Jurgen Klopp has deflected media expectation from himself and his Liverpool squad, saying his own personal expectations are “big enough.”
Though he is an enthralling speaker in front of the camera, Klopp has showcased a clear disdain for media scrutiny in his first week as Liverpool manager.
Speaking to the assembled press ahead of Saturday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, the German said he is “completely free of expectations” placed on him and his new squad.
Brendan Rodgers left in a cloud of “hysteria,” and it can be said that Klopp’s arrival has created a similar, albeit positive, atmosphere.
Klopp clearly finds this unhelpful, as he told reporters.
“Everybody told me that it will cool down in the next weeks – I hope it’s not because of the results!” he said on Thursday afternoon.
“The most important thing that we have to do now is to train as often and as long as possible, and not think about expectations from outside.
“I don’t read what you write. I’m completely free of expectations. The expectation I make myself is big enough, so I don’t need anybody to tell me ‘you have to be successful’.
“I’m completely in the middle, and can work with the boys.”
An experienced top-level manager, Klopp is clearly adept in pressure situations, and these attempts to deflect expectation from his squad are commendable.
Now, Liverpool head to White Hart Lane on Saturday knowing that the manager is not expecting a significant change just one week into his tenure.
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