Jurgen Klopp: I am only at Liverpool because something went wrong

JURGEN KLOPP has admitted he is only at Liverpool because “something went wrong” following their ultimately forlorn title challenge two years ago.

 

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have struggled this term, largely due to various injuries

 

Liverpool face Norwich on Saturday having stood on the brink of the title following their last visit to Carrow Road in April 2014 when a 3-2 win maintained their momentum under Brendan Rodgers.

Raheem Sterling scored twice and Luis Suarez was also on the score-sheet, but a week later Liverpool surrendered the initiative when losing 2-0 at home to Chelsea.

Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson have also moved on that team, while injuries mean the only likely starters from the last trip to East Anglia will be Simon Mignolet, Mamadou Sakho and Lucas.

“I don't know too much about this, but of course if you have a team which is nearly champion of the league and two years later, they are not here anymore, then something went wrong, I would say,” said Klopp. 

“But it's life and it's not my situation, or my thing, to spend too much time thinking about. It's like it is.

 

“There are a lot of things different, and at Norwich too. Two weeks ago, a lot of things were different at Norwich. 

“I would not be here if all of these players were still here because then it would have been another situation. It is like it is.

“We have another situation and we have to take this team and try to do our best at Norwich.

“It's my first time in Norwich and I'm looking forward to it. It's a nice place, so let's go there and play football.”

 

Liverpool have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games, losing to West Ham and Manchester United and salvaging a last minute draw against Arsenal.

Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg tie with Stoke, when Klopp’s side will seek to protect a 1-0 lead and reach Wembley, looms large on the horizon, but there will be no prioritising of fixtures from the German.

“How could I? You know I could not do this,” said Klopp. “I don't have the players to do this. Should I play with the Exeter team again and then go into the Stoke game and don't know if it works?  

“We have to go through the situation, and we have a few players, maybe Adam (Lallana) is not ready, but hopefully then he will be fresh for Tuesday. That's all I can do for Norwich.

 

“It's the same with Dejan Lovren. Maybe tomorrow is too short for him. Maybe he can train on Sunday and then we could think about what we will do against Stoke.

“The rest, I have to take what I have and make a starting line-up, play the game and then go into the next game.

“Both games for us are very, very important. We lost the last Premier League game. We haven't won the last three Premier League games, so we should be fully focused on the Norwich game. 

“It never works in life where you concentrate on the second step and hope the first step works. Norwich, game No 1, and then we will see.”