Liverpool trophies not the most important thing, insists Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has insisted that he does not judge his time at Liverpool by silverware.
The German coach has revolutionised Liverpool in his six-and-a-half-years at Anfield. He has turned them from underachievers to contenders in every competition going. The 54-year-old, who is under contract until 2024, has also won his fair share of trophies at Liverpool.
The Champions League, EFL Cup and long-awaited Premier League title have all been delivered by Klopp. The UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup have also been won, but the Reds may well have scooped more domestic silverware had it not been for Pep Guardiola’s imperious Man City.
And as they prepare to make another bid for the Champions League semi-finals this week, Klopp has said that performances and the development of the club is most important.
Klopp said: “I don’t judge my time here on trophies too much. It is about the way we play, the way we develop and the state the club is in. This is a healthy club in a good situation.
“We all know one failure, one little misstep, and at least one competition can be gone. That’s no problem for us, we’re just ready for the next challenge.”
With the Reds in contention for the title and a huge match looming on Sunday against Man City, first they have to take on Benfica in Portugal on Tuesday night. Asked if he a secret plan to keep his players calm, Klopp said: “Calm? I’m not sure I want them to be calm, focused you mean?
Klopp on maturity
“You need excitement and everyone looking forward, but that’s easy with the fixtures we have and the competitions we are in.
“It is nice, we enjoy it. Training sessions are very short. The meeting we had this morning was longer than the training session.
“It is the situation we would have dreamed of at the start of the season.”
The Reds boss was also asked how important maturity was to his side’s success.
“It is massive but it is not the only thing we need,” added Klopp. “We need desire, mentality and excitement. You can’t buy that – you have to mature as a player, as a coach and as a team. You judge things calmer in the future. That is experience.
“We have played games before when we were 1-0 up and we were still running like mad. I want my players thinking in the right way and that is what I saw on Saturday.”
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