Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Jurgen Klopp is on the verge of becoming the greatest manager in the club's history.
Klopp was on the sidelines on Saturday at Wembley Stadium as his side beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final on penalties, meaning the German coach has now won every cup available to him as manager of the Reds. Having secured the Carabao Cup for the first time this season, the win over the west London outfit was the last trophy Klopp had not won as Liverpool boss.
While this has been a terrific season compared to the injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign, there's still a chance things could get even better for the Reds. Having booked a place in the UEFA Champions League final, where they will take on Real Madrid in Paris, the Premier League is also still an achievable target with two games left of the season.
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Should the Reds leapfrog Manchester City in the table and go on to beat Madrid, Liverpool would become the first club in English football history to win the quadruple.
"For Jurgen Klopp to create history and become the first Liverpool manager to win the European Cup, the league, the FA Cup and League Cup all in one season — something not even Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier or Rafa Benitez ever achieved — is phenomenal," Murphy wrote in the Mail.
"Klopp is already a legend but if he can go and lead Liverpool to victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League final, then he’s in the conversation about the club’s greatest ever boss — and I speak as someone who grew up as a Liverpool fanatic on stories of how amazing Shankly and Paisley were.
"What makes Klopp’s record particularly special is the state of the team when he took over in 2015. The Liverpool he joined were not a side who were challenging for titles or in the latter stages of the Champions League. They were quite a distance behind Chelsea and other teams at that time.
"To try to bridge the gap, a lot of managers would have tried to ‘go back to basics’ and build from the back. Klopp did it the hard way, creating a team with dynamism and style, knowing it might take time to fit together. He wasn’t pragmatic in going for the easy options. He wanted a free-flowing side with high energy, knowing in the end that that’s what it would take to challenge the very best.
"Boy, has he achieved that. His connection with the supporters is incredible. My sons were at Wembley yesterday and I am sure they’ll remember the occasion for the rest of their lives. The beauty for Liverpool fans is there is more to come. Luis Diaz is just starting his Anfield career. And Klopp has signed a long-term deal of his own. He wouldn’t have done that without belief that great times are ahead.
"Talk of the quadruple has raised expectations but even if Liverpool don’t add to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, to win two trophies this season is a fine, fine campaign. To win three would be among the best seasons in the club’s history."
