Reds never give up and with Klopp at the helm they never will

“We decide when it's over” he sternly told them way back in November, as he expressed real anger with the Kop for disappearing long before the end as his side trailed Crystal Palace.

It seemed merely a stinging soundbite at the time, but as his Anfield tenure has developed, the supporters have realised they are not hollow words, but a philosophy, as a revived Chelsea discovered painfully in the dying seconds here.

Outplayed and out-thought by Blues, it was outlandish to even think they could steal anything from a game apparently settled by Eden Hazard, as it ticked deep into stoppage time.

But there were no deserters on the terraces this time, with the Red Army following the orders of their leader to the letter, to offer yet more evidence of the newly forged desire of the fans...and the freshly reinvented spirit of this team.

They know things can happen now even against the most impossible of odds – Dortmund proved that. And when two minutes into stoppage time, sub Sheyi Ojo screamed over a searching cross and Asmir Begovic flapped it away, you knew destiny would call.

It was Christian Benteke who took it, earning a small slice of salvation at the end of a frustrating season as he stood proud and tall to nod the ball home and send the Kop again into raptures.

It was as uplifting as unlikely, with Hazard, who last week spoiled the Spurs title party looking for all the world like, for the encore, he would ruin Liverpool's Euro dress rehearsal.

Klopp had named what will surely be his line up for the Europa League final in Basel next Wednesday, and this was supposed to be an ominous expression of what should be.

Instead, it was a demonstration of what might have been from the little Belgian with the big talent, who produced a contender for goal of the season, to give Chelsea a deserved – if puzzling – victory at Anfield.

It is a mystery why they have left it so late in a season that has long been over to show the desire and hunger (and quality) that is a fundamental requirement of the reigning champions, and no one has left it later than Hazard.

Hazard had to wait until April 23 for his first league goal this season. Yep. Eight months without a Premier League goal.

You see this sublime finish that offered Reds keeper Simon Mignolet no chance, and it is impossible to understand why. His opener, on 32 minutes, even had Anfield dazed in admiration, and perhaps even resisting the natural urge to applaud.

A shimmy from the left flank, a couple of pirouettes, a magician's sleight of hand and majestic glide later, and he was past four Liverpool defenders and shaping a laser-guided shot through a mouse-hole into the net.

It was, equally remarkably, only his sixth goal of the season in all competitions...and from 40 appearances. Hazard has too much talent for those stats to be plausible, and the horrific implication must be, he has only just become interested.

Why? Well there's a European Championship of course, so his timing is perfect for Belgium. And perhaps he realises his end of season form is a klaxon-sounding invitation for potential suitors in the summer.

He showed desire and outplayed the two Brazilians Firmino and Coutinho, but Liverpool – for all the fact they were outplayed in the first half especially – decide when it's over now, and that was evident as Lallana, Coutinho and Toure came close, and Simon Mignolet made three late saves to keep them in it.

“What we have learnt this season, no matter how bad it is, you never give up.” That is the Klopp philosophy, and it was always Liverpool's too. Now it is again.

Source: Daily Mirror

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