Klopp: Foxes could be right there again
THIS is supposed to be the season in which the giants of English football reassert their authority after Leicester City’s unexpected title triumph.
But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp isn’t ruling out the Foxes – who lost to Hull in their opener – being a major player once again.
The Reds were one of only two teams to defeat Leicester last season. But Klopp is not prepared to write the Foxes off as oneseason wonders just yet.
“Another team doing a Leicester, I’m not so sure,” he says. “But Leicester again is possible. They did well last year, really well.
“Ahmed Musa is the perfect player for their system. Everybody knows him and their biggest strength is counter-attacking and he is a really quick boy. If you think of him and Jamie Vardy – wow, they can run.
“I remember last season after we beat them at home and we were in the manager’s office. I said to Claudio Ranieri: ‘Why shouldn’t Leicester be champions?’ He said: ‘Stop talking, there’s no chance.’
“But four weeks later, they believed. That’s how it is.”
How Liverpool fans must wish they could ‘do a Leicester’. This is the 27th season since they were last champions of England.
Klopp has been a busy man this summer preparing for his first full campaign at Anfield. Seven new arrivals have come in as the German looks to get the Reds competing at the top.
There were glimpses of what Klopp could do last season as they reached the finals of the Capital One Cup and the Europa League. But eighth in the Premier League was disappointing.
The Manchester clubs may have spent far more in the transfer market, notably on Paul Pogba and John Stones but Liverpool’s boss is not casting envious glances.
And, as they begin their campaign this afternoon with a difficult trip to Arsenal, Klopp is not putting a limit on their ambitions.
“I am absolutely not interested in what other clubs are doing,” he states. “There is no point. I am focused on here.
“I don’t want to criticise what they are doing and I don’t want to criticise the market. If they spend that for players, then they are convinced they have quality.
“You have to find a way that works for you. I don’t believe that the big price of a player makes you more confident. This player can get injured and then you have a bigger hole to fill.
“We trust in the players we already have and the ones we have brought in. Now we want to improve the situation together.
“At this stage, everything is possible. But only one team will be champions and only four will get into the Champions League.
“Why should I limit our expectations? I am as sure as I can be that we will be successful, but what does that mean?
“I’m pretty sure that right now, 19 other teams think they can be successful, too.”