Jürgen Klopp was installed as Liverpool’s manager back in October 2015, and now – having been in the post for more than eight years – no other current Premier League manager has been in charge of their club for longer. There is no doubt the German former Borussia Dortmund boss has brought success to the club and he’s guided the Reds to just about every trophy that’s available to win, including the Premier League title, the Champions League and even the FIFA Club World Cup. Despite the silverware, however, there are beginning to be some murmurs among Liverpool fans that (whisper it…) maybe it’s time for Klopp to move on.
In this article, we’ll take a look at Klopp’s successes at Liverpool and we’ll assess the stats to find out whether the Reds have dropped off in recent times, or whether they are as strong as ever under his guidance, or even getting better. Let’s start with a look at the stats from each of his seasons in charge.
Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool Stats
| Season | League Games | Points | Points per Game | Goals Scored | League Finish | Cup Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16* | 38 | 60 | 1.58 | 63 | 8th | Europa League runners-up, League Cup runners-up |
| 2016/17 | 38 | 76 | 2.00 | 78 | 4th | League Cup semi-final |
| 2017/18 | 38 | 75 | 1.97 | 84 | 4th | Champions League runners-up |
| 2018/19 | 38 | 97 | 2.55 | 89 | 2nd | Champions League winners |
| 2019/20 | 38 | 99 | 2.61 | 85 | 1st | UEFA Super Cup winners, FIFA Club World Cup winners |
| 2020/21 | 38 | 69 | 1.82 | 68 | 3rd | |
| 2021/22 | 38 | 92 | 2.42 | 94 | 2nd | FA Cup winners, League Cup winners, Champions League runners-up |
| 2022/23 | 38 | 67 | 1.76 | 75 | 5th | Community Shield winners |
| 2023/24** | 12 | 27 | 2.25 | 27 | 3rd | TBC |
*Klopp joined in October 2015; **Position after 12 Premier League matches
As you can see from the stats, there is no obvious drop-off in form based on the league figures. If anything, it appears Liverpool under Klopp often follow up a fine season (for instance in terms of the number of points earned) with a relatively poor campaign.
Based on the seven full seasons for which Klopp has been the Liverpool manager, the average number of Premier League points earned each season has been 82.14. The side fell below this total in 2016/17 (his first full season in charge), 2020/21 and 2022/23, but gained more points than that in the other four seasons he’s been at the helm.
Liverpool’s Premier League Points Per Game – 2015/16 to 2023/24 
*Klopp joined in October 2015; **Position after 12 Premier League matches
As you can see from the average number of Premier League points per game, under Klopp, Liverpool are making (modest) positive progress. The 2020/21 and 2022/23 seasons scuppered what had been rather more dramatic progress on that front, but – based on the first 12 games of the 2023/24 season, things are starting to look up again.
Liverpool’s Premier League Goals Per Game – 2015/16 to 2023/24
*Klopp joined in October 2015; **Position after 12 Premier League matches
Once again you can see the trend line is positive with 2020/21 and 2022/23 once again proving to have a negative drag on proceedings. So, what was the problem with last season for Liverpool and has Klopp managed to turn things around this term?
What Went Wrong for Liverpool in 2022/23?
Although the 2020/21 season wasn’t great for Liverpool, they at least finished in the top three (and secured a Champions League spot). In 2022/23, however, the Reds only managed a fifth-place finish, the first time Klopp’s side had finished outside of the top four while the German had been in charge for a full campaign. The side had finished 2nd, 1st, 3rd and 2nd in the preceding four seasons so something wasn’t right last term.
Some have suggested that the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid at the end of the 2022 season was such a bitter pill to swallow that it had lingering effects. But top-flight professional players are generally able to overcome such disappointments without too much fuss the following season and we feel it was more to do with an ageing midfield that contained players who were unable to mix it with some of the more dynamic outfits in the Premier League. More specifically, the players that were in the centre of the park were not as able to beat the press of opposition teams as they once were.
That coupled with lots of injuries, especially to midfielders, during the 2022/23 campaign, meant that the Reds were unable to build up the kind of momentum that saw them take the league title in 2019/20 and gain 90+ points in that season, 2018/19 and 2021/22 (compared to just 67 in 2022/23).
Klopp had long identified the need to refresh the midfield and the departure of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, along with cash from the board, allowed him to do just that. Klopp brought in power and dynamism in the form of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, who have rejuvenated things in midfield and given the side a solid basis from which to launch attacks.
Mohamed Salah has also started to find some excellent form again and has scored 10 goals in his first 12 Premier League games of the 2023/24 season (second only to the goal machine that is Erling Haaland who has 13 to date). If Salah is able to keep up that rate of scoring for the remainder of the campaign, there is every chance Liverpool will not only finish in the top four but challenge for the title too.
Talk of Klopp’s Demise Premature
Based on the overall positive trends in the points per game and goals per game stats, and the fact that Klopp has addressed the problems in the Liverpool midfield, we think that the German boss has scope to bring more trophies to Anfield. Whether that includes another Premier League title or indeed the Champions League remains to be seen, but the early signs in the 2023/24 season are positive for Liverpool and their exceptional manager.