Every year the famous words are uttered by a Liverpool fan somewhere, under the misguided hope that perhaps they might be true: this year is going to be our year.

The last time it was their year, 1990, the internet wasn’t a thing and the Cold War was still on. It’s been 29 years since the title made its way to Anfield and despite success in Europe and in other domestic trophies, that one major prize has eluded them.

They’ve always been safe of course, there’s never been the threat of dropping out of the top flight. The Reds are currently 500/1 to be relegated with William Hill and there are obviously far better options than Jurgen Klopp’s team.

In their 29 barren years, they’ve never finished below eighth, technically making Manchester City a more likely bet. They’ve only been a force since the Qatar money poured in, but they’ve overtaken Liverpool in terms of recent titles.

There’s a growing feeling though that this, the end of the Reds’ third decade without a title, could really be their year. There’s enough evidence to suggest that Klopp is finally going to deliver the success that a generation of Liverpool fans have grown up without. The domestic title.

What is different this season? After all, sublime talents such as Suarez and Coutinho have come and gone without lifting them beyond their rivals, so why should 2018/19 be the year it all finally comes to a head?

Van Dijk – By Ailura

There’s a new defensive quality about them that is hard to ignore. Virgil Van Dijk cost a whopping £75m and at the time it drew smirks from across the Premier League. The former Southampton man is good, but is he £75m good?
As it turns out, he is.

Last season, Klopp’s team shipped five at the Etihad and four against Spurs a few months later. Klopp blamed individual errors and vowed to correct them, signing Van Dijk in January to stem the flow of goals. It worked, but only to a degree.

Those silly errors continued and in the Champions League final, Karius fumbled his way into Manchester United legend. His errors were directly responsible for Liverpool losing the game, ensuring he never had to buy a meal in Manchester again.

In domestic football, only one team put more than two goals past Liverpool after he signed, though: West Brom just a couple of weeks later. Liverpool’s defence began to firm up, Joe Gomez increased in stature and Alexander-Arnold got better with every kick. The £75m man had a real impact.