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| Jurgen Klopp has been out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season |
JURGEN KLOPP has increased the pressure on Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers after making it known he would be prepared to cut short his sabbatical and relaunch his managerial career in England.
The manner of Liverpool's penalty shoot-out success over League Two Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday did little to lift the pressure or bolster the impression that this is a team about to embark on a winning run.
Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre made a point of seeing Rodgers after the tie and he was at Melwood yesterday where he is now based two days a week.
The club insist no approaches have been made to any other managers, though with only four wins from their last 14 league games the scrutiny Rodgers is under comes with the territory.
Klopp left Dortmund after seven years in charge at the end of last season, claiming he was no longer the "perfect coach" for a club he guided to two Bundesliga titles. He had previously been a target for Liverpool's American owner, John W Henry, before Rodgers was appointed in 2012, but did not want to leave Dortmund at that point.
Since quitting, Klopp has been on holiday but has made no secret that he feels England would be a natural next stop for him.
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| Brendan Rodgers is under growing pressure at Liverpool |
The former Borussia Dortmund coach has previously stated a desire to work in the Premier League but it is the specific timing of the latest link that is pertinent given the problems engulfing Rodgers.
Klopp has not received an offer from Liverpool but the decision to make clear his situation comes just 24 hours after Carlo Ancelotti was also mentioned for the Anfield job.
Rodgers is scheduled to face questions on his future at a press conference this morning having come under increased scrutiny following a downturn in results this season to go with the unsatisfactory way last term finished.
The Liverpool manager is aware of the importance of looming fixtures with Aston Villa visiting Anfield tomorrow before the Merseyside Derby at Everton on October 4.
"It is important to make the next step," said Klopp in July. "And I think England is the only country where I should work next to Germany because it's the only country where I know the language."
If Rodgers' position became untenable, there appears a shortage of contenders with Klopp and former Chelsea manager Ancelotti both currently out of work.
Ancelotti has had back surgery since leaving Real Madrid at the end of last season.
Rodgers - who was the last to leave Melwood yesterday shortly before 6pm - continues in the meantime, seeking to remove the noise surrounding his tenure and imbuing confidence back in his reign having come through an end-of-season review.
Liverpool sent Roberto Firmino and Dejan Lovren for scans yesterday with Lovren, in particular, facing a lengthy spell out with damaged ankle ligaments.
Those absences come with skipper Jordan Henderson out until November and Christian Benteke likely to miss the game with former club Villa.
It leaves Danny Ings to take on responsibility and he remained upbeat, saying: "You just approach every game the same as before all this.
"It is about us as a team, winning games and that is all we can do for the manager. It is important that we get wins under our melt so we can move forward.
"We've gone through a sticky patch as a team and it is just important for us now to start winning games and go on a run.
"Everyone was just relieved that we got the win [over Carlisle] and got into the next round. It was important just to get through, whether it was a penalty shootout or we won comfortably. For me, it didn't matter.
"All that mattered was getting the result and moving on. You can just sense there is a big result around the corner. I can certainly feel it playing in the side and I am sure lads feel the same."
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