As with Mark Twain, rumours of Liverpool FC’s impending demise are somewhat exaggerated.

Indeed, if the past two games are anything to go by, ‘a new lease of life’ might be a more accurate prognosis.

The team was in rude health before Jurgen Klopp’s bombshell announcement of his end-of-season departure and now, whatever the long-term future holds, the entire club seems hellbent on giving him a fitting sendoff.

Against Norwich and Chelsea, the players played out of their skins while Anfield upped the volume to assume the 12th man role in the pursuit of farewell trophies.

The Reds go into the titanic weekend clash with Arsenal in excellent shape and have bright young stars emerging from the ranks.

But for many among the Reds’ global diaspora, the current sunshine will not dispel the clouds looming on the horizon: that Klopp will be as hard to follow as Alex Ferguson has been at Manchester United.

To twist an old aphorism, Liverpool fans can say: ‘Manchester is a different country; we do things differently here.’

Well, they do with managers.

While the exits of Fergie and Matt Busby set United back a generation, Liverpool got even better after Bill Shankly, and lived to fight another day after Kenny Dalglish.

But there’s one instance where Liverpool fans would give their right arms for an authentic replica of what happened after Fergie’s first ‘resignation’: he changed his mind.

In fact, with Anfield in full voice during the 4-1 win over Chelsea, the commentator spoke for many Kopites when he noted: “This is a lot to leave behind.”

Was he thinking what they were thinking?

That the German might feel a pang of regret and reverse his decision.

Reds would be wise not to cling to this slimmest of hopes as Klopp seemed determined to bow out and gave the best possible reason – he was running out of steam.

It can also be argued that it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done an about-turn as he cut short his post-Dortmund sabbatical to take over Liverpool. And he hasn’t got another job to go to.

Back in 2002, Fergie said his family persuaded him, but perhaps the name of his successor was a factor too: Sven Goran Eriksson.

The fiery Scot liked Sven as a man but did not rate him as a manager, and was horrified by the thought of the diffident Swede running his team.

Looking back, you have to think the way United performed in what was to be his farewell season was a factor, too.

In stark contrast to the way Klopp’s players have responded to his long goodbye, United’s seemed ready to let Fergie’s even longer one fizzle out.

Relieved that the hairdryer would soon be redundant, they took their foot off the gas and had their worst season since he’d begun their revival.

Third in the league, bundled out of both domestic cups in the early rounds and a loss to Bayer Leverkusen on away goals in the semi-final of the Champions League.

Back then, Fergie had yet to acquire that extra lustre that made him immortal and made two of his biggest mistakes: he bought Juan Sebastien Veron and sold Jaap Stam too soon.

He was also at ‘retirement age’ for the greats – 62, the same as Busby. Bob Paisley was 64, Shankly 60 and Brian Clough 58.

Klopp is 56 but can begin to feel it. Still at the peak of his powers, he has built Liverpool 2.0 – his second exciting side in nine years – and has a lot more to offer.

Six major trophies are a stellar haul but it might have been even better but for the unbeatable alliance of Pep Guardiola and the oil-rich backers of Manchester City.

He might have topped either one more often but not in tandem.

So that six – which includes ‘everything’ with the World Club Cup – is actually an even greater achievement when you consider what he was up against.

And Liverpool is a pay-as-you-go club as well.

He is also leaving them in better shape than Fergie did United.

Liverpool has proper structures and expert people behind the scenes, the sort of stuff the Glazers have criminally neglected but what Jim Ratcliffe wants to introduce.

Perhaps in years to come, historians will point to the Ratcliffe rebuild coinciding with the Klopp resignation as when the tide began to turn.

But Liverpool should have enough to ensure against the kind of downturn that United has endured no matter who’s in charge.

If Fergie was one of the last old-fashioned managers, Klopp’s old-fashioned values were as big a part of his success as his modern tactical approach and the databanks behind him.

Man-management was his forte and his bear-hugs and fist-pumps were very much part of it.

And so were arms around the shoulders which weren’t confined to players – Hillsborough victims’ families too speak of his humanity.

He will be a big loss, but Liverpool are a big club: they now have to show it.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.