Klopp insists on starting new

LONDON (Reuters) – Juergen Klopp said he is only interested in what Liverpool will do in the future, not where they have been going wrong, when he held his first pre-match media conference on Thursday.

The German, who replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield last week, takes charge of the team for the first time at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday and said he wanted his players to be brave and play “with more fun in their eyes”.

“We want to get back the trust and confidence in our own skills, in our quality. That needs time,” he told reporters.

“We have to open our chests and run and fight and shoot and defend together and attack together. Like your best dream!”

The former Borussia Dortmund coach is tasked with turning Liverpool back into contenders for major silverware — specifically a first English title since they collected their 18th in 1989-90.

But, asked about the size of the task, he said: “I don’t read what you write so I am completely free of expectations. The pressure I place on myself is big enough.”

Liverpool drew five and won one of their last six matches under Rodgers — counting their League Cup match with fourth-tier Carlisle United as a draw before their win on penalties — but go to Spurs with a good recent record against the London side.

They have won the last five league games against Spurs including 5-0 and 3-0 wins at White Hart Lane in the last two seasons, but Spurs are in form.

They are the only side in the league not to have lost since the opening day when they went down 1-0 at Manchester United, having won three and drawn four league games since.

“They are a very good team, fine tuned,” said Klopp.

“But the most important thing we have to do now is to train as long and as often as possible. It is not about expectations from outside.

“I am completely free of expectations, I don’t need anybody to tell me I have to be successful, I know it. The most important thing is that we have to start new.

“I am not interested in what the faults were a few weeks ago I am only thinking about what we can do to be stable.”

He also confirmed that young defender Joe Gomez was out with a cruciate knee ligament injury and that Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino were unlikely to recover from injuries in time to face Spurs.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; editing by Martyn Herman)