KLOPP FIRES A WARNING
reality is if you want to be champion in the league you have to fight until the last match day.
“That is completely normal and what we must do.
“To be in that fight is very positive, a big achievement, and we have to make sure the people see that again. That is the plan.”
Klopp lost his cool with referee Kevin Friend following Monday’s 1-1 with West Ham that made it back-to-back draws for the Reds and gave City the chance to overtake them.
He claimed Friend favoured West Ham after the break because he realised Sadio Mane’s opener should have been flagged for offside.
Nerve
It led to accusations he has lost his nerve as the pressure mounts.
But he said: “I did not see what they all say they can see in our faces. When I talked to the referee after the game they say, ‘Now he is nervous’.
“I did not think it but I cannot change it. I am not.”
Their last two performances have caused concern among fans with the tension clearly evident at Anfield during last week’s 1-1 draw with Leicester.
With City not in action until tomorrow against Chelsea, Klopp has urged his side to put an end to any suggestion they are about to blow their hopes of landing a first league crown in 29 years. He said: “We are very critical. In the outside world we can never use any real explanations because it’s then always used as being an excuse, which we don’t do.
“But internally, we have to talk about why it was a bit more difficult.
‘‘We still could have performed better. We still should have performed better, especially in the Leicester game.
“We expect ourselves to do better. We expect ourselves to show more passion and all that stuff.
“The thing is that all the people can say what they say at the moment, and it’s predictable that they say that.
“But they can say it’s only because we gave them the opportunity with the performances we had.
“The performances weren’t exactly as we wanted them. That’s what we have to change and what we are working on.
“We are not blind to our problems, but it’s not as serious as people make it. That’s the truth.
“Obviously it is getting exciting now. It was always clear that would happen.
“We have to show it on the pitch, that we are really ready to fight. The fans have to show that they are as well, if they want to show it.
“We know the job we have to perform at the highest level, to fight for every yard, to really dig in and then our crowd is there.”
¬ Dalglish on Klopp
– see pullout