Jurgen Klopp returns to the scene of his lowest point as Liverpool boss saying he has ‘not become a bad manager overnight’.
Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Brighton gives the German an early chance to avenge a 3-0 defeat at The Amex a fortnight ago, which he described as the ‘worst’ in his seven-year tenure at Anfield.
It fitted the pattern of Liverpool’s awkward season following four years of domination alongside Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp has the chance to exact swift revenge against Brighton on Sunday
Klopp believes he may have been under more pressure without the credit of already banking four trophies but argues that long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota have had an impact.
The 3-0 defeat to Brighton was arguably Klopp’s worst game as Liverpool manager
‘I was never as good as people probably said or not as bad as some people might think,’ said Klopp. ‘I didn’t become a bad manager overnight. But imagine if you were talking to another coach of Liverpool, a different face who has to explain these things. Nobody would listen. They’d say last season was great, this year is not great, so go.
‘You need to have wide shoulders in tough times. We will go for it with all we have, then do it in a way that people can’t wait to go to the stadium for the next spectacular.’
Liverpool have already lost three times the amount of league games this season compared to the whole of the last campaign (6-2).
The founding father of modern Liverpool Bill Shankly had a famous saying ‘If you are second, you’re are nothing’, which was pinned on the training ground wall. ‘I thought ‘thanks for that’. I have been more second place in my life than first, to be honest,’ said Klopp.
Klopp can console himself that even Shankly once went seven years without winning a trophy, while he is the first Liverpool manager in history to complete a clean sweep of League, European Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.
‘Winning more trophies is important, yes. Can I promise it? No. If decisive players are out, you cannot just replace them,’ he said.
The German manager’s side have already lost three times as many league games as last season