Klopp refuses to set clear Liverpool goal
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp admits he is not sure he would be “satisfied” with a Champions League place at the end of a Premier League season that threatens to be the most competitive yet.
Klopp, whose team finished eighth last season, outside the European qualifying places, has been told by the club’s owners before today’s opening fixture at Arsenal that they expect an improvement on that after a transfer outlay of more than £60 million.
Some of that talent will be on show today, with Sadio Mané expected to make his debut in a Liverpool front line brimming with possibilities. Daniel Sturridge, who is struggling to be fit to face Arsenal, is one big name unsure of his place in the new Anfield order.
Klopp denies he has been set specific targets by the owners and remains noncommital about what would constitute success this season. “Hopefully we finish above Arsenal, that would be great. If we are then in the first four, I’ve no idea,’’ he said. “You have to be thankful for the things you get, it’s a very important thing in life.
“I want to look back after the season really satisfied. At this moment, I have no idea what that would mean … It would be great [to finish fourth], of course, we haven’t played Champions League for two years. But I’m not sure that I would be satisfied.”
It is unclear if Fenway, the club’s owners, would be satisfied with fourth. “They want to see development and improvement,” Klopp said. “They want us to win as much as we can, but no specific targets.”
Today’s opponents, Arsenal, have injury problems but manager Arsène Wenger hinted he may not bring in another striker in this transfer window.
A lack of goals was one factor in Arsenal finishing second to Leicester last season. They scored 65 league goals, the lowest of all the clubs who finished in the top four and their smallest total since the 2006-07 campaign. The club failed with attempts to sign Leicester’s Jamie Vardy and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette this summer.
Asked if he would bring in a new striker, Wenger said: “We have [Alexis] Sánchez, we have [Theo] Walcott.” And asked if he has the players to increase Arsenal’s goal tally, he added: “Yes, because our finishing last year was of a worse quality than the year before and we had the same players. That means it’s a bit cyclical. I think it’s linked with the fact that we had some players out for a long period. We were the highest team in expected chances created. We were the highest team in quality of chances created in the final third. And we were not at our level in the finishing, that’s where we want to improve.”