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The Reds may finally be back on track after a dismal January and a win over Spurs last week, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be prepared for a fight when they visit Leicester next weekend. While Liverpool should be refreshed and ready for the match up, there is still plenty to fear from the current reigning league champions. The boss is all too aware of that fact, and stressed it in the squad’s return from their week long training trip to Spain.
“Of course, Leicester, it’s a difficult situation for them. They’re fighting for the league 100% now and maybe this is the moment they recognise there’s really nothing else to do in this season other than to stay in the league and be really concentrated,” Jürgen Klopp said to the Echo on Sunday. “So we, if you want, could be the first team to face this ‘new’ Leicester. But it’s possible (to win).”
Supporters, players, and staff alike are all too eager to banish memories of January, but the manager also stressed the importance of learning from such lessons. That despite how fresh the sting may be, it may have been a necessary pain.
“January was nothing we needed, but we had it,” Klopp said. “It was kind of an experience, kind of a reminder.
“Everything is good until the moment when it’s not that good anymore - (then) it’s not only not good anymore, it’s as bad as it ever was!
“I can understand that people feel like this, but it’s not real, it’s not true. The truth is that we always have a chance. I’ve said a few times, I’m not the best manager in the world but I’m really good at staying on track.”
No one has been more level headed this season than the boss, even things have looked particularly dire, and it’s useful to remember that fact as the squad moves forward through the rest of the season. There’s still plenty of football to play, after all.
“Life was good but not because life was good, but because I gave life the chance to be good, even when the pressure was high. That’s what we could do,” Klopp continued. “So, let’s use the experiences we made this year, let’s learn from it and yes, let’s be stronger after all these things. The future is still bright.”