Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes their current status as Premier League leaders has made a “statement” but knows the situation can quickly unravel.
Their lead over Manchester City is a point and two over third-placed Arsenal, but Klopp admitted maintaining their winning run was the only way to stay ahead of the chasing pack and their advantage was balanced on a knife edge due to injuries ravaging his squad.
There are similarities to two years ago when Liverpool also had 60 points after 26 matches – although that was only good enough to be three points behind City – and were chasing another quadruple.
On that occasion they finished with a domestic cup double but finished runners-up in the league by a point on 92 and lost the Champions League final.
However, with 10 first-team players still currently sidelined, Klopp said the two campaigns were not comparable.
“It is only one point above City and two points above Arsenal but that means nothing,” he said.
“Sixty points is a statement for that moment in the season but stay on 60 and I am not sure you qualify for the Champions League to be honest so we had better continue winning football games.
“It was a much more comfortable squad situation (two years ago). As far as I remember we could make massive changes between competitions.
“You cannot really compare it but it showed us you can fight for everything and win something.
“Some people will be happy with that and some will tell you it was not enough but for us, it was a successful season and let’s hope we can make a successful season out of this one.”
Leading scorer Mohamed Salah is set to return to training next week, probably two weeks behind schedule, but Klopp will have fellow forward Darwin Nunez and midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai available for Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest after missing three and six matches out respectively.
“I don’t think Mo is too far off. It’s like touch and go but I think next week at any point, it is possible,” added Klopp, who also expects to be able to call on midfielder Wataru Endo after his ankle injury at Wembley and left-back back Andy Robertson, who was ill in midweek.
Since their second league defeat of the season at Arsenal a month ago, Liverpool have won five successive matches – one of them being the Carabao Cup final and another an FA Cup fifth-round tie – with a depleted team.
But Klopp denied the result at the Emirates Stadium had given them extra incentive.
“The results are incredibly important but I wouldn’t call it ‘a response to the Arsenal game’, we didn’t use it in that way,” he said.
“I didn’t say ‘Look at that, now we have to show a reaction’. We always have to show a reaction. But first and foremost you have to show a reaction to yourself.
“It was a one-off: Arsenal were really good, we were not as good as we could have been and that can happen in a season.
“But if you can only reach your targets when you win all your games, it is really difficult – not even City did that even when they came close.
“You have to use the lesser good things as much as you have to use the good things and against Arsenal, unfortunately, there were a few more lesser good things.
“But we never used it, it was not ‘Come on boys, we have to show we are not as bad as we were that night’, not at all.”
Ten Hag does not regret taking Man Utd job
Erik ten Hag insists he has never regretted taking the job as Manchester United manager.
United finished third, reached the FA Cup final, and ended their six-year wait for a trophy by winning the EFL Cup in Ten Hag’s first season in charge.
The Dutchman’s second season has not lived up to the first, as United sit in eighth, with a European place slipping away from them.
With a year still left on his contract, Ten Hag is under increasing pressure following a poor run of results, including a humbling 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday.
"I don't regret being here for one second," said Ten Hag.
"This is a massive club. You don't know the challenges you have to face until you are in it. But I wanted this challenge."
Ten Hag once again highlighted their injury troubles, especially in defence, as one of their main struggles this season.
Reports emerged following the Palace defeat that the United players no longer backed their manager, but Ten Hag rejected that suggestion.
"There is great team spirit. In almost every game they fought," he added.
"Not on Monday [at Palace], that is why I was so disappointed. But in all the other games they have fought. I can't have any doubts about this."
United host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Mikel Arteta’s side aim to go back to the top of the Premier League table.
Despite being favourites to win the game, Arteta praised Ten Hag as a coach and said the club should give him more time.
When asked about the Dutchman’s position, Arteta said: "I can only talk about what I think about him as a coach. He's an excellent coach. I admire his teams, both Ajax and United.
"Hopefully he gets the time because we are colleagues, and we know how difficult it is in this league and what the margins are - hopefully that's the case because I think he is an excellent coach."
Former Soca Warrior Hislop endorses Edwards to steer TTFA back to glory days; hopes to see T&T at World Cup
With the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) now back to regular proceedings, former Soca Warriors goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is optimistic that it will bring with it good fortunes that will see the twin island republic qualifying for another FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Hislop’s sentiments came during an endorsement of recently-elected TTFA president Kieron Edwards, who he believes is best suited to steer the country’s football and finances back on track, as he foresees a bright future for football.
In fact, Hislop, who was Trinidad and Tobago’s custodian at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, expressed delight that the association is no longer under the thumb of the Normalisation Committee, which was installed by FIFA in 2020.
The Normalisation Committee had a mandate to manage the daily affairs of the TTFA, establish a repayment plan for the debt-riddled organisation, review and amend its statutes –and other regulations, where necessary – and ensure compliance with the statutes and rules of the world governing football body.
“I was very critical of the Normalisation process, and I remain so. I felt our football needed to be in our hands. We needed to chart our own path and answer to our own stakeholders. And now with President Edwards in place, we have that,” Hislop said during Grenada’s 100 Years in Football Legends Match in the Spice Isle recently.
“We have that opportunity again to do that. It’s a big opportunity for us to maybe try to rediscover a lot of our game, and our football, and what it means to us. Both in terms of our performances on the park and in terms of how we provide those opportunities and platforms that I did, and I was able to enjoy when I was a kid coming through,” he added.
Having benefitted immensely from a decorated career with the Soca Warriors, Hislop is now hoping to return the favour by assisting aspiring players to chart the course towards a successful career of their own.
“T&T as a country, T&T football as a sport, has given me an awful lot, more than I could ever repay for, and more than I think many people recognize. And that will always be my focus, how can I support young men and women who are trying to find their way in the sport,” he declared.
That said, Hislop pointed out that the chances of Trinidad and Tobago making another appearance at the global showpiece remains highly possible, but it will require the right mentality and financial backing to achieve the feat.
Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed a fairly successful 2023 Concacaf Nations League campaign in which they made the quarterfinals and secured an historic win over United States.
Angus Eve’s side missed out on Copa America qualification, but they have a grand opportunity to possibly secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, especially with the confederation’s powerhouse teams –Mexico, United States and Canada –securing automatic qualification as hosts, and as such, will be absent from the upcoming qualifiers.
“If they stick with it, if they are given the right tools, if they’re given the right coaching, provided the right mentors and the right opportunities, I’m sure the game will give back to them in an enriching way as it did to me,” said Hislop.
“My dying dream is to see T&T qualify for a World Cup so I can go there as a fan. I was to go and experience T&T playing in a World Cup, purely as a fan. I’m hopeful that I’ll see that,” he ended.
Ancelotti excited by Guler potential after Madrid teenager's goal at Granada
Arda Guler was once again on target for Real Madrid against Granada and an excited Carlo Ancelotti believes Los Blancos can expect more to come from the teenager.
Chances to impress in a first-team environment have been limited for Guler, who chose Madrid over Barcelona to join from Fenerbahce last July, owing to the quality of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Yet the Turkey youngster has scored twice in his last three LaLiga starts, finding the net in Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Granada after also striking against Real Sociedad on April 26.
"We still don't know what his potential is because he is very young," the Madrid head coach said of Guler.
"But he is showing incredible talent, he is very effective in front of goal and has speed.
"I don't know what his ceiling is, today it is difficult to say, but he has natural talent and he's doing very well."
Brahim Diaz has also had to settle for a backup role in the Spanish capital but scored twice in the hammering of Granada, as well as a goal for Fran Garcia.
Ancelotti heaped praise on his much-changed Madrid side as the newly-crowned LaLiga champions impressed after reaching the Champions League final in midweek with their win over Bayern Munich.
"Well… it's hard to say who surprised me the most," Ancelotti said after resting the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo in 10 changes for Saturday's victory.
"Among those who returned, Brahim earned an important role, but I don't want to forget Joselu or Fran Garcia, who arrived this year and did really well.
"Fran in the first period and the others, in terms of goals, were fundamental to having this level at this moment of the season."
Madrid host Alaves and Real Betis either side of a trip to Villarreal to end their league season, before the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley Stadium.
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