On Monday night Villa Park celebrates the end of an era.
The season’s coming to an end but there are still a couple of special occasions before it’s all done and dusted. The first of them comes on Monday evening when the eyes of the footballing world will be focused on [find out where and stick it in here – ed] to witness the final away game of the Wundermanager, Jurgen Klopp.
Yes, we all knew it was coming but that doesn’t make it any easier to bear. The Great Man is finally leaving and supporters in the ground will be joined by millions around the globe watching on television to witness this memorable evening.
It’s been a long road but a magnificent one, a fairytale story that will be remembered for as long as football is played. How the foresight of Liverpool’s owners were able to see the previously-unheralded young manager’s potential and give him the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of legends such as Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Roy Hodgson. And follow them he did!
Champions League, Premier League and numerous other competitions were won by the Red Machine under his leadership. There’s an old saying at home of football Anfied when events of significance take place: “What would Shanks have said,” a tribute to the legendary Scotsman who set in place the dynasty of managerial giants that endures to this day. The answer to the quesion where the Tremendous Teutonic is concerned is, of course, “He would have said ‘Well done’.” And rightly so, because the Mainz Maestro has carved his name in history as one of the greatest managers even in this wonderful club’s history.
And so as his reign is coming to a close, those privileged to be in attendance on Monday night will be able to pay tribute while feeling themselves enormously fortunate to witness this memorable event. Aston Villa will also be playing.
