The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Klopp embraces pressure
● Liverpool manager is raring to go in club’s league title defence
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the defence of their Premier League title is the best problem they can have.
The Reds raced to their first title for 30 years with seven matches to spare of an interrupted season, but even before the silverware was lifted at Anfield’s last game of the campaign, questions were already being asked about whether they could repeat the feat.
Manchester City have been made the slight favourites and Klopp knows it will not be easy to maintain the standards which have seen his side record 99 and 97 points in the last two seasons – losing just four times in that spell – but that is what he expects.
“Winning the league last year is the best problem you can have,” he said.
“If it’s a problem then I don’t know it, but everybody else is giving me a feeling that it should be a problem.
“Everybody wants to become champions and that’s not news to me as I knew it before.
“It’s all about how we can put these intense performances on the pitch again and again and again.
“The Premier League is the strongest league in the world and that means we have more competitors than we really need.”
Liverpool face an intriguing test in their opening match at home to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, winners of the Sky Bet Championship and back in the top flight after 16 years.
Bielsa has inspired a number of the world’s top coaches – Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino – but what Klopp recalls is the Argentinian’s famed work ethic and (sometimes questionable) methods.
“I admire him but I was never close enough to him to really follow him,” said the Reds boss.
“Maybe the hardestworking of all us, I don’t think we can compete with him in that area.”
There has been some criticism from sections of a demanding fanbase unhappy that the only transfer business Liverpool have done so far is the £11.7 million signing of Kostas Tsimikas as cover for leftback Andy Robertson, having sold defender Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg and allowed midfielder Adam Lallana to leave after the expiry of his contract.
Barcelona are also circling after expressing interest in Georginio
Wijnaldum, whose current deal runs out next summer.
Klopp insists the situation with the midfielder is not a concern.
Supporters have been clamouring for the signing of Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara, a player Klopp likes, but that will not happen unless money is raised from somewhere else or Wijnaldum leaves for Spain.
“If I could invent a word now that would end speculation, I could become really rich,” said Klopp.
“I can’t end speculation as long as the transfer window is open, that’s all I can say.
“Did I mention that Thiago Alcantara is a really good player? Long ago.
“It’s nice that we are linked with him but that’s pretty much all, really.”