Klopp's press conference: Five key points
Jürgen Klopp opened up on how Liverpool are dealing with the demands at the top of the Premier League as he previewed Friday's meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Two days on from the Reds’ 3-1 home victory over Manchester United, the manager spoke to the media at Melwood about their next task: a trip to Molineux.
Read the key points from the press conference below…
On playing before Manchester City this weekend…
We didn’t think about the City result [last weekend]. We don’t decide the league on one matchday, we have to be consistent. We are always motivated at the highest level, so where can we put this extra portion if City lose? It doesn’t really work. We are really concentrated on our situation and, to be honest, we are in December and Tottenham are six points [behind] – that’s a ‘massive’ gap! We play them still, City play them probably as well. And then Chelsea, Arsenal... they are so close. So many things can happen; why should we think about one opponent like we are the only ones who can stop City? It’s not like that, this season looks completely different. Only City can stop City, to be honest. We have to play our own game and try to get as many points as possible, that’s actually all.
On the challenge of facing Wolves on Friday…
That is an outstanding project. What they did last year in the Championship, I’m not sure that happened too often, the way they played. Usually in the Championship you go up with this kind of old-school British football; it’s a tough league and it makes sense to do it. I think the only two teams in the last few years who did it differently were Huddersfield and Wolves. It’s really unbelievable what they did. Then they brought in a lot of players again and it needed a bit of time so everything fits. Now they are really strong. We have go there and really be at our best again. They do a really good job. I saw the City game. Of course City were better and were unlucky with the goal Wolves scored that day, it was handball. But the way they defended as a team, coming from a football-playing side, was really impressive. That’s the job to do week in and week out; first Wolves, then Newcastle, then Arsenal, then City and then Wolves again. It’s exciting times, it’s a good moment. It only worked so far because the boys were always focused on a specific job and that’s what we will try to do again.
On the high standards at Liverpool…
We were not that successful in the past, it’s not that we are serial winners or whatever. To be 100 per cent honest, the desire I see at City after being that clear as champions last year is special. We have to do it, we are the challengers, but why shouldn’t we do it? As long as our body gives us the power to do it, we have to do it. We learned over the months that we have a really good football team. In the summer, you think it’s a really good football team. You see it in pre-season when they come together and then the season starts already when the players are still learning more about each other. That all needs time. They see now everybody has to perform on the highest level because otherwise there is another really good player who could have the place. We don’t work with that pressure or threat but it’s obvious. You see it in training; if we play A vs B, that’s a game. If they are all fit, that’s a proper game. That keeps you on your toes. That’s one thing. The other thing is, as a human being, and especially as a footballer, you want to be successful and you know what you have to do for it but sometimes this or that are not there. In this moment, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be successful. But we don’t know if we can be first or second in the league at the end of the season because there are other very, very good teams as well. But we will try everything; the players understand that the club gave us the opportunity to create a group that can be successful.
On the development of Fabinho and players needing time to adapt…
They are all naturally skilled. They have a few things they are really good in without thinking but then there are a few things in a game that just don’t feel natural. As long as they don’t feel natural, and you have other opportunities, why should you force it? And we always had other options. And thank God we have more than three good midfield players – otherwise it would just not work. It’s a completely normal process for all of them. For Naby, it’s still the same. What he did on Sunday was just exceptional because what we wanted of him and what he did was unbelievable. It was really good; even he still needs time. Shaq needs time. It’s a bit easier for a centre-half or defender, to be honest, because we are not that different. But all other departments on the pitch, we give different information and you have to adapt to it. It was always clear. [Fabinho] played a really good game [on Sunday], like Gini Wijnaldum played a really good game and like the other boys in the game against Napoli, which was exactly the same importance, under pressure. We are completely fine. I have no problem to talk really positively about Fabinho, I only don’t like if in the back of the mind people say: ‘Now the others cannot play anymore.’ All the players we have in the squad are really, really good – that is the reason they are in our squad. They will have game time in the future, 100 per cent.
On how his players realised their own quality…
It’s just the experience we have together and the way we play together. After the United game in pre-season, we had so many young players on the pitch, and it was just clear the group we had in pre-season did outstandingly well. That’s the moment when you start realising: ‘OK, could be good.’ Then when all the others came together, they had to learn to know each other step by step and that’s what happened – now they are a group. Everybody knows winning football games helps you become a better group, and especially makes it easier and quicker. They know about football, they see in training how things go. We all know we were lucky in two or three moments; it was a world-class goal from Daniel [Sturridge] at Chelsea, we could have lost; we were lucky against Everton. We were unlucky in other situations in the season but nothing happened so far. We really think we are in the situation we should be in. We didn’t think about the top of the table. We are in a situation where we have a big probability to win football games and it’s really difficult for other teams to win against us. That’s what should be and how it is in the moment. We have to keep it going and be prepared for difficulties, like we always are in the games. There’s so long to go. It’s a challenge for all of us to deal with it. So far, we have absolutely no problem with the situation – we stay focused and try to win the next game.