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WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
Brian Reade, Daily Mirror: “This season was a relentless surge
from the off and, as it progressed, every Liverpool match report
seemed to be a catalogue of statistics outlining another new
record they were approaching.
“Klopp's side eventually became the first since Preston North
End in 1888/89 to clinch the title having topped the table since
their second game of the season. And the achievement was
made even more remarkable by the fact they took a week off in
December to go to Qatar and win the Club World Cup.”Paul Gorst, Liverpool Echo: “It may be late June, but no club
has ever won the Premier League after 31 games. Just seven
points dropped is proof of their greatness.
“Take your time to savour it. Drink it in. It could be a long time
before we witness anything as brilliant as the team Jürgen
Klopp has marshalled this season. For the first time the Premier
League's golden crown will be on display inside Anfield's bulging
trophy room.
"Come one, come all this summer. One suspects the stadium
tours will be fully booked when they are deemed safe to reopen.”Barney Ronay, The Guardian: “No asterisks. No caveats.
And let’s face it, no contest. For the last few months a theory
has been doing the rounds that the ersatz nature of the Premier
League end-game, five weeks of press-ganged summer ghost-
ball, would drain the colour from Liverpool’s first league title in 30
years. Fat chance...
“Liverpool’s success will be deeply felt at a club where, as with
every other club, football has always been a bit more than justfootball. This was annihilation. Liverpool didn’t just outrun the
rest of the field. From late summer into spring they seemed to be
operating to a different set of physical laws, marching the Premier
League around in a headlock, rustling its hair, flicking its ears.”Chris Bascombe, Daily Telegraph: “Trust was a recurring
message. Klopp proved the players had his with his deeds more
than words, insisting he saw no reason to replenish his squad
with expensive summer signings.
“If that was not enough, he found a novel way of emphasising
the importance of digging deep in tougher periods, inviting an
extreme sportsman, German surfer Sebastian Sreudtner, to give
a talk on how to deal with stress and anxiety through the use of
breathing techniques.
“Klopp told his players that while he wanted them to channel
the spirit of what made them European champions, he did not
want to hear them talking about it for the foreseeable future. 'Now
we get back to the starting line and start a new chapter', he said.”Sam Cunningham, The 'I': “People seemed almost to relish the
idea that Liverpool would have their first top-flight title in 30 years
wrenched away from their fingertips by the coronavirus outbreak.32