Liverpool have never lacked history or noise. What Jürgen Klopp brought, from 8 October 2015 onwards, was a way of working that made belief feel like the default setting.
As a Liverpool fan, you’re used to the constant niggling anxiety of ‘will we, won’t we’ behind every game. The pressure of facing big opponents or the expectation of beating smaller clubs. You’re almost looking for a way to manifest positivity: probably most of the reason so many fans like to have a bet on their own team online or in the bookies; in 2026, you might even place a small crypto-wager on Liverpool, and a Stake review can help you understand how that kind of betting works.
From the day Klopp was appointed, that tone changed quickly. You heard more talk about effort, togetherness, clarity and energy than about fixes. Klopp did not promise perfection; he promised that your team would run, recover, reset and go again until that became normal; the pre-game nerves gave way to belief. The bigger story is how small habits, repeated every day, added up to a new culture.
Confidence Through Hard Work
Klopp’s first match was a 0-0 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur on 17 October 2015, but it still felt like a statement. Liverpool pressed higher, hunted in packs and made it uncomfortable. The scoreline wasn’t ideal but the new attitude was plain to see.
That is where the ‘doubters to believers’ line landed so well. It was not a slogan players forgot, it was a routine they practised. If you lost the ball, you chased it back. If you conceded, you reset fast. If you were tired, you still made the next run. Over time, you stopped waiting for confidence to arrive and started creating it through hard work.
High-Press Football In Plain English
A high press sounds technical, but the idea is simple: win the ball back quickly, close to the other team’s goal. Klopp’s Liverpool did it with clear triggers: a loose touch, a sideways pass, a backward pass, or a player receiving with their head down. When one player went, the next player went too.
The cost is obvious. It demands repeat sprints, quick decisions and trust that your teammates will cover you. That is why Klopp treated intensity like a habit, not a mood. If you only press when you feel like it, gaps appear. If you press as a unit, you create chaos for the opponent and chances for yourself.
You’d have seen the the payoff on 7 May 2019, when Liverpool beat FC Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield after losing 3-0 in the first leg. Yes, it had tactics, but it also had a team that had intensity as part of its identity.
Standards, Staff And No Excuses
Klopp did not build the culture alone. He leaned on trusted staff, clear routines and simple messages. Meetings were shorter. Video clips were specific. Roles were explained in language players could repeat back to you.
He also built a ‘no-excuses’ loop. If a full-back was tired, the plan did not collapse. Someone else filled the space. If a forward missed a chance, the next press still happened. If a pass went wrong, heads stayed up. This is how you survive long seasons: by trusting the process.
The league numbers tell the story. In 2018-19, Liverpool finished second with 97 points, losing only once in 38 matches. In 2019-20, they won the Premier League with 99 points, ending a 30-year wait for a league title. Those totals come from a way of playing every game like it would eventually decide the title, as of course it would.
Utilising the Twelfth Man
Anfield always had an atmosphere, but Klopp turned it into a deliberate weapon. He spoke to supporters like they were part of the plan rather than background noise. He celebrated with them after games, he pointed to the stands and he pushed the idea that the crowd can pull a team forward.
The key is that he did not ask for support only when things were going well, he asked for it during hard spells too. Arguably, that changed how you watched matches. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, you helped create one. Over time, it became cyclical: the team fought, the crowd lifted and the team found another gear.
You can track that connection through the timeline. Liverpool reached the League Cup final on 28 February 2016 and the UEFA Europa League final on 18 May 2016. They lost both, but they re-learned what finals feel like and, on 1 June 2019, they beat Tottenham 2-0 to win the UEFA Champions League. Later that year, they also won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Legacy: Habits That Outlast A Manager
Klopp’s last Liverpool match was on 19 May 2024. By then the habits had carved deeper than inspirational, even poignant words could. You could see it when younger players stepped in and the demand stayed the same: press together, recover fast, stay brave on the ball and protect each other.
Klopp’s honours list makes a big part of the club’s history. Alongside the league and European wins, Liverpool lifted the League Cup and FA Cups in 2022 and the League Cup again in 2024. But the deeper legacy is how the club learned to trust process. Klopp swapped hope for routine. Instead of asking ‘will we win?’, you learned to ask ‘are we doing the right things today?’. That mindset is why the era still feels alive: belief and the will to win is running through the club’s veins.
