Jürgen Klopp Q&A | West Brom test, top-four race and confidence
Jürgen Klopp touched on a number of topics when he previewed Liverpool's trip to West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.
The boss conducted his pre-match press conference at the AXA Training Centre on Friday afternoon.
It was in the aftermath of the Reds' 4-2 victory away at Manchester United, with the squad now gearing themselves up for the remaining three matches of the campaign.
Read on for a summary of the media briefing ahead of Sunday's fixture at The Hawthorns...
On how things are with Sadio Mane...
I cannot make a bigger story of it as it is. Football is an emotional game and everyone expects from us that we control our emotions always and that doesn't work out always. That's the case. It happened to me as a player, happened to other players when I was their coach. We had so far no real chance to talk about it, but we will and there will be nothing left – everything will be fine. Do we want these things [to] happen? No, but it's not the first time in my life and I'm afraid to say it will probably not be the last time. That's it.
On whether all the players are fine fitness-wise after the win at United...
I think so. It's pretty early after the game, we came home last night pretty late. So far I heard nothing about main problems.
On the remaining three matches potentially defining the season...
No, a season is defined by all the games. But these three games can give them an extremely positive outcome, we know that. I said it last night in the press conference I think, most of the teams in the world fight the whole year to be in a position that three matchdays before the end they have it in their own hands to go to the Champions League. We are one of them. As much as the season was full of different challenges and problems, we are in that situation all of a sudden and that's good. So yes, it's positive but we don't make now the second step before the first. We played last night, we recover now and we are fully focused on West Brom and then we will see what will be the outcome there. But yes, if we could make it, that would be really good.
On the challenges of facing a team who are already relegated...
Our last three games are really tough from different points of view. I really have to say what Sam did again at West Brom deserves all respect. It didn't look for a while like that but then not only that they got points – OK, not enough now, we have to say that as well – but the way they played was completely different, made brilliant signings, how he always does. They were really good when they fought for the league. I know and I was in situations like that when all the pressure is off because it's now decided they will not stay in the league, then that can give you some good feelings, let me say it like this, to express yourself and just play football. That can lead to everything. So we have to be really focused, prepared and strong to make our things happen. How I said, it's a tricky one.
On whether he enjoys the challenge of chasing other teams down in the table as a manager...
Most of the time in my life I was in a chasing role. If I'm enjoying it, I don't know. Sometimes yes, but I'm used to it. It didn't happen a lot to me that the teams I coached were running away or whatever. It's a normal situation, it's a good situation. Usually when I'm involved seasons go to the wire, so I can't remember a lot of seasons where we didn't play for anything in the last few games. It's again like this. All good. It's exciting and last night was very much needed but gave us a good feeling as well. But it's now tough. After that long season, playing Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday is a tough one, but let's give it a try.
On what the United win does for momentum and confidence heading into the remaining fixtures...
A lot, of course a lot, but that's not the only thing what is then decisive because we have to play football, we have to win the right challenges, we have to score goals, we have to defend well, we have to deny their strength, all these kind of things. A week ago – that's only thing that changed after the Chelsea game – we had the same job to do: we had to win all our games. The only thing that changed was that would be then enough. That was not clear before. Before that, we had to win all our games and it was still not clear if it would be enough. That's the only difference. But it didn't make a difference yesterday really for us because we knew our job is winning football games, that's always the case, but now even more.
On the exchange with Mane at full-time at Old Trafford...
So, if somebody shows me five million times respect and one time not, what is then more important? The world is then in a situation where you then make this one time bigger than necessary, that's unfortunately the case. And I hope for you that your boss will not forget if you one time don't show him respect that he then not forgets all the other stuff. Even when I speak now about that, already I can see the headlines which you are making of it. But that's not the case. I am completely relaxed about that. If you would have seen me as a player, all what I did out of emotion, it was insane, and I'm a completely normal guy. Nothing else. We will talk about it and then it will be sorted. That's all.
On next season's plans for Champions League teams playing on a Wednesday night to no longer have early kick-offs the following weekend in the Premier league…
I'm sure my voice had nothing to do with that but it's just the right thing to do. I heard already for supporters it's not good if we have an away game, I get that. But that's a typical situation, you cannot make the right decision for pretty much everybody and I don't think now that these games will always be then at 7.30 or whenever on Saturday, but it's the right thing to do. So playing Wednesday an away Champions League game, it's an incredible challenge. And if you've never been in the situation, you don't know it. So you should try to get in the situation and then it's an incredible challenge for the body. It's nothing you can really always influence. You just have to get up at a time, it's not a time when you have to get up, it's a time when you have to deliver, it's a time when you have to eat carbs and all these kind of things. It's so different and that's why I think it's an absolutely great decision.