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Empty Kop means Jurgen Klopp must inspire another Anfield turnaround

A composite image of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp
A composite image of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp

The editor of Spanish newspaper Marca may be tempted to revisit a memorable front page before next week’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg.

“This is Anfield. So what?” the mouthpiece of Real Madrid asked before the last-16 tie with Liverpool in March 2009.

The sentiment proved poetically misjudged. Rafael Benitez’s side won 4-0 on one of those intoxicating European evenings when the skill and endeavour on the pitch complemented the cacophony of noise off it.

The enforced absence of the latter means Real will have less cause to fret as they seek to reconstruct the vacuous training ground atmosphere they so relished in the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Tuesday evening.

Real, like all Anfield visitors during lockdown, will seek to confirm their semi-final place in a sedate, unintrusive arena. Before Jürgen Klopp can think about beating Zinedine Zidane, he must work out how to beat anyone at home. Liverpool have not won at Anfield in 2021, their last victory on Merseyside in mid-December.

The next improbable Euro comeback must be executed and inspired by the manager and players rather than The Kop, relying on old-fashioned qualities such as picking the right team, employing the correct tactics, and winning every individual battle. In simple terms, Liverpool must rewatch the first half in Madrid and vow to do the opposite.

The fact that sounds such a novel concept ahead of a European Cup quarter-final explains why there is already less optimism Liverpool can secure the 2-0 victory to deny Real than when needing to beat a much superior Barcelona team 4-0 two years ago.

There is a blueprint in place in the build-up to every potentially epic Champions League night at Anfield which is currently worthless. Klopp and his players can make no rallying cries, nor can any psychological games be ramped up to worry fidgety visitors about what passionate mayhem awaits.

Against such a savvy, experienced and unflustered opponent, knocking Real out of their stride will demand all of Klopp’s managerial wisdom as much as the courage shown in the miracle of the 2019 semi-final. At least then he could make the calculation a fiery, high tempo start would ensure his side would feed off the energy of the crowd for the full 90 minutes.

Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield on May 07, 2019 in Liverpool, England - Getty Images Europe /Clive Brunskill 
Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield on May 07, 2019 in Liverpool, England - Getty Images Europe /Clive Brunskill

Now, rather than building up the The Kop’s influence to inject belief, Klopp has no choice but to temporarily rail against everything he believes in and remind the world that footballers, not supporters, win matches.

That’s quite a dilemma since it is the antithesis to Liverpool and Klopp’s romantic ideals. This season has confirmed what was long established that the Merseyside club would not be what it is – and certainly would not have revived as it has under Klopp - without the tangible contribution of both.

Rose-tinted nostalgia has occasionally reduced legendary goal scorers and tacticians to a supporting role when reviewing Liverpool’s extended list of acclaimed European endeavours.

Revisit the evenings against Saint Etienne in 1977, Chelsea in 2005 and Barcelona in 2019, and one would imagine Bob Paisley, Benitez and Klopp needed to only scribble eleven names, send them out with a few encouraging words, and the crowd did the rest.

Liverpool's Champions League comebacks
Liverpool's Champions League comebacks

But compelling examples of the ‘Power of Anfield’ are too numerous to ignore, with Klopp proving as adept as any predecessor at using historical precedent and harnessing emotion to his team’s advantage.

Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona became the greatest of all the high class sides to anxiously fail to settle for the first 25 minutes in the claustrophobic environment, feeling penned in by the close proximity of fans as Liverpool’s high pressing, attacking game. By the time Barca adjusted they had already conceded and felt destiny swinging irreversibly in the home side’s favour.

Dealing with that possibility has become part of every European opponent’s pre-match strategy. While Madrid’s press chose to mock the idea of a stadium being worth a couple of assists twelve years ago, other visiting coaches and players have similarly tried to downplay Anfield's impact. Far more have claimed they would revel in the noise and many have, not least Real on their last Anfield visit when they were easy winners against Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool in 2014.

But on the occasions when players and supporters were in unison, even relatively substandard or injury-hit Liverpool teams have found a way to progress – as the superior Juventus and Chelsea sides of 2005 can testify.

Rival fans, naturally, argue the crowd’s impact is overhyped, ignoring how some of the most persuasive testimony has come from esteemed guests.

“It is the hardest place in Europe,” Arsène Wenger said of Anfield in 2019.

“It’s the only place now you can take a corner and shake hands with supporters. You can say, ‘Hello, my brother, how are you?’ and continue to play football. That’s a real football stadium, you know. Today we build sophisticated stadiums, but that is a stadium with soul, with pressure really on the opponent. The atmosphere is special there.”

Not without fans, it isn’t.

If Liverpool are to map out a route to overcome Real Madrid, their 12th man will have to be their inspirational manager.