A recent slump by Liverpool has seen manager Jurgen Klopp officially concede the defense of their league title this past weekend. The Sunday loss to Leicester City, coupled with a potential West Ham United win, would see the Reds fall out of the top four.
The club’s dip in form plus Klopp’s recently losing his mother have created concerns about the mental health of the manager, as the stressors continue to pile on. It’s also led to stories and rumors that he could resign or be even get sacked by the club.
In a press conference previewing tomorrow’s UCL knockout round tie versus RB Leipzig, Klopp laughed off the rumors, but he was noticeably angry about the exit narratives surrounding him.
โDid I get sacked or did I leave by myself?โ Klopp said.
“I don’t need a break. Privately, we had a tough time, that was a much longer time already and we always deal with it as a family 100%.
“I am 53 — I have worked in football for a long time and I can switch off. I don’t carry things around. Nobody has to worry about me.
“The beard gets more and more grey, I donโt sleep a lot, but Iโm full of energy. Now we are in this situation I see it as a challenge. We will sort it by playing football, we will sort it by fighting with all we have. That’s the plan.”
“At the moment, a lot of people are not happy with the results. I get that, but I am responsible for that. It’s a massive challenge. I’m ready, the boys are ready, and we will give our absolute everything to sort it.”
Liverpool have lost three straight in the Premier League, and have now fallen 13 points off the pace of league leading Manchester City, who also have a game in hand to boot.
It’s been a really stressful season for Klopp, who has seen his defense, especially centrally, ravaged by injury.
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that the goal for this season is now to make the top four and even that will be a tremendous challenge, given the large number of strong contenders for the UCL qualification slots who are closing in.
The first leg of their round of 16 clash, originally slated to be staged at Leipzig, had to be moved to Budapest due to safety protocols in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
After the defeat to Leicester, some Liverpool supporters unveiled a banner at Anfield that expressed support for Klopp. He expressed gratitude while at the same time maintaining that it’s not really required.
โThe banner is nice, I donโt feel that I need special support but it is very nice,” he said.
“We do this for the people. I feel the responsibility so much when things donโt go well. The majority of our people are still, and maybe even more so, with us.โ
Jurgen Klopp went on to say how the fans provide support and inspiration for both him and his side:
โItโs nice to see but Iโd prefer to fight this with our people in the stadium. Itโs not what you wish for as you can show real togetherness if the stadiums were full for the next 10 games. So we fight together, just in different places. Knowing about the support is great.โ
Paul M. Banks runsย The Sports Bank, partnered withย News Now.ย Banks, the author ofย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,โ has regularly appeared inย WGN,ย Sports Illustrated,ย Chicago Tribuneย andย SB Nation.ย Follow himย onย Twitterย andย Instagram.
