Jurg en advises So uthg ate ‘to g ive it a try’ in Russia
Jurgen Klopp has four words of encouragement for Gareth Southgate and his England team as they begin their preparations for the World Cup Finals in Russia.
The Liverpool boss’s message is simple: “Give it a try”.
He insists: “If I were to say now that England have a chance to win it, you would think: ‘Yeah, really? Is that true?’.
“Yes, it’s true. Seven or eight nations have the chance to win it, so give it a try. That’s all. I have a lot of English players in my squad. I know how good they are. I see all Gareth Southgate’s players in the Premier League.
“It’s probably the same situation we had at Liverpool when I arrived in October, 2015. The feeling was that we were never good enough. “Maybe because I said it, or because I was here, people said: ‘Come on, let’s give it a try’. Since then, we’ve made steps.
“No country in the world can go into the World Cup and say: ‘We will win it’.
“You are blessed in this country with wonderfully talented, skilful, honest, committed and tacticallyastute players. You are blessed with a coach who is brave and innovative. “England has the tools because the manager and the players have the mentality, attitude and character. It is all there for you.
“I advise journalists not to type ‘1966’ because maybe that reduces the pressure a notch or two. “Maybe take the numbers off your computer keyboards for the summer and let this team write their own history and memories!
“The 1966 thing is a story all over the world. It’s a big thing. In Germany, it’s a big story for different reasons!”