Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp remains optimistic about Liverpool's chances of challenging for the Premier League title in the upcoming season, despite a disappointing campaign that concluded with a 4-4 draw against already-relegated Southampton.
The draw secured Liverpool a fifth-place finish, marking the first time since the 2015/16 season that they missed out on a top-four spot.
Although the result was not ideal, Liverpool started the match strongly with early goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino. However, they found themselves trailing 4-2 after Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana netted twice, with additional goals from James Ward-Prowse and Adam Armstrong.
In a thrilling turnaround, Liverpool managed to salvage a point by scoring through substitute Cody Gakpo and Jota's second goal, extending their unbeaten run to 11 games. Nonetheless, Klopp expressed relief that the challenging 2022/23 season had come to an end.
"There were moments during the season when you thought 'the season will be four years long'," Klopp admitted. "Thank God for the last 11 games, that helped massively, gave us a real boost, gave us a perspective, gave us a basis for what we have to do."
Acknowledging their failure to secure a top-four finish, Klopp emphasized that there were four teams better than Liverpool this season. He recognized their disappointment but remained confident that they would regain their form and competitiveness next season.
Liverpool's manager reflected on the match against Southampton, acknowledging that his team made things difficult for themselves during a chaotic period of the game. He criticized their defensive lapses, stating, "We are 2-0 up and you know these Southampton players want to pay back to these people (home fans) and we let them, just opened the door for a really talented offensive team, with the speed they have."
Despite the setbacks, Klopp believes Liverpool would have had the potential to score more goals if they had maintained their strong start and praised their impressive finish.
He described the middle part of the game as "silly" but remained optimistic about Liverpool's future prospects, as the last 11 games served as a reminder of their capabilities.
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