Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp refused to be pulled into any discussion of his club being Premier League title contenders, claiming the Reds still have a long way to go before they can challenge for silverware.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Liverpool’s EFL Cup Round 4 clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Klopp treaded carefully, insisting that it’s too early to be pulled into the title picture. While admitting that the general mood around the club is positive, the German boss also said that they are nowhere close to being 100%.
As reported by Liverpool Echo, Klopp said: “Nothing we have done so far has come close to 100%. I don’t care (what people are saying). It’s normal in football that when you are in a good position people start talking a bit more positively. I recognise the mood – I feel it around LFC and it’s good. But unfortunately it’s still October and there is a long way to go. Hopefully you can ask these questions for the whole season. At the moment I have no answer for it. I’m not interested.”
Liverpool have gone off to a rollicking start to the season, playing some of the most eye catching football that the club has seen in recent years. Currently sitting third in the Premier League table, the Reds are level on points with leaders Manchester City and second placed Arsenal. And while results have been generally positive, building a sense of optimism around the club, Klopp was quick to point out instances from games against Burnley, Swansea City, Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion to highlight his team’s apparent shortcomings.
He added: “Nobody in the dressing room feels that it’s not possible for us to play better. At Swansea in the first half, we were far away from the rhythm. Burnley wasn’t good, Man United wasn’t good. lot of people said the last 10 minutes against West Brom could have been better and I’m sure it could have been. My job is to use the qualities of the players and show them the right way. We are on the way. We have to accept a few things that don’t work. There are a lot of things to think about.”
The performances are visibly improving with each passing week and the Reds fans have reasons to be reveling in their team’s dynamism all around the park. And while the Kop would definitely be in agreement with their gaffer’s calls for improvement all over the park, the general view seems to be that the only way is up under Klopp’s tutelage.
