Jurgen Klopp addressed the media following Liverpool’s 0-0 uneventful draw at Stamford Bridge.
Here are the five key points from the manager as he reflected on his side’s performance against Chelsea.
Not “spectacular”
The boss echoed the thoughts of most in describing the game as “not the most spectacular 0-0” when asked for his view on proceedings.
It was a night to forget for Liverpool as they failed to put their stamp on the fixture, with Klopp citing confidence issues on both sides as a reason for the reduction in quality compared to last season’s domestic cup finals.
“I saw two of them [0-0 draws] Liverpool vs. Chelsea the two finals were absolutely insane,” remarked Klopp.
“Very similar teams I would say, completely different level of football because of confidence for both teams.”
On the “hard work” required
Continuing the theme of confidence, the manager was asked about his team’s self-belief during what has been a difficult run for the players.
It is now a month since Liverpool’s last victory, the 7-0 win over Man United at Anfield.
Klopp explained: “You can see confidence just sometimes comes up again, so I don’t expect us to have no confidence but I know that we have to put the hard work in first.”
The impact of Liverpool’s schedule
Liverpool played 63 games during the 2021/22 campaign, leading many to believe that the side’s struggles this season are a by-product of the physical exertion placed upon them.
The Reds are currently falling far below their own exceptional standards from recent years and the relentless nature of the football calendar doesn’t appear to be helping the squad.
“Last season was on the edge of being too much,” was Klopp’s response to questioning about whether fixture congestion has played a part in his squad’s downfall.
“It is not a real explanation for it, more of an observation.”
An acceptable point
Given the way in which the match played out, the result could have been far worse for Liverpool.
Chelsea created the better openings and were the more frustrated of the two sides after the final whistle, with Klopp insisting that a draw was a reasonable outcome for the Reds in the circumstances.
“It’s not a game that people will write books about but it’s a point for us, and it’s one more than before,” said the boss.
“I can easily live with that and here we go, the next game is Arsenal now.”
“We must win all the games”
The manager admitted that the team’s hopes of Champions League football next season are fading, suggesting that the Reds may need to win “pretty much all the games” while relying on mistakes from rivals.
Liverpool sit in eighth place in the Premier League table, seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, but Klopp insisted that his players will fight until the end of the season to finish in the highest position possible
“That’s not in our hands, I cannot say but it’s not important,” he argued.
“If we are not fourth then I want to be fifth, if we are not fifth I want to be sixth.”
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