For the Kop, 2019 has been a delight. It has been one of the greatest 12 months in Liverpool’s history. Fans at Anfield do not want the year to end – except that 2020 promises to be even more momentous. Jurgen Klopp’s team reached the halfway point in the English Premier League season with a thunderous 4-0 victory over second-placed Leicester City at King Power Stadium. It was a breathtaking display. Klopp’s team are confounding expectations on a weekly basis. The main aim is to win the league. The last time the Reds claimed the title was 1990. A huge swathe of the fan base have never experienced the feeling of being English champions. Hope, anticipation, desperation and craving cascade from the stands at Anfield. Winning the league would sweep away three decades of pain. That moment feels close. Younger fans have heard stories from their elders about the great sides. The new generation had grown to accept that they would never see the feats that their forebears witnessed. Until Klopp came along. This team are ready to be champions. They came away from Leicester 13 points clear at the top with a game in hand. They have dropped just two points in the first half of the campaign. There is no longer any question about whether they are England’s best team. MATCHDAY It's been a memorable year. Let's finish 2019 with three points. UP THE REDS! #ThisMeansMore pic.twitter.com/FD891GLOge — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 29, 2019 Manchester City were expected to dominate the Premier League for a decade when Pep Guardiola arrived in England three years ago and two consecutive titles seemed to confirm they were untouchable. City outlasted Liverpool in last season’s epic title race – both teams earned records points totals – but although Klopp’s team lost that battle by a single point they broke the spirit of their rivals. The immediate future belongs to Anfield. There have been times this season when Liverpool have not been at their best. Out of 18 league games so far, eight have been won by a single goal. One of the things Klopp was looking for in the second half of the campaign was for the team to put away matches more comfortably. Tense finishes drain the psyche and legs. The 52-year-old rightly lauds his “mentality monsters” for their indefatigable approach and their ability to score late winners but blowouts are easier on the nerves. One of the ambitions for 2020 is to kill games off earlier. Leicester augurs well for the coming months. When Liverpool click, anything is possible. They have the capacity to get better. The 2-0 Champions League final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid in June instilled huge belief in the squad. A team’s first trophy is often the most difficult and becoming champions of Europe provided a huge psychological boost. They followed up this month by claiming the Club World Cup. There were questions about the effect these two extra games in Doha would have on the team. The answer was clear against Leicester. VVD put in a colossal display against @Wolves last season pic.twitter.com/LF7K4I8T2G — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 28, 2019 Klopp’s new year’s wish list is straightforward. The German is keen to avoid injuries in key positions. No manager can ever regulate against knocks but Klopp has adapted his training and style of play to suit the demands of the English game. Liverpool neither practice nor play at the same pace as in the early days of Klopp’s tenure. He has also rotated the team wisely. This will continue in the new year. Expect a minimal drop-off in form. If the opposition finally get to grips with the system that Klopp has used so successfully, stop the full backs raiding forwards and pin the front three down, Klopp has fresh legs and fresh ideas to call upon. Naby Keita could become an important figure in the next few months. The midfielder has taken a long time to make an impact but Klopp is patient with players who take a while to develop – Fabinho and Andy Robertson are good examples. Keita has an eye for goal and is more forward-minded than the rest of the midfield. If the point of attack needs changing, the manager has the tools to adapt. Two assists, a goal, a clean sheet and the Man of the Match award The best bits from a SUBLIME @trentaa98 performance at Leicester pic.twitter.com/9OB8r0cJ7G — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 28, 2019 The addition of Takumi Minamino from Salzburg for a bargain £7.5 million also gives Klopp options. The Japanese will not be rushed into the side but will offer an alternative in the event of an injury crisis. The Premier League will take precedence but the team’s conviction is so strong that the knockout competitions are legitimate targets. January starts with a Merseyside derby FA Cup tie against Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton. In the Champions League the team return to the Wanda to face Atletico Madrid in February, with the second leg at Anfield in March. These are the sort of matches that set the pulse racing. Klopp has his eye not only on the league but a third consecutive Champions League final. The Reds pic.twitter.com/caSatOAGfm — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 27, 2019 Ultimately, though, the first half of next year is all about the Premier League. The time has come for Klopp’s team to make history. They might just prove themselves the finest Liverpool side ever in the next 12 months.