Liverpool civil war breaks out during month from hell

It was a month that started with a straightforward enough assignment for a Liverpool team whose ambitions of a treble still burned brightly.

But April is also the damaging period that ends with the sight of Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah at loggerheads on the sidelines of West Ham's London Stadium while the hosts celebrated the equaliser as its most prevailing image. If a week is a long time in politics, try four of them at Liverpool FC.

After seeing off Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of March, April began with a visit from relegation-threatened Sheffield United, a team who pitched up at Anfield having conceded 77 times and were in possession of a minus-50 goal difference at the time.

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The 90 minutes that followed, however, would prove instructive for what would follow across a wretched few weeks that have left the final three games of the campaign meaning little beyond providing Jurgen Klopp with a fitting send-off from an adoring fanbase.

Liverpool's 3-1 win over Chris Wilder's Blades was not one of the 16 times they have conceded the opening goal this term but the nature of Darwin Nunez's bizarre effort at Anfield was in-keeping for a Reds side whose dreams of Premier League glory have been undercut by a misfiring team.

Having taken the lead after Nunez had charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Ivo Grbic the Reds were pegged back by a Conor Bradley own goal and were made to score one of the goals of the campaign, from Alexis Mac Allister, to regain the advantage.

For a game that demanded control, Liverpool's lack of it was alarming as they heaved themselves forward in numbers against a side who were - and have remained - rock bottom of the table. Cody Gakpo's header restored a measure of respectability in the closing stages but it was concerning how much energy and emotion was needed to sneak past the worst team in the league.

"I hope you win it and I mean that," Chris Wilder told a Liverpool employee as he shuffled out of Anfield later that night. The days that followed would do a lot to deflate those title hopes.

The 2-2 draw with Manchester United later that week was viewed as an even more incredulous result than the 4-3 extra-time defeat at Old Trafford in the FA Cup on St Patrick's Day as once more Klopp's team were undone by poor finishing and the absence of a killer instinct.

Having taken a deserved lead through Luis Diaz's effort, a mistake from Jarell Quansah handed Bruno Fernandes the chance to lob stranded goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher with a first-time finish from inside the centre circle. For those of a neutral persuasion, it was a comically calamitous way to concede having dominated so much at the home of their fierce rivals.

Another superb goal, this time from Kobbie Mainoo, gave United a lead their efforts hadn't deserved before a Mohamed Salah penalty at least rescued a point. At full time, the statistics had shown 28 shots for the visitors that were largely characterised by rushed, panicked finishing and bad decisions when it really mattered.

Klopp has since spoken repeatedly about his team "being in a rush" when given opportunities in front of goal but it is an issue that has continued to blight them in the weeks since.

Liverpool went level on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal with the point at Old Trafford but while the likes of Jamie Carragher argued that a draw away at United can never be considered a poor result, there were reasons beyond the optics for why the frustration lingered.

United were there for the taking, but still survived with a draw and the chance for a booming statement passed by.

Off the pitch, plans to increase ticket prices by 2% caused a stir among the match-going portion of the club's fanbase with the decision viewed dimly by those who felt the additional revenue it would drive for the club would be negligible at a time when many are caught up in a cost-of-living crisis across the UK.

Liverpool said the operating costs at Anfield had increased by nearly 40% and the increase was one of the lowest across the Premier League. Those points, though, cut little ice with supporters and a blackout of sorts was arranged on the Kop for the following home game, against Atalanta in the Europa League, with Spion Kop - the group who organise the arrangements on the stand on match-days - revealing their opposition to the plans.

"We are disappointed in the Football Club’s decision towards ticket prices for 24/25," they tweeted. "In response, there will be no flags on The Kop for Thursday night’s game. Unlike the club’s own approach, this has been agreed in consultation with other fan groups."

The subsequent 3-0 defeat, in a game where Klopp made six changes, left the fanbase in something of a civil war for the following days, with many blaming the lack of colour and atmosphere for the result, while the alternative viewpoint was unrepentant against a club whose ticket rises were seen as a slap in the face to its core followers.

A meeting was hurriedly arranged by the club, its supporters board and influential fan groups. Better and more clear consultation was demanded going forward and a higher level of fan engagement was to be requested alongside issues like ticketing strategy. A U-turn on the ticket increase, however, according to those at the meeting, was never on the agenda.

Spirit of Shankly released a tweet outlining their opposition to Liverpool's plans before a stronger statement was delivered later in the month, describing the increase as "nothing more than greed" in a powerful address on their website.

SOS said: "We have heard criticism of our resistance to the increase as 'it’s just 2%' or it is only 'about season tickets'. It is not. Season tickets and individual matchday tickets will cost more, plus we have yet to see prices for Champions League games. And the hike comes as the club is set to benefit from a completed Anfield Road stand meaning increased general admission capacity and hospitality seats.

"Matchday revenue fell due to performance last year, but commercial revenue rose by £26m and with more Champions League games to be played next season, a growth in income is already guaranteed. The club say matchday costs have grown 40%, but overall revenue has increased more than 60% in the same period.

"Ticket prices were frozen from 2016 to 2022, but coming on the back of supporters walking out in protest at proposed increases, followed by the aftermath of the pandemic, it was not an entirely benevolent act. We understand the global appeal of LFC, we recognise the high demand for tickets. But a football club is not an ordinary business – it is not, as one previous owner of LFC Tom Hicks likened it to 'Weetabix'.

"The people who live and breathe our club, who have long invested time, money and effort into supporting it cannot simply walk away, nor should they have to consider that an option. Liverpool are rich enough to thrive without further squeezing matchgoers, many of whom are already struggling. It is nothing more than greed."

The fallout from the issue spilled into the game against Crystal Palace on April 14 as Liverpool conceded the first goal for the 14th time of their Premier League campaign and lost their first home game since October 2022 to leave their ambitions of gazumping Manchester City and Arsenal all but over.

A 1-0 victory at Atalanta might have been greeted with more fanfare had it been the first leg but the meek surrendering of their European status betrayed the Reds' reputation under Klopp as the comeback kings. Salah's early penalty gave hope but once more an inability to create or take presentable chances hurt them.

A win at Fulham briefly restored some optimism but the manner of their collapse in the 244th Merseyside derby left them reeling and being made to hear the home supporters crow about how their visitors 'losing the league at Goodison Park'. It was a sharp stick to poke their rivals with but it was one that was probably inaccurate given the struggles that had preceded what was, admittedly, the worst result of the campaign.

The 2-2 draw that followed with West Ham furthered some views that this is an era that has now run its course. Salah's insistence that "there is going to be fire today if I speak" at the London Stadium only added to feeling that all is not quite right at Liverpool just now.

Klopp is into the final weeks of a decorated tenure that will go down and reflect favourably against any other. The German will depart as a living legend having guided the club to every top level trophy during his time but if there is to be any real morsels of positivity across a damaging April, it is the developments around his replacement.

The agreement with Feyenoord for manager Arne Slot was struck a little over 12 hours before the visit to West Ham to all but complete the new structure that is hoped will be the framework for further success in the coming years.

With Michael Edwards now on board as Fenway Sports Group's 'CEO of football' and Richard Hughes of Bournemouth set to arrive as the next sporting director, the imminent appointment of Slot means all is now in place to build on what Klopp and his staff have done over the past year.

And if there is to be any real memories of a chastening month of April for Liverpool, it is hoped it is for the breakthrough in their efforts to replace Klopp rather than anything else.