'Just finished, done' - Jurgen Klopp opens up on 'difficult' Liverpool moment and explains overlooked problem

When Liverpool step out at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, they will be greeted by a cacophony of noise and colour from 33,000 Reds fans having made the trek to London.

It couldn’t be any further removed from events Jurgen Klopp and his players were experiencing 12 months previous.

Back then, with the globe gripped by the coronavirus pandemic and fans restricted to watching from the safety of their own homes, Liverpool were confronted by the cold chill of empty stadiums and eerie silence from the barren stands.

Grappling with a debilitating injury crisis and a growing lack of confidence borne from increasingly poor results, the reigning Premier League champions became stuck in a rut without the fervent backing of their supporters, the value of whom has been reinforced by their impact since being allowed back inside en masse this season.

For Klopp, a manager who since arriving at Anfield back in October 2015 has recognised the importance of harnessing the power of Liverpool’s fanbase, it was particularly difficult, James Milner admitting earlier this month he’d noticed the Reds boss being “ground down” by such a testing time.

Now, with his team aiming to complete the first stage of a still possible quadruple by beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, Klopp has spoken candidly on how the previous campaign affected him.

“I never thought more about football, and I think a lot about football, than in this period,” he says. “How can we make it work? How can we make it so we just have a chance?

“That was really tough, while everyone was talking about the former champion and now the worst-ever defending champion. Thank you very much, that was really nice.

“Yes, it was an incredibly intense season and, yes, I was more than happy