Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes the Red’s recent wobble is ‘not a real problem’ as he prepares his side to face Brighton this weekend.
The Liverpool manager was unconcerned with the back-to-back defeats his side have suffered in league and cup, saying they will continue to focus on one game at a time.
Should Liverpool be worried by recent results? Five key things you should know…
- Liverpool opened this season with a run of 20 league games without defeat.
- They lost their first match in the Premier League away to second-placed Manchester City on 29 December.
- The defeat to Wolves in the FA Cup third round saw the Reds lose back-to-back games for the first time this season.
- For the Wolves loss, Klopp made nine changes to the side that faced City.
- Klopp has stated he is unconcerned by the supposed ‘wobble’.
Despite the fact Liverpool have lost back-to-back games, it is important to remember Klopp only kept two players in the side that lost to Manchester City for the FA Cup third round defeat at Molineux.
A lot has been said about the gap between Liverpool and City closing with examples from previous seasons often being used – Liverpool are the only side in the past 10 seasons to fail to win the title having been leading at Christmas.
Only two teams in the last 10 years have been top of the Premier League at Christmas failed to win the title:
2008/09:
Liverpool
2013/14:Third time is the charm… https://t.co/WBdCaeYW6F
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 21, 2018
The Reds boss does not think that past statistics are relevant, however, a point he was quick to point out to the media.
“Statistics from the past have no relevance in the present. It’s always different – that’s what we’ve said,” Klopp said ahead of the trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, as reported by FourFourTwo.
“We don’t think about the season before or 20 years ago.
“Our season so far is really good and now we have to carry on. It’s not important what has happened so far – it’s only a basis. We have to use it. That’s what we try to do.”
Manchester City’s win over Klopp’s side at the Etihad closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just four points, but the German manager knows things in football can change very quickly.
He added: “Two weeks ago, everyone was so excited about the distance between [Liverpool and City] and stuff like that.
“Now we’ve had two games which we’ve lost. It’s not nice, but it’s not a real problem. These games are gone as well. We have to prepare for Brighton and go there and try to do our best again.
“We only talk here [with the media] about the distance and the points and stuff. We never do that during the week, because it’s just not relevant. We have to train as well as possible and prepare the next game.”
Liverpool will not change their approach – Klopp
Klopp confirmed that Liverpool will approach the title run-in in exactly the same way they have tackled previous challenges, such as qualifying for the Champions League last term.
“These are normal challenges and now we go for the big stakes. This is how it is,” he said. “The less games you have, the better it is because you have all your points. You play each other or not, it’s normal.
“Every year is the same. Last year we fought for the Champions League, everything was fine and Chelsea found their feet and made it really difficult at the end. There’s nothing on top of that, just the normal thing.”
The German will make sure his players keep their concentration for the remainder of the season as he is well aware there are no easy games in the English top-flight.
“You have to stay completely focused on yourself,” he said. “We try to do it and so far it has been pretty easy for us to stay focused. That’s what we have to show again.
“There’s no game in the Premier League where you can count the three points before you play the game. I like that. That’s good.”
Liverpool face Brighton at the weekend on the south coast while Manchester City host Wolves.
The post Klopp unconcerned about Liverpool “wobble” as Reds chase the Premier League appeared first on Squawka News.
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