Doubters to Believers: Liverpool FC - Klopp's Era

Surprised to see the high ratings.

Was excited for this show, but sadly I feel it lacks depth and makes Jürgen's time at the club look like they were a midfield team when in reality what he did was exceptional.

They fail to capture the size of the club. Basically every episode focuses on poor results, which were in reality quite few for this sport. It's just adversity after adversity after adversity, sprinkled with the odd success. Even in a game they actually won (4-1) they managed to make it look like they lost or drew.

All the players the focus on/follow in their everyday life are junior players. Sprinkled with a few interviews with an ex player.

As a Liverpool fan, I was disappointed with the documentary. It focuses on his last year but neglects the story that made him so beloved by Liverpool. The disjointed storytelling glosses over key parts, adding to the frustration.

Filming started in February 2024, after his announcement, without prior coverage of rebuilding an aging team. Klopp likely felt both proud and emotionally affected by this process. However, the documentary spends too much time on Harvey Elliott and his dad, a German musician, and Jamie Carragher, offering little insight. Significant figures like his wife Ulla, ex-Liverpool players such as Henderson, and Pep, especially during their rivalry, should have been featured more to enhance his incredible story.

Exploring his early years as a footballer and his transition to a manager at Mainz was fascinating. Yet, omitting the seasons 20/21, 21/22, and 22/23 was strange, given their importance. These seasons saw Klopp's team go from winning the Premier League to narrowly missing a quadruple, highlighting the need for rebuilding into his final year, which was successfully executed.

The absence of high-profile, instrumental figures in his life and career, along with the story's structure, made for a very underwhelming and missed opportunity for a classic sports documentary.

Jurgen Klopp revitalized Liverpool with his high octane, pedal to the metal, rock and roll football. His down to earth demeanor, sideline energy and connection with the fans cemented his place as one of the greats in the clubs history.

This documentary gives us some behind the curtains perspective on the trials and tribulations Klopp and Liverpool had to overcome to climb back to the perch, even tho we got to sit on it only once during his reign. But the belief that it can be done had changed the club and build a rock solid foundation for his successor.

The somber feeling this series leaves behind is in the knowing that the era is over. And what an era it has been. The comforting part is writing this while Liverpool are sitting 13 points clear on top of the Premiere League and looking every bit the champions Klopp made us believe we can be.

Arne Slot is taking the Premiere League by storm, building upon what Klopp has left behind and is perfectly placed to warrant his own documentary series.

On a somewhat unrelated note: The only thing that frustrated me during this documentary is Harvey Elliot's father. Overbearing parents who live vicariously through their children are nothing new... it's just jarring to witness. But the amount of passive aggressive criticism this man delivers is just staggering.