We've been here a dozen times, false dawns fuelled by a run of good games, Rafa's team of Torres and Stevie G, Rodgers' SAS team all stuttered and faded. I get the feeling Klopp is on the edge of something though, it's in the air.
The Moneyball transfer policy has gone - Salah, VVD we're buying players at their peak, paying for them and paying top wages. Players are preferring to come to us than other clubs suggesting footballer agents are now looking at us differently and there's growing confidence we're on the right track - club (main stand, Annie road future development), players and manager. If we keep moving forward we can take third place behind Citeh and Chelsea - an excellent result knowing the resources of those two clubs.
There are threats on the horizon.
Coutinho leaving to Barca has become a joke. The Nike ad, Liverpool not complaining and neither Barcelona nor Nike apologising shows the deal is already done. The secret is how to replace him in the cheapest and least disruptive way possible. You lads know the quality replacements better than I however we have to replace like for like to maintain momentum.
Attitude is our other threat. Mane's lack of goal celebration. I assume the club has explained the Coutinho situation to the players - does he feel let down? Was he surprised at the backlash after his Everton shot mistake?
To me, all the solutions are in the hands of the manager and must be implemented to maintain the momentum in the coming months. There's a saying: '“The noblest art is that of making others happy” .
Shanks understood this and pummelled it into his players - 'you play for the fans', the 'greatest honour is to represent the club, the city, the fans'. 'They play for you'. Shank's team's job was to make the fans happy, it was self sustaining, fans boosted the team, the team boosted the fans, the whole 'club' believed and drove forward together. The field and the stands became one - I feel that the last 5 seasons the fans and the players have not been one - they ***** us off with disappointments and the fans start to drift away.
Mane's 90k a week keeps the wolf from the door but he needs to rethink why he plays football, the fact Coutinho is leaving, or that Salah is getting more attention than him at the moment is not the end of the world. Clearly the guy can't see the big picture and needs reassurance and encouragement.
Get the sports psychologist Steve Peters to package the Shankly concept and explain it to the lads and in a very short time you'd have Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson, Solanke, Mane, VVD, Firmino gelling better as a team and driving forward to accelerate this feel good factor and improved confidence state. Those who don't buy in would feel isolated pretty quickly.
NOW is the time to go back to Shankly basics that took us from an average team to top of the league, we have to learn from the past - it's not about wages, nor ego, nor eyeing your next transfer move... it's about achieving success together as a team, a gang of mates, it's about making Anfield rock every week, hearing the Kop of old roar again.... watch the club bring back free standing to boost the effect... the goodwill factor is there for the taking. Now is the time to extend the Annie Road. Marginal gains.
It's about making people happy: the players are high paid entertainers - they work for us, we don't work for them.
All rise.