Klopp: 'Man City are the only team that can aim for the title'
This was said by Klopp on August 1, in a press conference before the friendly match against Bayern Munich in Singapore.
In the 2022-2023 season, Liverpool played unsuccessfully when they were empty-handed and only finished fifth in the Premier League. They also went through a tumultuous summer when they parted with a series of pillars, including James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. In contrast, Liverpool recruited Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for $76 million and 2022 World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for $46 million.
Therefore, Klopp admits that Liverpool's goal next season is only to compete for a place in the top 4. "The sooner you win tickets to the Champions League, the higher you rank," said the German coach. "If you're second and you're closing the gap to the top, then you have a chance to win the title. But a club of the size of Liverpool has to succeed, otherwise the club has to find other solutions."
Klopp said he has not yet thought about the new season, but is only focused on the last two friendlies against Bayern today and Darmstadt on August 7. The 56-year-old coach stressed the importance of building a strong team with a positive spirit and atmosphere to set the stage for the most successful season possible.
Not midfield, Klopp sees the defense as Liverpool's biggest problem ahead of the new season. He said: "From the first day after joining, I made it clear that the defense has to be on a completely different level than last season. Liverpool have to defend better from the match against Bayern, or else there will be problems. real subject".
On July 31, Liverpool confirmed Virgil van Dijk was selected as the new captain to replace Jordan Henderson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold was the vice-captain instead of Milner. Klopp said he decided to appoint a new Liverpool staff, instead of letting the players vote and vote. The German coach hailed Van Dijk as a leader, having everything to be the club's captain and watching the award of the captain's armband to the Dutch midfielder open the next chapter at Anfield. He also emphasized that Alexander-Arnold has matured tremendously and is ready to take on a new role.
Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold said he wants to enjoy the opportunity to take on more responsibilities, leading the club into a new era with major trophies. The English defender also considers being given the vice captain's armband as a stepping stone for his ambition to become Liverpool captain in the future.
Liverpool have had only three official captains in the past two decades - the legendary Steven Gerrard, Henderson and now Van Dijk. According to Alexander-Arnold, the Dutch midfielder is the perfect man to lead the team. "It is a reasonable decision, because Van Dijk is the captain of the Dutch team. Van Dijk is familiar with the role of leader and will do well in this role. The whole team will go and follow Van Dijk's instructions," the post said. 24 year old guard said.
