Programme notesJürgen Klopp: The only game that matters is the next one

Back-to-back cup victories have seen the Reds lift the Carabao Cup at Wembley and secure progress to the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals in the past week.

They return to Premier League action by hosting West Ham United this afternoon, ahead of the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Internazionale on Tuesday.

Excitement about the possibilities for Liverpool in the remainder of the season is high – but Klopp explains why, internally, nobody looks further than the next match in the schedule.

“I’m worried my programme notes could become even more repetitive than normal in the coming weeks and months, with one message in particular being resounding. The only game of our season that matters is the next one,” writes the manager.

“All that matters today is today. Yesterday is merely information and tomorrow we think about when it arrives. In football terms, of course.

“I think during my time managing in England one of the things that strikes me most is how much focus there is on what ‘could’ be achieved while you are still in the process of trying to do it. We speak so much about the ‘what ifs’. I have my own ‘what if’… What if we just try to enjoy being in every moment. Focus entirely on the now.

“Rather than thinking about the implications a result could have for something else further down the track, we just attack the match right in front of us. Immerse ourselves in it completely.

“It has to be our mindset internally and the good news for me is that the players and staff at the AXA Training Centre are already there.

“We prepare each game like it is a final. Honestly, that’s what we do. Yes, this period we are in is incredibly intense in terms of the sheer number of fixtures. Incidentally, we hope that doesn’t change between now and May. We don’t want it to. The more packed the calendar is at this stage, the more you have to play for.

“But at the moment we play very often, which means the turnaround is swift. No sooner have you finished one contest than you are preparing for the next. I think this helps when it comes to focus actually. We cannot afford ourselves distraction – we don’t have time for it.

“My admiration for the players could not be higher in how they handle and approach things. No fuss, no drama, no excuses. Always ready. They are so low-maintenance as a group. They are the best self-regulators you could imagine. What they expect of themselves is higher than anything we could set for them. And as a manager that is such a blessing.

“Another is seeing the way the club has campaigned to make LFC the most diverse and inclusive family we can be, something that is being celebrated at today’s Red Together fixture.

“I have said before that being together always makes us stronger and it makes me incredibly proud that the club embraces these principles wholeheartedly. Seeing the diversity of our players, supporters and other staff at the club is what helps to make LFC so special.

“It’s vital that we all continue to play our part in the fight for equality in football and also within our wider society. The club takes its responsibility to talk about important issues and fight against all forms of discrimination very seriously.

“Red Together is key to that commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and that sense of togetherness allows us to enjoy every victory and every success all the more.”

Pick up your copy of the matchday programme at Anfield today or order online here.