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Liverpool are fifth on the Premier League points table, four points behind Manchester United despite playing a game more. They can still be overtaken by Brighton, who are four points behind them but have two games in hand.
The Reds have managed to put themselves in Champions League contention thanks to a strong finish. Jurgen Klopp’s men are unbeaten in seven matches, winning the last five in succession. They need to finish strongly in their remaining fixtures to realize their dreams of playing in Europe.
Klopp already looking forward to August
Liverpool have gone from challenging for the title to scrapping for the final Champions League slot. Reflecting on the twist of fortunes, the German manager acknowledged their struggles this season and is already looking forward to the 2023/24 campaign.
The season is still not lost and Klopp has takeaways from his squad’s performances. It is also telling about the Liverpool hierarchy, who stuck by his side despite dwindling performances. Managers lose their jobs as clubs seek quick fixes and the Reds have shown their hand by backing him through the tough times.
With James Milner set to leave, each player from Jurgen Klopp’s first Liverpool squad back in 2015 will no longer be with us!🥲 pic.twitter.com/H51YkRcIsh
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) May 5, 2023
“It is, was, a very difficult season for us, that’s the truth,” Klopp exclusively told Sky Sports. “Of course, we all feel better now after winning a few games, it’s the biggest mood changer in the world of football.
“I’m still looking forward to a new season, that’s true, that hasn’t changed. We have the information we wanted to have, how the boys go through situations like that. You can always take something out of difficult periods and that’s what we did.
“The way you behave in a crisis defines what you will be after the crisis. I thought we went through okay, nothing between me and the players, the club, nothing. We knew we are responsible for it but we have to solve it together.
“The main difference here is in a lot of other clubs, the manager would have been sent away. That’s not cool but on the other hand, you don’t have to go through it for that long!
“We’re happy we went through it so now we’re on the other side of the tunnel and now we have to keep going to get something out of this season.”
"There's nobody ahead of me, in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not Arteta." 🗣
Big Sam with a BIG claim 👀#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/slWwg2fBhO
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 3, 2023
Klopp on par with Allardyce, watched more than 99.9% of football
Sam Allardyce took over Leeds United for the final four matches of the campaign. The 68-year-old hailed himself on par with the best in the business, pointing at his rich experience in the Premier League and beyond.
Self-aware Klopp is similarly boastful about himself. The German tactician recognizes his abilities and what sets himself apart. Add to the fact that he is a studious academic when it comes to the beautiful game, something that has helped him through troubling times.
“It’s experience. I know my highs, I know the lows I had in my career. I know when I look back some are hard to explain, some not because hitting the post is not really hard to explain, but makes a massive difference,” he said.
“I know my craft, I know what to do with it. That doesn’t mean I always have the solution but I don’t doubt that. The game is not rocket science. It’s football, the pitch size hasn’t changed since I’ve been in the game and a lot of other things.
“I’ve watched more football than 99.9 per cent of the population on this planet so if I didn’t understand it would be really tricky. It’s just experience. Things can happen and you want to minimise the time you go through bad spells. This year we struggled with that slightly.”
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