Liverpool’s Premier League triumph is a story of transition, renewal and quiet hope
FIVE years ago, when the world was experiencing the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Liverpool won their 19th top-flight football championship trophy – but it could not celebrate the achievement in front of their supporters.
On Sunday (Apr 27), the Reds lifted the trophy for a record-equalling 20th time after demolishing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield. This time, they could party long into the night and the feeling was just as magical for this writer, who’s been avid supporter for decades. It’s almost as if an old dream has come full circle.
I celebrated together with my 88-year-old father and my children – three proud generations of Liverpool supporters bound by love, resilience and belief. Moments like these are rare and precious.
Yet, beneath the celebration lies a much deeper story – one of transition, renewal and quiet hope.
The season began last August with plenty of uncertainty. Liverpool’s long-serving Jurgen Klopp had departed in the summer after nine successful seasons in charge, and many fans feared Liverpool would stumble without their beloved German manager.
Klopp embodied the club’s spirit at its brightest in recent years. During the few brief occasions when I met him, he was always full of positive energy. To me, he was more than just a manager.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Throughout this season, just as I’ve done for years, I gathered with close friends and my children to watch the matches together. Whether it was at a coffeeshop, in someone’s living room, or at the majestic Anfield stadium itself, we celebrated every goal and victory.
One night, after a particularly hard-earned win, we asked ourselves: What was the secret behind this season’s unexpected success?
Klopp’s replacement in the dugout, the Dutchman Arne Slot, offers a fascinating leadership lesson.
He inherited a strong, battle-ready squad. Instead of making sweeping changes like most leaders do once they come into power, he carefully built on what Klopp had so carefully left behind.
Slot’s style of high-energy and possession-driven football fits Liverpool’s players well, and is suited to the heavy demands of the English Premier League.
Crucially, he earned their trust quickly with some impressive wins in the first few weeks of the season. Luck played a crucial role in those early fixtures as Liverpool faced some seemingly easier opponents, but those wins helped to build momentum and confidence – not just for the players, but for Slot himself.
Slot’s approach was a humble reminder that true leaders honour the past while shaping the future. True change is not destruction, but careful evolution.
With Slot already exceeding expectations by delivering the Premier League trophy in his maiden season at the club, he is already busy planning for the next challenge, specifically how best to renew his squad.
Veterans like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have renewed their contracts, and their commitment to carry on is a huge boost. But the need for renewal remains. Fresh blood must be injected into the team too – and that is the difficult task ahead.
Slot must decide and figure out how to lead change at Liverpool, without losing any of the club’s identity.
This lesson holds true beyond football. In any organisation, sustaining success means balancing continuity with renewal. One must be able to introduce change without tearing down what already works, and build new pillars while keeping the old foundations strong.
Liverpool’s ethos – loyalty, patience and family spirit – must guide this next chapter too.
The easy route is to go for quick fixes. But the Liverpool way has always demanded trust, resilience and time.
For those of us who lived through the barren years (the club went 30 years without a league title until 2020), the taste of success this season is extremely sweet. It also affirms something deeper – the fact that loyalty and perseverance matter.
As I stood with my father and children, proudly singing the club’s anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, I realised that it is not for the trophies alone that we celebrate. It is the journey – across seasons, and across generations.
The writer admits that while he is a terrible footballer, he uses the sport to teach his children the values of resilience, loyalty and to never give up
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
