Klopp Talk: “Nineteen Games to Go”

Jürgen Klopp isn’t interested in Liverpool’s current table position beyond how it sets his side up for the second half.

Liverpool haven’t won anything. Not yet. His side have built a foundation for the second half, but that’s all. That was Jürgen Klopp’s message following his side’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle to end the first half of the 2018-19 Premier League season.

“That means nothing,” Klopp said when asked about his side ending the first half with a six point lead on Tottenham and seven points on Manchester City. “Now we play Arsenal and City. It’s good we have six points more but that is what we wanted to do all the time.

“We wanted to create a basis for the rest of the season. Now the first part of the season is over and we want to create our own history. So the first half, unbeaten, we conceded seven goals, that is good. Numbers good, good situation, but 19 games to go.”

Nineteen games to go now and a foundation for a second half that would secure this Liverpool side’s place in history as the club’s first title winners since the 1989-90 season and first ever winners since the old first division became the Premier League.

It’s a good place to be—a great place to be—and Klopp continues to want the fans in particular to enjoy the ride, but until the next 19 games are played, being where they are only offers the manager, players, and fans the possibility of achievement.

“So we play Arsenal, we play City, we play Tottenham,” he added “We play all the teams again. It’s very difficult, a very long way to go, we know that. I had no idea how any other team was playing, I didn’t even know where they were playing.

“Afterwards I got the results and I have to say it didn’t do a lot for me. It is just information. We have to win our games. We have to be focused, we have to be really in the mood and have tunnel vision and see where it will lead us.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com