Liverpool's future remains bright under Jurgen Klopp

The headlines will read that Liverpool collapsed to lose the Europa League final, but there can be no denying the future is still bright at Anfield.

Since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival the team has improved immensely from the side that was ridiculed in the final days of Brendan Rodgers’ reign.

They ultimately ended up coming up short against Sevilla, but you get the sense that Liverpool can regain their status as one of Europe’s greats with Klopp’s guidance. Champions League football next season would have helped that, however the foundations that have been laid during Klopp’s seven months in charge point towards a future that looks bright — even after this disappointing defeat in Basel.

In reality, Liverpool’s loss in Switzerland should not detract from what we have learned this season: Klopp is the man to lead this club forward. When he arrived at Anfield in October of last year the German may have tried to kid the world’s media by declaring that he was “the Normal One” — but make no mistake, there has been nothing normal about Klopp’s work at Liverpool so far.

Just look at the development of the squad during his seven months in charge. Before his arrival many of the Liverpool players had been written off. Under Rodgers they had been labelled average and not cut out for the top level. Under Klopp they have reached the final of two cup competitions.

The final jump to becoming champions will no doubt come with time, especially if players continue their level of development under Klopp so far.

Emre Can has been converted from a disappointing defender to a marauding midfielder and Liverpool’s Young Player of the Season, while Roberto Firmino has been granted the freedom to showcase just why the club splashed £29m to sign him last summer.

Daniel Sturridge is another who has thrived under Klopp. Originally many feared the Liverpool manager had mismanaged the striker when he told him he must learn to play through the pain barrier, but his goal last night proved that those words were in fact just what he needed to hear.

It is not only the players that have developed under Klopp, tactically Liverpool have grown too. They may have been caught cold in the second half last night but they are creating an identity to the extent that after minutes of watching them play you instantly know who it is by their style of football. Pep Guardiola has done it wherever he has gone and now Klopp is doing the same with Liverpool.

The German has often described his football as heavy metal — the opposite of the sweet orchestral music played by the likes of Arsene Wenger — and he would be right to do so. This Europa League campaign has given countless examples of how that is the case and what we can expect to see down the line.

Take the second leg of the quarter-final match with Borussia Dortmund. Just like a rock concert, it was full-throttle from minute one and by the time the final whistle went fans were calling for an encore. That is how a Jurgen Klopp team leaves you — breathless and begging for more. Just ask any Liverpool fan.

And therein lies another area that points to a bright future under Klopp. The German’s bond with the fans is remarkable for a man who has been in charge for just seven months. Perhaps we should have seen it coming? A quick glance at his time at Borussia Dortmund and you can see how adored Klopp was by the fans there.

Indeed, to this day he is still close to their hearts.

And even after this defeat Klopp remains the apple of Liverpool’s eye, adored by a city who have been lured in by the German’s unquestionable charm and charisma.

Simple gestures such as wearing a Beatles shirt to a press conference have only added to the burgeoning romance.

Of course like any relationship you would expect there to be bumps in the road, just like the one last night, but with Klopp at the helm Liverpool should stay on the right path.

The fact he guided them through such a difficult run of games to cusp of the Europa League glory demonstrates his undeniable managerial prowess. Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal were seen off before they ultimately fell at the final hurdle.

And this is where the excitement of what is to come will grow with Liverpool fans. This season under Klopp was viewed as a bonus, a chance for the German to get his feet under the table before the real work began in the summer.

But instead he has worked well with a squad of players he had no say in signing, coaching them into individuals who were just 45 minutes away from a major European title.

If supporters of other Premier League clubs aren’t wary of what Klopp can achieve next season, then they should be. By then the German will have had a full pre-season and transfer window to fully integrate his plans for the future.

The pain from the defeat in Basel will no doubt last for a while, but Liverpool and Klopp will learn from the suffering in Switzerland. The German will make sure of that.

And indeed, just as Klopp wrote in his first ever programme notes: “Together we can achieve great things.”