The boss on the defence, confidence levels and changes
Just 10 hours after returning from Spain, Jürgen Klopp was back at Melwood to hold a press conference for reporters and preview Sunday's Barclays Premier League visit to Swansea City - read on to see what the manager had to say...
On whether the Villarreal result affects his selection for the weekend...
That didn't change, to be honest. We have to respect the intensity of the last game and we have to think about the line-up for Sunday. It is not about next Thursday, because if you think now about next Thursday then you have no chance on Sunday - that's how it is. We have to, as we always did, respect the Premier League. But of course, we need to have a look on the players. Yesterday we came home [at] half three [in the morning] and I'm pretty sure no-one slept immediately when they came home. It's intense, it's busy, so I will see them in one or two hours and make decisions about the line-up.
On his side dropping points from winning positions and whether strengthening defence is his priority...
It's always in football like this. When you build up a team, you start with the defence - that's how it is. It keeps you in the game and gives you the opportunity to score once and win the game. Yes for sure, it will be. But not only speaking to the defenders or something like this. We had different problems in this and we solved a lot of them already. Set-pieces were the worst, to be honest, because it's nothing about the game, it's a part of the game where we needed to improve and we did. Then we conceded a few other goals, so I'm never happy with conceding goals, to be honest. It's clear, it's how we build up a team and that's one of the biggest targets for the next season. Not for the rest of this season, but for next season and then to build up a stability in this part of the game.
On the importance of the Swansea game...
I'm really the first [person] who wants everything. We will go there and try to win. We know about the situation, we can read the table - it's easy. We know about everything, we have one game less. Everything is clear, but we have to make a few, if you want, difficult decisions with the line-up. We made these things in the last few weeks with changing a lot because of the intensity of our schedule and all the games. We know we need, again, fresh legs and fresh minds at Swansea. That's what we are thinking about and we can win it. And if we can win then we change the situation in the table with this game.
On making many changes and there appearing to be no drop in performance levels...
To be honest, that's what we are working on all the time. You have a starting line-up and we always try to keep the rest of players confident too with little talks, with little signs or whatever - especially with training. I'm pleased with [them] and for them because Bournemouth was impressive [and] Stoke was impressive, so that's very important for us. That's what I said after these games, these are the best signs Liverpool can get and hopefully we can do it again like this because it's really not probable that we start with the exact line-up like yesterday, it wouldn't make sense. We have to make a few changes, I have no idea how much in this moment, and then we have to try everything for Swansea to beat them - that's the only target for this week and nothing else. I'm pleased with the development of the players, but that's what they have to do. We can give advice, we can give training sessions, we can give a lot. But at the end, it's a decision of the players. Our decision is done and we say 'OK they are more than good enough to play for Liverpool' and then it's up to the players to show it and perform. That's not too easy with no rhythm, so hopefully we can go on like this.
On the confidence levels throughout the whole squad...
It was good but it has to be good in the future too - that's up to the players too. If you are 18 or 19 years old and you make one Premier League game and in the next game you are not even in the squad, if you then lose confidence [then] it is a big mistake. Hopefully we could explain good enough to the players that it makes no sense - take the chance you get and work as hard as possible that it will happen more often in the future. 18, 19 or 20 years of age - there's still a career for 15, 16 or 17 years if you are a good professional. It's not too important how often you play, it's more important how you play [and] that's what we try to give them as information - stay patient and, in the same moment, be greedy. That's maybe something like a challenge, but it is possible and, until now, they have done well.