Klopp: No-one believes in us... except me

JURGEN KLOPP says nobody believes in his Liverpool side except him.

The Kop boss launched a fierce defence of his under-fire team in the wake of their Champions League collapse against Sevilla when they blew a three-goal lead and the chance to book a spot in the last 16.

It followed a run of four wins with 13 goals and just one conceded, but it was more evidence of the inconsistency that leaves them 12 points off the top spot in the Premier League.

They face champions Chelsea today looking to land a blow on one of their top-six rivals – having only beaten Arsenal, with a draw against Manchester United and heavy defeats by Manchester City and Tottenham.

“No one is really believing in us,” said Klopp, who appears upset by the constant criticism from former players and on social media.

“You can feel it. If we do good, it’s good, and if we don’t do good it’s, ‘They have goofed again’.

“Our job is to be consistent and now it’s Chelsea, the champions of last year.

“I’m happy about a lot of things but we have to show them.”

But while Klopp doubts those outside Anfield believe in them, he has not lost any trust in his players.

Not even Alberto Moreno after the full-back’s horror show in Spain, when he gave away a freekick and lost his man for the opener before he conceded a sloppy penalty.

“It’s not a player to blame, I am 100 per cent responsible for that. I told Alberto I still trust him 100 per cent,” Klopp revealed.

“I can trust this team. We could have done better in a lot of games ® but that doesn’t minimise my trust, that’s the thing you have to accept.” Jordan Henderson (inset) has also come under the spotlight and Klopp is aware how tough it is for him having to follow Anfield legend Steven Gerrard as skipper. There have also been questions about his suitability for his role in the team. “Of course Jordan can play the No.6,” said Klopp. “He played it for England, he played it for us. “In this game, I would love to see one of the big pundits being on the pitch and be the person who changed the whole game. “That really is f ***** g legend. It really never happens.

Improve

“You stand in between saying, ‘Come on, push up’. Things like this.

“If we score the fourth goal against Sevilla then everything is fine and Jordan is fine.

“Could he change the game on the pitch? No. Was he too deep in a few positions? Yes.

“Does that make me think he cannot play the No.6? No, of course not. “Can he improve? Yes. But did he improve already a lot?

“Wow. 100 per cent. He is a proper captain.” Klopp acknowledged that anybody trying to follow Gerrard’s footsteps as an inspirational leader has an almost impossible task.

“He (Henderson) didn’t know how to do it because nobody had to think about how to be captain at Liverpool because they had one for 20 years,” Klopp added.

“So whatever he is doing it is not good enough because even when he is good he is still not as good as the other one was. I have no problem with that.

“How can you say he needs to be better because he has the captaincy?

“I will never get this kind of talk. I don’t understand that.”