Liverpool patience has been spectacularly vindicated - but real work starts now

While the Premier League usually appears to have it all, one thing that is always in short supply is patience. That is, it seems, except at Liverpool.

Their 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United was brutal to say the least, with the relentless Reds delivering the kind of beating that will resonate in Liverpool folklore.

There will, of course, be an inquest from Man Utd into how they were so overwhelmed. Erik ten Hag’s men have been in fine form of late, but the way in which they crumbled will set alarm bells ringing.

From a Liverpool point of view, though, it proved a strong vindication to trust the Jurgen Klopp process that for much of the season appeared to be crumbling itself.

This result, stunning as it is, will not change the fact that the season as a whole has been a disappointment for Liverpool. A title challenge is expected at Anfield nowadays, and that is at the very least.

They have not come close to that, though, and let’s not pretend that it has not raised serious questions over Klopp’s future. That is just the nature of the Premier League. Coaches at clubs like Liverpool are not allowed a bad season. Not usually at least.

And the questions over Klopp had historical weight as well. His Dortmund team, brilliant as it was for a while, suffered a big drop in much the same nature as we have seen at Anfield this season.

However, it has also been suggested that Klopp’s coaching style will always be inevitable cyclic. The incredible high-energy pressing takes its toll. It is just the thorn to that particular rose.

The easy thing to do would have been to scapegoat Klopp, to thank him but send him on his way, and with Liverpool languishing in mid-table for much of the season, there was no shortage of opportunity. The fact they didn’t is to the credit of the club’s often-maligned ownership.

Of course, what this result also do is ensure there is absolutely no more room for excuses for the remainder of Liverpool’s season.

There has been a case to be made so far for transition. The frontline of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah was so vital to Liverpool’s success. Much of that was down to their relentless pressing work as a unit off the ball.

Mane was allowed to leave last summer and Firmino will depart at the end of the season, but his involvement has been reduced for a while.

Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo are the players tasked with replacing them, and it was always going to be a huge ask. Both were coming in from foreign leagues and neither had any previous exposure to the kind of high-energy Klopp demands.

Both have understandably had their struggles and been given time and support, but the time has now come to produce. You can’t expect the kind of performance they gave against Man Utd every week, of course, but they shave shown us their level now.

It couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Liverpool now appear to be in pole position to qualify for the Champions League, and that is remarkable in itself given their struggles this season.

Tottenham and being, well, Tottenham, and Newcastle look like they are running our of steam following their post-takeover euphoria and Carabao Cup disappointment.

Perhaps even more importantly, though, any questions about Jurgen Klopp can now be put to bed, emphatically, and the evidence is starting to suggest Liverpool’s exile from the title race is going to be a very short one.