JK on Huddersfield rotation, having no regrets and Milner's spot-kick prowess

The Reds take on Jan Siewert’s already-relegated Terriers at Anfield in the Premier League on Friday evening, five days before visiting Camp Nou for the first leg of a Champions League semi-final against the reigning Spanish champions. However, Klopp believes there is more than enough time between the two fixtures to keep alterations to a minimum.

Read on for a transcript of everything the boss had to say in anticipation of Liverpool’s penultimate Premier League fixture at Anfield this season...

On whether the squad will be rotated against Huddersfield with Barcelona in mind…

This would probably be the last game where I would overthink anything. Because it’s always the same, the situation they are in and the things people think about the game is already enough bad preparation, so I will not push that wrong mindset with a strange line-up or whatever. No chance. We had enough time to recover after the last game, we have enough time to recover for the next game. Barcelona has nothing to do with the game on Friday night.

On whether he watched Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night and how he felt about the result…

It was really the result I expected. United tried whatever they could, in the first half especially, and they were a bit unlucky in one or two moments, and then over the 95 minutes I was not surprised by the result. I said it in another interview, I watched it, and in a situation like that you assess yourself a little bit, and I was completely calm. Finally that game was played, because for months, it feels, they always had one game in hand. So now it’s clear, we are one point behind City, and we knew for a long time that if we win our next two games, the decision will be made on the last matchday, and that’s pretty special. But for that we have to win the next two games - which is difficult enough. First of all we have to play the next one against Huddersfield, and that’s what we are concentrated on now.

On Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s suggestion that both City and Liverpool deserve the Premier League title…

Yes. It still won’t happen, probably. Just one of us, it’s like with [1980s film] Highlander! We will be there at the end. That’s what I meant last week when I said we don’t only play to be champions at the end. Yes, it’s a big target. This team is trying it for the first time and we are obviously pretty close and still have a chance to do it, so we will see what happens before the end of the season. But it’s the first time, not the last time, that’s how it is, and because the club and the people have been waiting for a long time, that doesn’t make it more likely. That we are this close is already, I would say, rather surprising, because last year we were 25 points behind. It’s all good, and we have to carry on - we will carry on, there’s no doubt about that, but at the end only one team will be the champion. I knew that before we started, and we still tried it. But it’s not only about that, we want to play the best football we can every single day, that’s the truth. Sometimes we have to accept that it doesn’t happen, but we still try and that’s all we’re interested in. Then at the end of the season you see where you end up.

On the suggestion that neither team can have regrets after being so consistent throughout the season…

So far, yes, but we still have three games to play and we want to win them, and that’s difficult enough. Huddersfield, Newcastle, Wolverhampton [Wanderers]. Wolverhampton proved last night [by defeating Arsenal 3-1] that that will be a tough game anyway, so that’s the situation and there’s nothing else to say. We don’t have to summarise the season; if we do it, we will do it, if not there are no regrets as long as we always give our best. I saw that all season from the boys, but still, the season, however it ends up, is only the first step in that area. We are not the finished article, we started this year with this team and we will carry on, then we will see.

On Liverpool’s ability not to be reckless and maintain their composure when games remain 0-0 for a long time…

We made our own experiences in the last three-and-a-half years. We had a lot of difficult moments, we had good moments, we train a lot together and we’ve been together for three-and-a-half years, so it’s completely normal if you have the quality to do so. The boys are at a brilliant age, it’s the best age for a football player, mid-20s, they have a lot of space for improvement but they are already on a high level and that means you know what you’re doing. You’re not surprised anymore if you are good and you are not frustrated when you are not good. You know that there’s still a way to deliver at least some performances and be able to win, it’s not that you lose confidence in these moments. But that’s normal, it’s not something special for us. We shouldn’t talk too much about what happens when it’s 0-0 for a long time, because I don’t like it, but if it happens then you still have 30 minutes or whatever to score. That’s a lot of time, enough time to score 20 goals actually! That won’t happen, but the time is there for it. It’s all about doing the right things again and again and again; for that you need to be convinced about the things that you do, and of course we are now more convinced about the things we do, because we felt much more often that it works. [Even] if we win the [remaining] games, then it was not a perfect season, but for all the other teams it’s the same. We still have space for improvement and that’s the most important thing for us, because whether or not we win the league it’s only the first step.

On James Milner’s penalty prowess after the midfielder’s successful conversion in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City…

Millie is like a machine in these moments. He practises it very often, he’s not the only one who does, Mo is getting better and better and better, and a couple of other players as well. But Millie is just experienced, he had a lot of moments, penalty shootouts with England U21s years ago, so he was in the situation very often and he knows that it’s all about how you keep your body in the right position, the right technique and be convinced. He missed a penalty as well in an important game, but like I said he’s more or less like a machine in these moments, switch off all emotions and just interested in putting the ball in the net, and that’s the best way to do it.

LFCTV GO: Milner scores from the spot at Cardiff

On the contribution made by every single member of the squad and Simon Mignolet in particular…

It’s a shame we have to speak about it, because it’s completely logical - if you only have a first XI then something is completely wrong with the team. The quality we have in training when all the boys are fit is incredible, it’s the best quality I ever had in training. But I liked that Millie spoke about Simon, and it’s not nice to say about Simon because I’m pretty sure he thinks of himself as a No. 1 - which he would be in most of the other clubs - but he’s 100 per cent the best No. 2 in the Premier League. It’s just a good feeling for me to have him, and he still made steps, he still improved in the last year, because of his professionalism and his attitude. I’m not in the dressing room constantly but when Millie says something like this it’s 100 per cent the truth. I’m really happy having this quality, and then with Caoimhin [Kelleher] as No. 3, who is the young prospect and surprised a lot of players in training with unbelievable skills. So that is a very good position for us and we are really happy about that.