Klopp: Only idiot would lose faith in my Reds
CHELSEAvLIVERPOOL
JURGEN KLOPP insisted he’d be an “idiot” if he did not keep total faith with his wounded Liverpool side.
The Reds manager revealed he held a team meeting the day after their shock 3-0 defeat at Watford but explained he did not exchange harsh words with the players.
Instead, Klopp told them he knows they will bounce back by showing their mental strength, following the end of a remarkable 44-game Premier League unbeaten run – the second longest in English top-flight history.
Ahead of a mouth-watering and now significant FA Cup clash with Chelsea tonight, Klopp: “I am not a bit in doubt about the character of the boys and I would be a real idiot if I would be.
“They deserve my trust, faith and they don’t lose it after a bad game.
“It can happen that I get angry with the players but I didn’t get angry with them in this meeting.”
Meanwhile, rookie boss Frank Lampard says he wants the same amount of time to build a winning dynasty at Chelsea as Klopp has had at Liverpool.
Lampard’s inconsistent side host Klopp’s Premier League championselect tonight.
The Chelsea manager is in his debut season as a top-flight gaffer but insists Liverpool are the example he wants to follow.
Lampard said: “The Liverpool journey is an incredible story. We have seen the journey of this team that is now an absolute machine.
“It can take time. Liverpool is a great model. What they have done is fantastic.”
STEVE BRUCE wants FA Cup joy to sweep away the dark clouds over Newcastle.
Victory in tonight’s fifth-round tie at West Brom would leave them 90 minutes from a first trip to Wembley in 20 years.
And Bruce believes a Cup run can be a springboard to Premier League survival.
He said: “I hope we can give everyone a lift. Let’s have something to look forward to rather than doom and gloom.
“We’ve got 5000 going, which is unbelievable. Let’s embrace it. Let’s give it a go. The season is still all to play for.
“We’ve got 32 points with 10 games to spare and if someone told me in August that would be the case, I’d have taken it.”