Klopp Talk: “We Have to Start Collecting Points”

For the past six weeks, from right around the time the summer transfer window closed, the results haven’t been what Liverpool have wanted. Though performances have often been good, yet it’s been draws and dropped points due to mistakes at the back and an unexpectedly misfiring attack.

It’s been the same in Europe and the league. Despite that, Liverpool remain well positioned, but they can’t keep throwing away points. For manager Jürgen Klopp, the plan is more of the same—keeping consistency, rhythm, and having faith that good play will start to turn into good results.

“The Man United game was not really that intense, so we don't have to rotate because of intensity physically,” he noted. “Now is a moment where a lot of us have rhythm, so we respect the [next] opponent and we know it is unbelievably important for us—so nobody should expect all changes.”

A few changes, perhaps, but not wholesale changes. Trusting that the players who have often looked very, very good over the past six weeks can finally turn looking good into winning consistently—before poor results turn into a lost season. Fortunately it’s not that yet, but it could be soon.

In the league, despite their stumbles, Liverpool are level on points with Chelsea and Arsenal and two behind unexpected upstarts Watford in fourth. Tottenham in third, though, is four points up while the Manchester clubs are disappearing out of sight. The situation is, ever so slightly, worse than a week ago.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Liverpool and Spartak Moscow have two points apiece and trail Sevilla by two. Again not the worst position, but one that doesn’t reflect expectations heading in or their performances so far. Again, recoverable but not ideal—and with a risk of turning quickly into a disaster.

There’s still time to salvage things in both the league and Europe, but Liverpool have used up just about every bit of leeway they have. They need a win against Maribor today, just as they need to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Tottenham on Sunday. Time is running out.

“We know what we have to do,” Klopp added. “We have to get the points we missed in the other two games. We want to go to the next round so we should not wait too long until we start collecting points."