Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool’s poor season this year will make him a better manager in the future. Facing league-leaders Arsenal at Anfield on Easter Sunday, Liverpool will be looking to end a four-game winless run after suffering defeats to AFC Bournemouth, Real Madrid, and Man City before their midweek 0-0 draw at Chelsea. That return of just one Premier League point out of a maximum nine since their 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United last month has ultimately decimated their top four hopes.
Yet Klopp is adamant that this season’s struggles will make him a better manager, as the German looks to resurrect the Reds’ dwindling top four hopes.
Jurgen Klopp said: “In the long term, definitely (this year will make me a better manager). But now? (Laughs). Yeah, definitely. You need to improve to get the best out of yourself. You need to know about pretty much everything and of course it will help us as a coaching staff, definitely. But at the moment, the effects haven’t kicked in. It’s not possible so we have to do what is right and help the boys to become the best version of themselves again. They were for a long time and now they have to be it again and that is what is our job to do. I have no problem with re-energising, that is part of the job. As you all know, I was for a long, long time in my life working for a football club who were used to losing the majority of their games because they didn’t have a chance. We had to win 10-12 games a season just to stay in the league with Mainz. If I had doubted myself constantly after losing a football game, it would have been really difficult for me from the start. It’s not a problem. But it’s not that I never thought I’m the best manager in the world, and it’s not that I now think I am the worst. It’s just a situation we have to get through. I understand football and I understand a lot of things. I know a lot about human beings and have learned a lot about human beings and know that sometimes things need time in a world where we don’t have time. It’s not that I’m super patient and say, ‘Okay, no problem. We will sort that next week.’ That’s not my nature to be 100% honest but my energy is not the problem.”