John Gibbons: Jurgen Klopp’s news is what Liverpool needed after the election result

Well this was very much the news the city of Liverpool needed.

After a night where we left feeling lonely in the country we live in, Jurgen Klopp has given us a big bear hug and told us everything will be okay. The rest of the North might be desperate to Get Brexit Done. But, our German is staying until at least 2014 and we are delighted.

It is a timely reminder of how positive things are for at least some of The Reds at the moment.

If he sees out this contract, and his intention certainly seems to do so, then it will mean almost nine years at Liverpool, easily the longest he has done at any club.

Happy Friday, Reds! 🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/7qUWOsszb6

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 13, 2019

There were concerns, in fact I wrote about them on here, that Jurgen might feel that the end of his previous contract might be time to leave. That seven years in the mad intensity that is being Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool might be quite enough and it would be nice to do something else.

Maybe even a break from football. Instead, he’s signed up for more.

That he has done so suggests he sees a European Cup win in Madrid as the start, rather than the end of the journey. In contrast to the manager who he beat in that game, who has already lost his job as the Champions League Final proved to be as good as it got for that team and that project, Liverpool have proven already this season that they have a thirst for trophies that is far from quenched.

They are top of the league by a mile, through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, and next week have the chance to become World Champions.

It is notable that his whole backroom team have signed long term deals too, in fact, his two most trusted lieutenants, Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders, were announced at the same time.

Everyone seems to work so well together at the moment, from the coaching to the recruitment.

One feeds into the other too. Liverpool’s style is so well defined that the players who can match up to it, and those who don’t meet the standard, are clear.

There is no better example of that than this week when the Liverpool players came off the pitch in Salzburg and they all told the management team that they had to sign Takumi Minamino. Jurgen Klopp just laughed.

The deal was done already. But he would have been pleased that everyone, from manager to players, were on the same wavelength.

When signing the new deal Klopp talked about this and more.

Of how well he works with the owners, the chairman, all the staff at Melwood, even those who don’t work directly in football. Of improvements that are being made of the pitch, from the stadium development to the new training facility in Kirkby. The individual development of the players and the collective development of the team.

But crucially he talked about how so many of the tough moments had led to where we are now, and it was time now to benefit from the battles won and really make history as a team.

Probably my favourite quote of all from the press conference today was “Let’s try to make the best time of our lives and enjoy the ride.” I’ll drink to that, Jurgen. Merry Christmas.