Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool side owe their supporters a big performance against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Liverpool welcome Premier League leaders Chelsea to Anfield in desperate need of a win to keep their season alive after three successive home defeats last week.
Klopp wants fans to forget the recent setbacks and create an intimidating atmosphere for Antonio Conte's side.
"My impression is that the supporters are really still together," Klopp said. "It was good in and around the stadium on Saturday. The defeat wasn't about the performance of the crowd.
"We haven't given the crowd a lot to celebrate over the last few games but now is another chance. It's important.
"It is a floodlit game at Anfield. It should be an outstanding atmosphere against the strongest side in the Premier League at this moment.
"In this game a lot of things will not work because you cannot come through always against Chelsea, it's absolutely impossible. Be ready for this frustration and go for the next moment.
"You hear the difference in the stadium when you miss a chance and everyone goes 'Aaargh, again?' You can hear it. Or 'Go Again!' because now we know how to come through against them. It is exactly the same situation played in a different atmosphere. It would help to be positive."
Liverpool have only won one game in 2017, and last week crashed out of two cup competitions, while a 10-point gap opened up between them and Chelsea.
However, Klopp says he does not need to "punish" his players, more provide them with an arm around the shoulder.
"I am absolutely not a manager for the public," he added. "I am not a manager who is interested in what I should say to you and I am not interested in what people think about what I say.
"I am only interested in what my players think after I have spoken to them. Hopefully I speak to my players better than I speak to you.
"I'm not going to punish them in there and then come here and be a positive guy.
"I forget your questions the second after you ask it. I go out and work with the players again and that's what I'm interested in -- nothing else."
Meanwhile, Klopp does not anticipate the club to be busy on transfer deadline day, insisting that is not his style to do business.
When asked for his thoughts on hype generated by the closing of the transfer window, he replied: "I don't mind, I think if you ask me a question about it I always answer, [though] probably not a lot of times when I've given the answer you want to hear. I'm sorry for this.
"I have no problem. I thought last summer actually these transfers could have been finished earlier but they wait obviously until the last second and then it's done.
"That's not my way. You should plan things like this. Obviously they plan, I'm not in the other clubs, I don't know exactly what they do.
"You can do what you want really and if it's entertaining, it's entertaining. I'm not entertained -- that should not be a big problem."
No comments:
Post a Comment