Winning late-game football is not a matter of design, but when it becomes a habit, as seems to be happening at Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, it is certainly no fluke or stroke of luck.
Darwin Núñez’s 99th-minute header at Nottingham Forest sparked a firestorm of controversy at the City Ground on Saturday and, while the home team had a right to be frustrated by their fall, it was just another example of Liverpool fighting until the end. last second to win.
It was the 18th example of the Jurgen Klopp era in which the Reds won a game in second-half injury time, more than any other team since their arrival on these shores. If one theme could sum up this title above all else, it would be hunger, faith, and the fighting spirit to never give up.
After a victory in the leafy Austrian city of Linz, on the banks of the Danube, in September, Klopp was asked if the ‘mentality monsters’ had returned. That’s the phrase he once used to describe a previous iteration of his team. He laughed and refused.
Sorry Jurgen, you were wrong. This team are Mentality Monsters. Whether it’s that nickname or the ‘Liverpool 2.0’ that many use, the Merseyside club has shown that psychology is a central aspect that underpins the fight for four trophies.
Darwin Núñez snatched victory for Liverpool late against Nottingham Forest on Saturday
The striker put Liverpool ahead in the ninth minute of added time at the City Ground
Jan Frodeno is one of the people Liverpool brought in to talk to the players.
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The trip to Forest was far from his best and won’t top any season performance list but, in terms of the context of the win, with an injury crisis and the timing of the goal, it was the biggest win of the campaign.
“The situation of our staff is very difficult,” he stated. ‘Four games in 11 games. The way the boys have overcome this is really special. We knew we wouldn’t come here and play them in the stadium. We knew we had to fight this and the boys did.
‘If you had asked me 12 days ago if we could win all four, I would have said: “No.” But my boys made it happen. “It’s up there with everyone else (for biggest win of the season), but today was like Aston Villa.”
That refers to a famous victory en route to Liverpool’s first Premier League title in 2019-20, when the Reds trailed 1-0 at Villa Park until two late goals, in the 87th and 94th minutes, gave the back to the game. . ‘Rescue mission’, said the Mail Sport headline.
In terms of big wins this season, only a 2-1 win at Newcastle in August comes close to drama, when 10-man Liverpool were inspired by super substitute Darwin Nunez with two late goals. Sounds familiar? It seemed more a case of Newcastle falling apart, Forest was down to Liverpool’s class.
After a forgettable season last year that saw the Reds finish fifth (even that was boosted by an 11-match unbeaten run to end the campaign), Klopp and his staff put an emphasis on psychology and once again fostering a winning mentality.
That team, which dropped points in 19 of 38 games, was not much different from the team that earned 92 points the previous season. Klopp would have admitted that, above all, they were probably exhausted and mentally bruised from fighting (and often losing) against Manchester City.
And to help stop another Blue Moon rising over Manchester, the Liverpool manager enlisted the help of several blue sky thinkers. One of the guests was Jan Frodeno, the German triathlete who won an Olympic gold medal and three Ironman world championships.
Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, on creating a winning culture
Liverpool’s latest victory at the City Ground could be one of the most important of their season
Frodeno, a friend of Klopp, went to a pre-season camp in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany to give a talk on psychological resilience, how to fight mental barriers when there is fatigue, as well as the hunger to remain at the elite level of football. sport for several years.
Liverpool also invited businessman Kevin Roberts, former chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi, to speak to coaches about fostering a winning culture at the training base. Roberts, through his consulting arm Red Rose, has also lectured to the England cricket and rugby teams.
Surfing champion Sebastian Steudtner has previously given lectures on how to deal with stress in uncomfortable situations, like being 1-0 down… or riding an 85-foot wave? Last month, Klopp also gave a group of neuroscientists, Neuro11, sessions on how to stay calm during games.
The outsourced motivational speakers have certainly been important, but they take nothing away from Klopp and his closest allies, such as Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, who spoke of this season as ‘The Last Dance’ before their exits, one they would give its all for glory.
The unplanned departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho caused some panic in the transfer department, in addition to the departures of much-loved figures such as Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but gave the team a fresher and younger look than I needed so much.
Virgil van Dijk has taken a step forward to become Liverpool’s definitive captain this season
Van Dijk has become the ultimate captain, while vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a key role model for the younger stars. Five Liverpool players are captains of their national team, including Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai.
A grueling pre-season included three sessions a day, a program led by fitness guru Andreas Kornmayer to ensure optimal conditioning, but downtime was also built into the schedule, with players encouraged to relax together.
That gave time for people like Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, described as a “class clown that everyone loves”, to create a series of summer games during their free time. Many tasks included trivial things like ‘take a selfie with Mo (Salah)’, but they helped foster a friendly and relaxed culture.
Whether it was the multitude of psychology-led sessions, Klopp’s motivational team talks or simply an innate winning DNA, Liverpool certainly found an extra gear somewhere in the 99th minute at Forest. Núñez’s goal may not be his best, but it could be his biggest of the season.