For a head coach who loved attacking tactics, Klopp had finally achieved a breakthrough in his own tactical ability. He was overjoyed.
And the main reason for that tactical breakthrough was undoubtedly Leo Lin.
That instinct to protect and favor his own players, something rooted deep in the blood of German coaches, now had its clearest target. Leo Lin.
Every Liverpool fan knew that the club's most precious asset right now was definitely Leo Lin.
"Put it this way. Liverpool could sell part of the club's shares if they had to, but they absolutely cannot sell Leo Lin. Otherwise, Liverpool fans would surround Anfield in protest the very next day!"
"If anyone can understand that tactical combination Liverpool just played, I'll send them 50!"
"What kind of tactic was that? It looked a bit like last season's Dynamic Transitions, but not exactly!"
At that moment, it was not just the fans asking that question. Countless head coaches were wondering the same thing.
Ever since Leo Lin joined the first team, Liverpool's football had not only become more varied, but its layers had grown more complex. Its ideas had become deeper and harder to grasp.
On the sideline, Ten Hag was rubbing his head, as if trying to prove he could get a handle on it. But Ajax's collapse on the pitch had already proved that they truly could not make sense of it.
By this stage of the match, the result was no longer in doubt. Ajax still kept fighting through the remaining time, and they fought until the final moment.
But their effort in this match did not bring them the comeback they wanted.
After Onana took the final goal kick, the match was over.
"The two-legged Champions League quarterfinal tie has come to an end. Ajax, who produced such excellent performances in this season's Champions League, once allowed people to see the power of a group of young talents coming together."
"But in the end, they still fell before Liverpool and stopped at the Champions League quarterfinals."
"Considering Ajax's investment over the past few years, producing such an outstanding Champions League campaign is worthy of praise."
"Liverpool also showed their strength in this match and have advanced to the Champions League semifinals."
"I think the other teams who have also reached the Champions League semifinals will definitely feel worried if they watched this match. They'll be worried about Liverpool's tactics, just as they were worried about Dynamic Transitions last season."
"And the power of Liverpool's tactics in this match, especially the new tactical power they showed in the second half, was far beyond Dynamic Transitions."
"As for Liverpool's core star, Leo Lin, who fans call the Red Arrow core, he proved through his performance that his market value should be even higher than 180 million."
"When the next market value rankings are announced, I think football history's first superstar to break 200 million euros will appear."
"And Leo Lin is getting closer and closer to his next Ballon d'Or as well. Before anyone realized it, Liverpool had reached the Champions League semifinals again, and more than half of this season had already passed."
"Liverpool not only hold a huge lead over every team behind them in the Premier League, they also still have hopes of competing for the FA Cup and have not been eliminated."
"How far Liverpool will go this season, and how high they can climb, can only be left for time to prove."
Leo Lin was chatting with De Jong. This time, his shirt had been swapped away by De Ligt. Both of them stayed close beside Leo Lin, very close, as they returned to the dressing room together, while Leo Lin played the role of Liverpool's recruiter.
"I don't think you necessarily have to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid, or any of the other giant clubs. Liverpool are a giant club too, and they would definitely be a very good choice."
"Come here and you'll feel a warm, family-like atmosphere. Most importantly, we have the best boiled eggs in the world!"
Rodri chimed in from the side as well, agreeing with Leo Lin.
De Jong and De Ligt did not respond directly. The two reluctantly said goodbye to Leo Lin. They treasured the chance to talk with him, because they always felt they could sense so much of football's charm from Leo Lin.
At the post-match press conference, the new tactic Liverpool had played in this match was bound to become the focus.
But Leo Lin could not reveal too much. He wanted to use this tactic to harvest trophies.
"No, actually, that wasn't a tactic!" Lin the Trickster had arrived.
At that moment, Leo Lin took on the role of Liverpool's chief deception officer.
Klopp served as the deputy chief, constantly agreeing with everything Leo Lin said from the side.
"That was a bit of combination play even we didn't really understand. You can call it luck, or a sudden idea that popped into our heads. Then we were lucky enough to turn it into a goal."
"Hopefully, when we face other teams in the future, ideas like that will suddenly pop up again."
"That's right, exactly. Let me say it again. This was not a tactic we studied. You can see it as a simplified version of the high press, or a simplified version of Dynamic Transitions. That's all."
The reporters at the scene were half-convinced and half-doubtful, but they had no choice but to let Leo Lin go. Leo Lin escaped the press conference and returned to his warm mansion.
Maria had already made dinner, and Barnett and Delores were waiting for Leo Lin before they started eating. Barnett especially was already starving.
"I'm so hungry!"
"Waiting for you to eat together every day leaves me absolutely starving!"
"Next time, can't you just refuse to attend these press conferences or whatever?"
"You're always answering those boring questions. Those reporters are something else. Do they really think you're going to lay out this new tactic for them in full and explain it clearly?"
"They should use their damn heads for once. How could that possibly happen?"
Barnett swallowed a piece of tomato and wolfed down his food as he spoke to Leo Lin.
"Right, there's a golf course for sale in the southern suburbs of Merseyside too. No, wait, I think there are two."
"One covers 20,000 square meters, and the other is huge, more than 50,000 square meters. I think you can take both golf courses. That way, with your three golf courses, you can monopolize the southeastern part of Merseyside."
"As long as the promotion is done well, every golf enthusiast in this area will come to your golf courses to play. I think there's a real market for it."
It was definitely good news. That very night, Leo Lin set out with Barnett and first bought the smaller golf course for 400,000 pounds.
However, when Leo Lin tried to buy the larger golf course, there were a lot of competitors.
When the two of them arrived at the original owner's home at noon the next day, Barnett saw two old friends of his, along with another familiar face.
It was Lando, the French tycoon who had once offered a high price for Leo Lin's U-17 World Cup-winning shirt.
"Well, well. Three tycoons. Now we've got a negotiation on our hands."