Fight like Rocky for title

JURGEN KLOPP believes Liverpool need to summon the fighting spirit of Rocky to knock out champions Manchester City in the title scrap.

Klopp’s men kick off their league campaign at home to West Ham tomorrow, bidding to end what will be a 29-year wait come next May for a league title.

But after splashing out £170million on transfers this summer, hopes are high they can improve on last season’s fourth place.

Klopp has turned to boxing blockbuster Rocky IV to explain how Liverpool can close in on City after a 25-point deficit last season.

In Klopp’s favourite instalment of the film series, Rocky Balboa was the underdog again when he faced the might of Soviet superpower Ivan Drago.

“We are still Rocky Balboa, not Ivan Drago,” said Klopp. “We are the ones who have to do more, fight more and that must be our attitude.

“We didn’t reach anything so far. We went to finals. Should we go to a final again we should try to win it this time. In the league it is exactly the same – we finished in the Champions League places in fourth but there is still second and third which would be better. Then we can talk but at the moment is it nothing. We have like Rocky.”

Klopp his comparison with Sylvester Stallone’s character is down to how the fictional fighter ends up with his hand raised in victory after giving it his all.

“I don’t want to be the underdog,” he said. “I want to win, and Rocky won. It’s only the difference. Our potential is good, what we do with it we will see and that’s only the quality we have. I see us as a team that challenges...the ones who have to do more, run more, jump more.

“We have to add 10, 15, 20 per cent in all departments – attitude, greed, readiness, anger, all that stuff. West Ham are here and want our points. We have to be ready.”

After their Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid, when Loris Karius experienced a horror night, the Reds signed Brazil keeper Alisson for £65m and added midfield duo Fabinho and Naby Keita as well as Xherdan Shaqiri in attack. But Klopp said it was not a response to that loss in Kiev, adding: “The Champions League final, surprisingly, had absolutely nothing to do with our transfer business.

“Everything was already fixed and clear about what we wanted.” says to be