Focus on the new season, says Klopp

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to put their Champions League success behind them and concentrate on the new season and chasing down “clear favourites” Manchester City in the Premier League.

Ahead of tomorrow’s Community Shield against City at Wembley, Klopp, who has been without a number of key players for the majority of pre-season, has already been forced to defend his team after an indifferent run of results and denied there was more pressure on them after their European triumph.

Instead, he believes the players remain motivated for more glory, especially as they seek to end the club’s 30-year wait for a domestic championship after missing out on the title last season by just a single point to City.

“The players are not the problem,” said Klopp. “The new situation is that it was a big achievement for the club, for each individual. It meant a completely different summer. Everybody is talking to you about it. It’s all nice, but it keeps you in that moment.

“I want to be completely focused on a new season. When we said we had to get rid of the backpack of the history of the club so we could make a step in the right direction, then we have to make sure our own history, even if it’s good, doesn’t keep us in that moment. The boys are fine, still the sensational characters from last year.”

He said of City: “Because they’ve won the league twice in a row, that’s one reason [for being favourites]. We have to prove again that we can be on that level – 97 points was not a coincidence, but it’s not as if we outplayed all the teams. We were a real results machine last year.

“But [City] didn’t lose a player, apart from [Vincent] Kompany. They are clear favourites. But being a favourite has no influence on a season. Getting a good start, that’s our main thing.”