Klopp claims Reds are on target to fulfil first-day pledge to bag major trophy
JURGEN KLOPP believes Liverpool have never been better placed to fulfil his first-day promise, but warned they must still work to be the complete team. When Klopp was unveiled as Brendan Rodgers’ successor in October 2015, he said: ‘If we sit here in four years, I think we win one title,’ and joked he would end up in Switzerland if that did not come true. It has taken Liverpool three years to launch a proper assault for the Premier League and with four matches to play, they have put reigning champions Manchester City under pressure which nobody foresaw at the beginning of the campaign. Liverpool, who are also in the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona, have everything to gain in the next few weeks but, equally, one slip and they risk ending up with nothing. It is an intense situation but one that Klopp believes is bringing the best from his players. ‘People reminded me when I came here and signed a fouryear contract that in four years we probably would have won something,’ said the German, who renegotiated his contract in July 2016 so that it now expires in 2022. ‘It didn’t happen yet. Look, both sides — the club and myself — have a wonderful commitment that we really try everything to make the club as successful as possible. How long it will take, I have no clue. The position we are now in I am really happy with. ‘It is not the final position we want to be, but the awareness from outside of the club of where we are — second (consecutive) time in a Champions League semifinal — is really special. ‘So many teams tried to get that this year again and it did not happen. ‘You need luck in some moments. We needed it. Before Napoli (the final
group stage game) who would have thought we would be in the semis again? It is not where we want to be at the end. ‘We want to improve. Our problem is the other teams do not sleep and make good decisions as well.’ Cardiff will present a stubborn test tomorrow but manager Neil Warnock is fearful that if Liverpool click and maintain the form they have shown over the last four matches, then it could be a long and difficult afternoon. ‘We just want to give a good performance and not get a battering,’ said Warnock. ‘We can work all week, but if we freeze and make a mistake early on we may as well go home. They will just pick you off. That’s what you get with quality players. ‘When you realise our wage bill is £11million less than what they spent on agents’ fees (£44m), I think it puts it in perspective what we’re up against.’ Klopp, meanwhile, voiced his dismay at the fact Liverpool’s fans are being charged £103 for semi-final tickets in Barcelona. Liverpool are subsidising the tickets by £27 by making Barcelona’s fans pay the same price for the return leg, but it has left a sour taste. ‘As a club we thought about what we can do but, wow, that is really a big price,’ said Klopp. ‘There is nothing good to say about it. We played three times in the last four years pretty much to the last (European) matchday. ‘That was intense mentally and financially. ‘Altogether we made some pretty good experiences and hopefully it was worth it. ‘But a semi-final, Liverpool versus Barcelona, it was pretty clear they don’t make presents. That’s big money for Barca.’