The Liverpool manager believes injuries are a major reason for this season’s struggles, but when asked if he felt this squad was in decline, he accepted it was a fair question that could only be answered at the end of the campaign. In a response that lasted more than six minutes, Klopp admitted there was no quick fix and that he and his players had to accept the criticism thrown their way. “The judgment on that will have to come later in the season or maybe at the end,” he said. “If you say it’s for this group of players or this manager, I don’t think it’s 100% fair at the moment, nor to judge the team or the squad, because we’ve never had them available. “With the amount of games we have, we usually make changes, but we can’t do that. “Even if it’s unfair, it’s okay. It’s normal, it’s our life, and it’s perfectly fair to ask these questions. But we have to answer that later. We are all out there to be judged, coach, players. “That’s life in professional football. If you want to get away from something, first of all you have to go through it and that’s what we do. Yes, with some highlights, but also with some bumps. You can judge unique moments. “The second [Leeds] goal, I still woke up at night. But there’s a reason it happened – the boys wanted to win the game rather than defend the draw. We expect more from ourselves, the boys expect more, I expect more from them. But we have to make sure we get there in steps. That’s the challenge right now. Avoiding the mistakes and keeping the good things.” Liverpool host Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday with both sides having qualified for the knockout stages. Liverpool need to improve on their 4-1 win over Napoli in last month’s opener to replace them at the top of Group A. Klopp, who believes the Serie A leaders are the most up-to-date team in Europe, has pledge to give everything to lead his team. their turbulent period. Jurgen Klopp (centre), in training on Monday, says: “When people look at me and say I look tired or whatever, I’m not.” Photo: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters “It’s never been a quick fix, but we won’t stop fighting,” he said. “I didn’t read anything, but everything will probably be decided for me now, which is perfectly fine. “When people look at me and say I look tired or whatever, I’m not. My job isn’t just to be here when the sun shines and someone gives us a trophy. My job is to be there when we have to go through a very difficult time as well and I will, with everything I have and more if possible. Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “It’s the third time we’ve had Napoli here. It was never an easy game. We won a very important one [in 2018 to qualify for the knockout stages]and the other [in November 2019] it was a draw. It’s always been difficult and this year especially, but we’ve already finished in the group which is positive, and now let’s make something special out of this game. “The whole thing starts with winning the first challenge. Celebrate it in the stands and on the pitch, not by running, just by feeling it. This is the first step in the right direction. I’m ready for it and the world after [Leeds] The game gave me the sign that they are ready for that too. “It wasn’t the biggest round of appreciation we’ve ever had, but when you hear people singing along you realize it’s really special. “It’s a tough time, there’s no doubt about it, and nobody’s flying here, as everything is great, but there’s only one way to deal with it: to do it.” Defender Ibrahima Konaté could make his second start of an injury-hit season but despite the Group A situation and the importance of Sunday’s league trip to Tottenham Klopp said this is “not a game for rotation” .
