KLOPP: Prem title dream has died for another season.. ‘success’ for us is a top-four finish
JURGEN KLOPP claims a top-four finish this season would be a success.
Even before his countryman Didi Hamann became the latest old boy suggesting he needs a trophy to avoid the sack, the German was aware of the brutal demands a Liverpool boss faces.
Yet Klopp is also a pragmatist, who knows that despite their history, his club have no divine right to success any more... and is now placed firmly behind the bigger spending aristocrats of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the pecking order.
That is why he talks of winning the title being the dream he starts with every season, but finishing ahead of at least two clubs who spend more than Liverpool on wages being a more realistic marker of success in football’s nuclear arms race.
Victory over rivals Tottenham tomorrow, in a game he cheerfully admits is a “six-pointer”, would take them a step closer to that goal this season, and he said: “Top four for sure is a success.
“When you start a season you can dream, but have to make a realistic target as well. I think being champion is probably the dream – not only at Liverpool but especially at Liverpool.
“Because of the season City are playing that is quite difficult. Then I would prefer to be second, if you cannot be first. But if you are second, third or fourth at the end of the season, when you look back all three positions are good, and similarly difficult to reach. Arsenal are not out of it. Tottenham are behind all of us in the Champions League positions at the moment, but only by a couple of points. So it is tough to be top four.”
That won’t play well with certain impatient sections of the Anfield crowd, nor old boys such as Hamann, Graeme Souness, John Toshack and Luis Garcia, who have all suggested the manager desperately needs a trophy.
Yet for Klopp it is a process. A year ago when his side faced – and outplayed – Spurs at Anfield, he spoke about the north Londoners being ahead of Liverpool in their development. Now the gap is closed, with only City currently out of reach for the Reds. But Klopp (right) believes there is one important element in Tottenham’s trajectory that would turn his own title dream into reality – keeping your best players.
“That they can keep their squad together for so long is a big sign to be honest,” he said. “Harry Kane is still there, even though the whole world is going nuts transfer wise.
“If someone has too much money, or more than enough, then it would make sense to ask, ‘Don’t you want to play for our team?’ He is obviously at an outstanding top level since I was in England at least. Dele Alli is not the same as last season, but still of the highest quality, Eriksen too...they are just a good side and are still together.
“The whole world buys players from everywhere, but no one buys one player from Tottenham.
“Maybe they don’t want to go. You can imagine working together helps a lot. With these players and the age group, the players are closer to 20 than 30, so that is a very, very interesting project.”
Yet Liverpool are ahead of Spurs in the table, and can open an important gap this weekend. But Klopp added: “To fulfil our dreams we have to overtake all of them. We have to be ready for achieving the biggest thing. I can only say, with all the respect, that Tottenham is a really interesting project.”
Klopp will restore Virgil van Dijk to his starting line up and Gini Wijnaldum could also return.