Jurgen Klopp provided an interesting take on Liverpool’s form, Mohamed Salah‘s confidence and the Anfield crowd ahead of Saturday’s visit of Southampton.
The Reds take on the Saints in their third game in a relentless run of seven in 23 days, after back-to-back victories over Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
Klopp’s side have a 100 percent record after six outings this season, and will be eager to prolong this against their ‘easiest’ opponents in this busy stretch.
Speaking to reporters at Melwood on Friday, Klopp was eager to stress that, as Liverpool have ambitions of winning all four competitions this season, Southampton would not be underestimated.
“How could we not want [to win everything]? Of course we want to,” he said.
“Unfortunately I’ve wanted that for my entire life and it hasn’t happened too often.
“Nothing else to say about it, it’s still early in the season. Yes, we had a good start—that’s all. Maybe that’s why these questions come up.
“That didn’t change our mindset a percentage, we’re completely focussed on the next job to do.
“That’s Southampton, and nothing else is really interesting for us.”
Klopp was posed the suggestion that Mohamed Salah was undergoing a goalscoring “crisis,” but laughed this off, saying “two goals in six games? Wow, that’s a crisis.”
The manager also issued a challenge to the Anfield supporters to create a “European night” atmosphere on Saturday, and praised the quality throughout the Southampton squad.
Providing an update on injuries he revealed that Roberto Firmino is ready to start, but Dejan Lovren, Divock Origi and Adam Lallana are all still unavailable.
And he reflected on Saturday being his 600th competitive game as a manager, saying: “My view on football will never be different.”
“There are much better managers than me out there, but that never stopped me doing my best, only in the way I can do it,” he added.
Liverpool take on Southampton in a rare 3pm kickoff on Saturday, and head into the weekend second in the Premier League—behind Chelsea only on goal difference.
