LONDON – Liverpool must show their hunger to get their season back on track after a bruising period which saw them lose their English Premier League lead and exit the Europa League, manager Jurgen Klopp said ahead of his side’s league trip to Fulham on April 21.
The Reds ended a three-game winless run in all competitions with a 1-0 victory over Atalanta on April 18, but it was not enough to keep them in the Europa League after a 3-0 thrashing in their quarter-final, first leg at Anfield.
That result was sandwiched between a 2-2 Premier League draw at Manchester United and a shock 1-0 defeat at home against Crystal Palace last weekend that left them two points behind Manchester City in the title race.
By the time they take on Fulham, Liverpool could be three points behind Arsenal, who faced Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 20 and could leapfrog City with a win.
“We have to make sure we become that opponent for each team again (that) they don’t want to play against. We made it a bit too easy for three teams in a row and we should change that,” Klopp said on April 19.
When asked if his side could bounce back after their setback in Europe, he insisted: “I’m absolutely positive after processing the things properly. I’m more than happy with the situation we are in.”
The Liverpool boss is leaving the club at the end of the season and initially had dreams of winning the quadruple, but the German now faces the possibility of departing with just the League Cup title.
The Reds had also bowed out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage after losing 4-3 to United.
All that aside, the immediate focus is on Fulham, and Klopp said his side have to show their desire to win.
“It’s always like this, we have to show that we want it more than them, even when it’s at their place,” he urged.
“I think if we would win all our (six) games, yeah, there’s a good chance that we will be champion.
“But now we all sit here and think, ‘OK, City will win all their games’. Yeah, that’s happened quite frequently, but they have a lot of games to play, difficult opponents as well.”
Liverpool have had two seasons where the title race with City has seen them miss out by just one point after both clubs finished strongly.
“The thing is clear – if you want to be champion in the Premier League you have to be close to perfect,” Klopp added. REUTERS, AFP
