves again.
While usually the easiest way to build up disdain in rival fan-bases is by winning consistently, Klopp has somehow managed to do the opposite.
Fans from every background have expressed their admiration for him and the dynamic style he has Liverpool playing. Even Alex Ferguson has chipped in.
Imagine it was Arsenal that Klopp is managing with the kind of players we have. Arsenal would be something else.
— RidwanuLlAh (@Itz_Realone) December 3, 2015
More than just re-establishing Liverpool as a title contender in this topsy-turvy Premier League season, Klopp has done the impossible – he’s made Liverpool likeable.
After 10 insufferable years of hearing about ‘that night in Istanbul’, that is no mean feat. But the German’s charisma and love of the game – and his players – is unavoidable.
Whether he’s getting some tips in Scouse from a local kid or joking around in a post-match press conference, it’s hard not to fall a little bit in love with Klopp and wonder what could have been for your club. Even in defeat, he comes across well.
It’s a stark contrast to Jose Mourinho, who has consistently attacked those around him in the ever-isolating soap opera that is his management career.
While the Portuguese’s achievements are impressive, he will never be remembered with the same child-like wonder that Klopp has the potential to instill in fans the world over.
Perhaps it is simply part of a honeymoon phase, and will wear off once we start paying more attention to him openly questioning his players’ commitment.
But until then, Klopp has made us like Liverpool again – and some of us will never forgive him for that.
