Every rise has a fall, every great story has an ending, and every success is closely followed by failure. Every great era has an end. Is this the end of this great Liverpool team, led by the charismatic Jürgen Klopp? 

Last season, Liverpool was on the hunt for a quadruple. They gave everything but fell short in the end. Was the Champions League final the last big final for this great Liverpool team?

Liverpool FC has had a fantastic run that has seen them win their first Premier League trophy, win the Champions League, and challenge for every possible trophy up for grabs. But this season has been nothing short of a disaster. Liverpool FC is currently languishing in the middle of the Premier League table. An FA Cup triumph was Liverpool’s best chance of winning some silverware this season and bringing back the feel-good factor at Anfield, but having been knocked out of the FA Cup by a last-minute winner scored by Mimota when they faced Brighton in the FA Cup, that chance was squandered. That could prove to be the last nail in the coffin of this great Liverpool side. 

So is this the end for this Liverpool side? Or is this just a bad season, and their key players are out of form? And they can turn things around and be back to their usual selves the next season. 

Is Liverpool missing Sadio Mane?

Liverpool is having a bad season and is stuck in a rut they created, but the source of their problems is being debated within the club.

Wolves smashed Liverpool 3-0, encapsulating the magnitude of their issues. Joel Matip and Joe Gomez’s sloppy defense harmed their case, while Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo’s blunt attack made it three league games without a goal.

Seven first-team players are out for Liverpool because of injuries, but fitness problems are not to blame for the club’s long-term problems. On the weekend, a Merseyside derby against Everton awaits, with the Toffees bolstered by the appointment of Sean Dyche as manager and a 1-0 win over league leaders Arsenal.

Poor form has been a concern all season, though it has been worse since the World Cup. Earlier in the season, many commentators and fans blamed most of it on Sadio Mane’s summer transfer to Bayern Munich.

Mane scored 120 goals in 269 appearances for Liverpool, winning six major titles during his time there. In June, he joined Bayern Munich for £35.1 million, breaking up the much-vaunted front line alongside Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Liverpool did not want to trade Mane at first, but they struck a deal with Bayern when the 30-year-old stated he wanted to depart after six years with the club. Throughout the time, Klopp stated that he was satisfied with the business. He said that Liverpool accepted Mane’s desire and that the two split on good terms.

Liverpool used to be known for its fast and varied offense, but in their last eight games in all competitions, they have only scored seven goals. Faes scored two of those goals in a lucky win over Leicester. These stats and Liverpool’s recent performances indicate that Klopp’s side is missing their former forward, Sadio Mane.

Aging, declining, and injury-prone midfield. 

Jurgen Klopp’s winning team liked to play with Henderson, Fabinho, and Tiago in the middle of the field. The midfield trio controlled most of the game and helped the manager win many matches and secure trophies along the way. 

Thiago is injury-prone, Fabinho is on the decline, and Henderson is reaching 32 years of age this season. Major problems for Liverpool this season stem from the lack of control in the middle of the park. Liverpool’s incredible midfield trio has struggled this season. And they are unable to produce the results and performances to which the fans at Anfield have become accustomed.

Younger players like Fabio Carvalho, Bajcetic, and Harvey Elliott are starting to show up in the midfield. This means that Jürgen Klopp might have to move on from the three midfield mainstays next season and look for answers elsewhere. 

The reinforcements have not helped

Liverpool FC spent a huge chunk of their summer transfer budget on Darwin Nunez, but he has been nothing short of a disappointment this season. 

He has missed clear-cut chances and open goals. His positioning and link-up play have been found wanting. And when compared to Haaland at Manchester City, Nunez seems miles behind. 

Due to a lack of goals from the forward line, Liverpool looked for a solution in the January transfer window, and they brought long-term Manchester United target Cody Gakpo to the Anfield Stadium end. But unfortunately, this move too has not worked yet. Although these are early days for Gakpo, his performance levels are in no way near what he has shown for PSV and the Dutch national team. He looks uncomfortable as a number nine and a bit unsure in front of the goal. 

Free-flowing, high-scoring football style for which Jürgen Klopp’s teams are famous is not being replicated by the Liverpool side this season. And the players he brought in, as reinforcement have been a bit of a disappointment. 

Goodbye, Mo Salah! Egyptian king on the move?

The famous front three of the successful Liverpool side—Mane, Firmino, and Salah—were broken when Liverpool sold Sadio Mane to Bayern in the summer transfer window. Firmino has been hurt this season and hasn’t been able to play. Mo Salah hasn’t been able to play up to his usual high standards without his trusted teammates in attack. 

With Liverpool short on cash and Salah unable to hit his usual heights, many are suggesting that this could be the end for him at Liverpool. A move to PSG is being touted for a fee of around 70 million pounds. Liverpool tickets are in high demand because this may be the last season in which the Anfield faithful will be able to see the Egyptian king perform every week. 

Will the Reds find new owners before the summer window closes? 

Twelve years after purchasing the team for almost £300 million, the American owners listed the Reds on the market in November for £2.7 billion. Investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have been hired by FSG to assist in identifying a potential buyer or investor for Liverpool. The current owners of Liverpool are looking to sell the club and cash in because they lack funds and are unable to meet the budget required to buy new players that Liverpool might need to challenge for the league next season. 

This could spell the end of an era at Liverpool Football Club. If this is the end of the Liverpool team, what a successful era it has been!

Fans saw their team’s metamorphosis from a mid-table team to a top European powerhouse. They reached multiple European finals, won the European Champions League, and most importantly, they ended Liverpool’s English Championship drought. 

Conclusion

Next season, Jürgen Klopp has to build a new team with a new core and find new lynchpins, both in attack and midfield. Liverpool could have a whole new team next season, with new stars anchoring the midfield and new forwards doing their thing in front of the Kop. This could happen, especially if the team is owned by a new group before the summer transfer window.