Jürgen Klopp expressed his enthusiasm for competing for four titles once again this season, despite the setback that Liverpool faced after attempting to win all four trophies in 2022.
Liverpool will kick off their FA Cup journey with a challenging game against Arsenal on Sunday, followed by a home match against Fulham in the first round of the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday. Klopp’s squad is currently leading the way in the Premier League standings and has also advanced to the round of 16 in the Europa League, with many predicting them to emerge as the champions.
In the 2021-22 season, Liverpool played all 63 available games and won both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. They also made it to the Champions League final and came close in the title race until the very last day. However, this intense pursuit took a toll on the team, resulting in them not qualifying for the Champions League the following season for the first time in seven years. Despite this, Klopp emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities in football rather than being concerned about the effects of a challenging season.
The manager of Liverpool stated that the season, which included three finals and a challenging Premier League season, was both intense and enjoyable. He described the games as being played at a high level and expressed his excitement for the two finals against Chelsea. He also mentioned that playing at Wembley was a fantastic experience and that he wouldn’t want to change it for anything.
“Although reaching the Champions League final may not be possible, there is still a chance at reaching the Europa League final. However, it will be challenging as there are strong teams competing. We should not worry about the impact on our next season. The summer break may be longer for some, but there is also the Euros to consider. We cannot let the possibility of future problems affect our performance in the current competition. If any issues arise, we will deal with them when the time comes.”
Unfortunately, Dominik Szoboszlai will not be able to participate in the upcoming matches against Arsenal and Fulham due to a hamstring injury he suffered during Monday’s game against Newcastle. Additionally, Liverpool will also be without Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo as they are currently competing in the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup. As a result, Klopp acknowledges that he will need to come up with a creative solution to fill the void left by his top scorer.
Klopp recently used Harvey Elliott in the same position as Salah during the 5-1 victory against West Ham in the Carabao Cup. “Mo cannot play every game,” Klopp explained. “Even though he may have been physically ready to start in the games where I rotated him, it is important to give him breaks to avoid pushing himself too hard.”
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“We now need to consider our options and potentially alter our system. When Mo is on the field, it is logical for us to play in a way that allows him to be in his preferred position. He deserves that and it greatly benefits our team. However, when he is absent, we must be innovative and find alternative strategies. I cannot predict what unexpected developments may arise after all this time, but perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised.”
Source: theguardian.com
