5 Key Remaining Fixtures in Liverpool's Season
Despite the 2015/16 campaign being five months old and Liverpool suffering fluctuating form so far, Jurgen Klopp finds his side in the unlikely situation of still harbouring realistic ambitions of success in four competitions, with the Premier League's top four and triumphs in the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup all within reach.
On his arrival, replacing Brendan Rodgers at the beginning of October, Klopp sought to temper supporters' expectations, with Anfield relishing the influence of a manager with two Bundesliga titles to his name.
"Liverpool fans have been waiting for so many years that I can understand they are losing patience, but it doesn’t work like that," he told the Independent's Tim Rich. "Some things will change, because I am different to other managers, but we cannot change the whole world in one day."
Klopp will have likely seen the remainder of the 2015/16 season as a transitional period, allowing him to impose his footballing ideals and gain a better insight into the players at his disposal, but with four months left before the close of play, the German has a number of key fixtures to look toward in search of progress.
Here are five key fixtures for Liverpool for the rest of the season, with varying implications for Klopp's fledgling outfit, kicking off with the Reds' first glimpse of cup glory under their new manager.
Stoke City, League Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg, 26 January
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The buildup to Sunday's top-four clash with north-west rivals Manchester United was billed by many as one of the biggest games of the season, but as former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher argued in his column for the Daily Mail on Friday, the Reds' League Cup semi-final second leg at home to Stoke City is more decisive:
"It is 100 days since Klopp was appointed and before he reaches 150, there is an outstanding chance he could become just their second manager in the last nine years to win a piece of silverware and that would be huge; two of the last three appointments, remember, left without achieving that.
This a chance to get a monkey off his back.
How many times is that kind of opportunity going to come around for him?
"
With a 1-0 first-leg victory gifting Liverpool a slim margin heading into this Anfield tie, Klopp finds his side in a strong position to secure passage to his first cup final in charge on Merseyside.
Coming up against a revived Potters side featuring the likes of Bojan Krkic, Marko Arnautovic and Ibrahim Afellay, the Reds will have their work cut out for them, but as Carragher attests, success in the League Cup would "restore the winning feeling" around the club.
It may not be a competition highly regarded by many of the top clubs in the Premier League, but Klopp should make success in the League Cup a priority in his first season at Liverpool.
FC Augsburg, Europa League Round of 32, 18 and 25 February
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Just as the League Cup offers Klopp his best chance of cup success this season, the Europa League is arguably the most likely route to Champions League qualification for the 2016/17 campaign.
Having inspired his side's progress as leaders of Group B in Europe's second-tier competition, overseeing two wins and two draws, Klopp now must prepare his side to take on a familiar outfit from his previous battleground, the Bundesliga.
FC Augsburg, led by 41-year-old former Bayern Munich II defender Markus Weinzierl, advanced to the Europa League's round of 32 courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Serbian side Partizan Belgrade and will be hoping to take advantage of their underdog status and overcome Liverpool over two legs.
Scheduled in the middle of a congested period that sees Liverpool play six games in 21 days, these European clashes represent another test of Klopp's squad management.
Klopp suffered just one loss to Augsburg in his eight Bundesliga encounters with the Bavarian side and will be hoping his experience will give Liverpool the edge, securing progress to the round of 16.
Everton, Premier League, 28 February
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Just three days after their second-leg tie against Augsburg, Liverpool welcome Merseyside rivals Everton to Anfield, with league ambitions adding to the intensity of the fixture.
A 1-1 draw away to the Toffees at the beginning of October signalled the end of Rodgers' reign in charge of the Reds, with owners John W. Henry and Tom Werner delivering swift justice by sanctioning the Ulsterman's departure hours after the final whistle.
"Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch," Werner told the club's official website on the night of Rodgers' sacking, and with Klopp making slow but steady progress in his first months as Liverpool manager, the reverse fixture gives the 48-year-old an opportunity to continue this.
Everton have shown strong form in patches throughout 2015/16 so far, with the attacking trident of Ross Barkley, Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku contributing to a number of memorable victories, but a seemingly fragile mentality has stymied their quest for a top-four finish.
Liverpool and Everton are now direct rivals for European qualification, and victory for either side in this fixture could provide a welcome lift for the final three months of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, 2 April
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In an afternoon overwhelmed with fanfare and expectation, Klopp's first outing as Liverpool manager was a visit to White Hart Lane to take on an impressive Tottenham Hotspur—a clash which resulted in a hard-fought 0-0 draw, with the German's new charges performing with a welcome intensity and rigour.
Since that stalemate, Spurs have continued their rise through the Premier League ranks and currently stand as favourites to secure a top-four finish, alongside Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City.
Meeting Mauricio Pochettino in north London nine days after his appointment as Liverpool manager, Klopp found a contemporary—a young, forward-thinking manager committed to imposing ethics of hard work and youth development at a storied club.
Pochettino's success at Spurs provides Klopp with something of a blueprint for his time on Merseyside, but the Reds manager will be hoping to go one better by surpassing the Argentine this season.
While the Europa League is perhaps Liverpool's most likely route to Champions League qualification, if Klopp is to secure top-tier European football for 2016/17 through the league, victory over Spurs at the beginning of April will be paramount.
Stoke City, Premier League, 9 April
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Victory over Spurs would be an important step toward progress in the Premier League for Klopp's Liverpool, but with another clash with Stoke scheduled for the following week in April, the German will require a steady stream of form to achieve tangible success.
This being the fourth fixture between the two sides this season, Liverpool will be well versed with the strengths and weaknesses of Hughes' side as 2015/16 comes to a close—though, by the same token, so will Stoke with regard to Liverpool's qualities.
In terms of the league, Stoke join Spurs, Everton, United, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Everton and Watford in vying with Liverpool for the fourth and fifth spots at the end of the season.
With two wins over the Potters at this stage, and a possible third in the League Cup semi-final second leg, Liverpool must be sure to add to this record with another victory in April.
Doing so could reinforce their credentials as Klopp's side push for European qualification.
