WE ARE IN THE 90S ERA
Klopp says teams will have to hit almost 100 points to win the Premier League these days
JURGEN KLOPP believes the days of teams winning the Premier League with less than 90 points are now consigned to history.
The Liverpool manager admits that his side will need to be “close to perfect” to defend the title, with the incredible quality of their rivals in this season’s race.
Only 10 times in the history of the Premier League has a side recorded a total of 90 points or more to lift the trophy. That happened six times in the first 24 years of the competition but, incredibly, it has been surpassed in each of the last four seasons.
And Klopp is under no illusions that his team must again smash through that barrier, as they did in recordbreaking style last season, to retain their crown.
“If we want to challenge for the holy grail we have to be nearly perfect,” he said. “That means ending up with a really, really high points tally.
“You cannot be champions in England with 80-something points any more. Last season, I knew with the quality and consistency that Manchester City showed it was clear, you had to be pretty close to perfect.
“That is a thing we had to learn. Giving absolutely everything doesn’t guarantee you win anything. It’s just gives you a chance.”
But Klopp is adamant that he and his squad are now determined to do what no
Liverpool side has achieved in more than 36 years, and that is to win back-to-back titles.
They last retained the title when they won it three times in succession in 1982, ’ 83 and ’84. Klopp knows with the rivalry City, Chelsea and the rest of the Big Six can offer – and neighbours Everton too – it will be harder than ever to win the league again.
But he revealed a conversation he had with his
CHAMPS Conte’s Chelsea team topped 90 points ts and Klopp, Guardiola and Ferguson managed it too oo players after becoming champions. “The boys and I decided we want to mix up things in the future, so that we don’t know when we won each thing. ‘ Was it 20, 21 or 22 when we won that one? I do not know, that was 23?’. That is the plan,” said Klopp (right) with a laugh.
“So there is some work to do. But if we all stay healthy, if we all stay committed, if we all keep believing, if we all keep dreaming, then I think we have a chance.”
Whatever happens, the German believes winning the 2020 title after 30 years – especially during a global pandemic – makes it one of the greatest triumphs in recent football history.
He added: “If you see the circumstance, if you see the challenges, if you see the opponents, if you see the pressure on the boys when I arrived here, it was one of the biggest achievements.
“Ending the 30-year wait meant abs o l u t e l y everything to our fans and absolutely everything to us here as well.”