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Klopp hints at honouring Liverpool contract through to 2024 and claims struggles have made him stronger
The Reds boss has seen questions asked of his future this season, but he has suggested that the challenge of bouncing back will be embraced
Jurgen Klopp has hinted he will be staying at Liverpool to honour his contract through to 2024, with the German ready to embrace the challenge of delivering positive results at Anfield “for the next few years”.
Consistency has been hard to come by this season for a team that has set remarkable standards across Champions League and Premier League title-winning triumphs.
Questions have been asked of Klopp’s future amid injury-enforced issues, but the German claims to be a “better manager” for experiencing such struggles and is not about to walk away.
What has been said?
Klopp told Sky Sports of the pressure and expectation that he finds himself working under on Merseyside: “The problem is that football is all about results and if these little things that are better than before do not lead to better results, then people do not want to hear about them.
“If we are winning 15 or 20 games in a row, people listen to me and say, 'Oh my god, what kind of genius stuff is he saying.' When we are not winning games, I can say exactly the same things and people will say, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, just make sure you win the game.'
“I know that, it is absolutely no problem. I am responsible for this, not only now but for the next few years as well. That is why we will not let this time pass without getting a little bit of a benefit out of it. We cannot prove that now because we are still in the situation. We will have to prove it a little bit later.”
The bigger picture
Liverpool, who claimed a first top-flight crown in 30 years in 2020, have seen a top-four finish become the best they can hope for domestically this season.
Fitness problems have conspired against the Reds, but Klopp is eager to avoid making excuses for a situation that he intends to right.
“Most of the problems are as a result of the injury situation,” he added. “This year we have faced completely new problems. I have never in my life - and I have been doing the job for 20 years - had to change the last line every week.
“I am a much better manager this season than I was before because usually you are not having to think about these things but now I am having to think about them constantly.
“We had a situation on Friday night. We trained all week, or the few days that we had to train, with one specific line-up and then overnight we had to change it completely. That is another big thing to do that is common in football but we have had it plenty of times.
“People might say that is an excuse. I could not care less, to be honest. We do not use it as an excuse but if you ask me the question then it is the explanation for why things changed.”
Liverpool, who sit sixth at present, will be back in action on Thursday at home to Chelsea and will move above the Blues and back into the top four if they are able to bring Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start as boss at Stamford Bridge to a close.
