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Klopp reveals plan for that final Champions League push
The Reds go into their final five games of the FA Premier League season knowing that a top four spot is in their own hands. The visit of Crystal Palace is next.
This is truly the business end of the FA Premier League season, and Liverpool FC are well placed to secure a return to European football in the autumn.
Jürgen Klopp feels that the Reds need to repeat the kind of dogged performance that helped them to beat West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and ignore everything that happens in games that they’re not directly involved in.
“We have to carry on,” he told LiverpoolFC.com.
“And that’s no problem – it’s actually the only thing we think about.
“That everybody is asking me about [the situation] is no problem, I don’t mind. Because the league is like the league is, [the other teams] have three, or maybe next week after the [FA Cup] semi-finals, four games less.
“If Manchester United go to the [Europa League semi-final], they have to play two [more] games. If they go to the Europa League final, it could be really close for them to find the right days to play.
“But that’s nothing we have influence on. We don’t play them anymore, so that means we have to do our job as good as possible. And it couldn’t have been better [against West Brom].”
Roberto Firmino’s header proved the difference between the two sides at The Hawthorns as LFC secured a crucial 1-0 win, and they remain in third - six points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United with a superior goal difference, albeit having played two more games.
One man who has played a key role in the Reds’ revival since a dismal January has been summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum.
The Dutchman may have taken a few weeks to settle into the Liverpool FC first team and find his rhythm, but his exceptional form in recent months has drawn praise from the man beside him at the base of the team’s midfield; Emre Can.
The Germany international told LiverpoolFC.com: “He’s a very, very important player for us, because he is the link man.
“He is doing it very well. He’s strong as well, a very strong guy. He can play, he is a very good footballer, but defensively he is working very well [too].
“He has done brilliantly for us so far this season. He has played very well. He is not ‘eye-catching’ sometimes but he is doing the dirty work for us. He is a very important player.”
Finally, you can now have your say on Liverpool FC's Player of the Season for 2016-17 with our online poll.
The accolade will be presented at the Players’ Awards at Anfield next month and voting is under way – with every player who has featured for the first team this term included in the nominations.
That means 28 of Jürgen Klopp’s squad are in the running to take an honour collected by Philippe Coutinho in each of the past two seasons.
Will the Brazilian make it three in a row or will one of his team-mates take home the honour?
