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- -Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League on Tuesday night
- -The Reds have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions
- -Jurgen Klopp's men have lost three games at home in the space of a week
- -They exited both cup competitions and lost ground in the Premier League
Liverpool have lost three games at home in the space of a week, suffering a setback to their title challenge against Swansea as well as going out of both domestic cup competitions to Southampton and Wolves.
Klopp believes that rather than looking at his team’s form as ‘rubbish’, he prefers to be positive and find a solution to their problems.
‘The challenge for all of us is to stay positive. There are still reasons for this,’ he said. ‘The last week we have lost three home games and that feels less than average but three different competitions is better than all in one competition.
‘We left the League Cup in the second best moment, the semi-finals. Not a world class performance, little bit unlucky but deserved. We left the FA Cup like a lot of teams did. That’s not good, absolutely not. At the beginning of the of the week we lost a Premier League game, the first since I don’t know when at home.‘It’s all about point of view, how you want to see it. If you only take these three games and say, “okay, everything is rubbish”, I cannot change. But for us it’s very important we build on the good things.
‘In my understanding, that’s how life should be. If you suffer under the bad things in your day and celebrate the good things, you will always struggle to be a happy person. In life that is absolutely normal.
Liverpool players leave the pitch looking dejected after Saturday's defeat to Wolves
‘Is it allowed to go for the best position in the Premier League, or should we already put the head down and “okay, sorry we failed again – let’s come through the season somehow and next year we try again with different players and, if someone asks for it, a different manager?”.
‘I cannot decide about this but I really think we should try everything to make the best of the base we created until now. Many teams left the League Cup before we did.
‘We have the possibility to play really good football. The next hundred or so days are really important for us and I would give the advice to everybody: stay positive, there is no reason for anything else. Absolutely not.
In the short-term it would help a lot against Chelsea because they are not a really bad team.
‘It’s different for a lot of people, but not for me – thank God I’m closer to the team.
‘The situation is an interesting sign of life that it can change in one month. My job is to put out the emotion when I judge situations. After a bad game I cannot say we need to get rid of him, or whatever, and change everything. The main thing in the job is to stay calm and make the right decisions.
Richard Stearman of Wolves celebrates scoring his team's first goal at Anfield
‘Let’s go to the end of the season. I think it’s possible. We could qualify for the Champions League. Is it allowed to celebrate a position like this in this strong league with the outstanding run of Chelsea so far? I think, yes it should be allowed that we would celebrate something like this.
‘But as long as it’s possible for us we should fight for it because that’s how a football season is. Go for it.
‘Yes it’s a lot to go for in a season but I think we should try and not judge now players and all the mistakes we made in the season. We made that many mistakes that we are still fourth in the league and out of League Cup in the semi-final. We will do everything to be as successful as possible, one hundred per cent.’
Liverpool beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in September, and Klopp believes that the rest of the Premier League will be hoping they overcome Antonio Conte’s side again to keep the title race open.
‘I’m sure a lot of teams in the league are on our side and want us to win,’ he added.
Klopp's side have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions
Next up for the Reds is a clash with Chelsea, arguably their most important game of the season
‘I know what will happen after the game if we lose a fourth game in a row. But if we had won the last 10 games, it would not make it more likely to beat Chelsea.
‘We have no responsibility for Chelsea’s near perfect season because we beat them once. The rest we have no influence on. We will try everything to keep the points. It means something but not everything.
‘Of course they are doing an outstanding job until now. They are having a fantastic season, but even they left the League Cup earlier than we did.
‘They play really well and in a few games they have the right amount of luck that you need. They are a real threat. The system they play, they play all the time. I don’t think there are a lot of changes, that’s how progress can work.
‘They do well, you cannot say differently. We only play twice against them. The rest is their job and we have to play our own season.
‘This winning mentality that Chelsea had when they became champions it was only two years ago – this really experienced football, not always entertaining. That’s quality and it’s interesting to watch.
Liverpool emerged victorious when the two sides faced each other earlier this season
‘I can say nothing about Chelsea’s position, we have to do everything to keep these three points. If they lose here and win the rest they are probably champions. That is not our thing to think about, only the game.
‘It’s really interesting challenge for us because they are in a good moment. It means something but not everything. That’s football. We lost a few games we could have won.
'A lot of people are saying this could be a difficult moment for Liverpool and it is difficult, no doubt about this. But possible. Who wants to help? You are very welcome.
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