'The full package is required' - Klopp on facing Tuchel's Chelsea
Jürgen Klopp stressed the need for his Liverpool players to be at their absolute best when they face an in-form Chelsea side at Anfield on Thursday evening.
Thomas Tuchel is unbeaten in his first nine fixtures since taking over at Stamford Bridge towards the end of January, conceding just two goals in the process.
Klopp outlined the threat that will be posed by the Blues in the Premier League encounter when speaking at his pre-match press conference.
Read on to see what the boss had to say about Thursday's opponents...
On what to expect from Chelsea under Tuchel...
I think a lot of the things we saw already in the games they played so far. They were very successful. Obviously a clear philosophy, clear idea, absolutely possession-based, different formations. He used the time and got immediate results but used the time as well to get more knowledge about the squad. He changed quite a lot and that's normal with the amount of games we have, but he really changed a lot. I think pretty much all three left-backs played – Emerson played, Alonso played, Chilwell played. Centre-half maybe didn't change that often. Up front, a lot of options, changed them, tried them all. Just Mason Mount, Kovacic and Jorginho are sort of like the fixed points, maybe I missed now one, but all the other positions he changed a lot, just to get all the information you need about the squad. I think now they are a step further and we will face them now. So, yeah, it will be interesting.
On whether his side will need to be patient against Chelsea...
I think, first and foremost, it's quite difficult to get more possession than Chelsea. I think they changed maybe slightly since Frank [Lampard]. But the full package [is] required, let me say it like this. So you have to defend because they let the ball roll, let me say it like this. You have to work a lot and then there are situations [where] it's not that you have the ball all the time and face a deep block. There will be a deep block when we can be dominant but in other moments they are just defending in the right way and use then the space you give them for counter-attacks. Patient you always have to be but I don't think this is a game where [you have to be] specifically patient. You have to be patient in moments, you have to be lively in other moments. You have to be creative in moments and you have to show your desire for defending in all the moments because this is a top team and they will ask for a lot, and we should try to make sure that we have all the answers.
On the race for the top four...
I think a week ago we were out, now we are around again. So for us the challenge and the job is clear: we have to win football games, as many as possible to make it in the top four. That's how it is. We know that not only since today, so we know that. We cannot make a difference who we face but we know, of course, about the quality of Chelsea, and Chelsea have the same targets. Since I'm in England, first year we had no chance and then two years later we had a fight with Chelsea, I think, to get to the Champions League. But there are other teams obviously – our neighbours, there's West Ham, Tottenham will come again and of course Leicester, United maybe not really involved anymore, I'm not sure, and City is obviously already gone. That's all clear. For the neutral fan it's exciting, for the Liverpool supporters it's exciting as well but maybe not in exactly the way they want. But we will give it a proper try.