Liverpool transfer stance outlined by Jurgen Klopp as Champions League hope grows

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp with Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe (left) and Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag (right)

Paul Gorst

There have been various points across this difficult season when it has looked like Liverpool’s top-four hopes were completely over.

A defeat to Bournemouth in March was a particularly low moment for Jurgen Klopp after his team had beaten Manchester United 7-0 six days earlier, while a “season-defining” week against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal after the international break yielded just two points from nine.

After 29 games played, Liverpool trailed Manchester United by as many as 12 points but a six-game winning run has seen them chop that down considerably to just a single point. No-one at Anfield needs to be reminded of how far away from success you can be when you’re just one short, but a stirring end to this term has at least given them a fighting chance as we enter the final weeks.

It is still more hopeful than probable at this stage but back-to-back defeats for Erik ten Hag’s men last week has left the door ajar for Klopp and his players. The majority of Reds supporters probably never thought they would find themselves in with a decent shout at this stage of the season just a few short weeks ago but the fact there is still something to chase offers them reasons for optimism. So, in short, why not?

obably never thought they would find themselves in with a decent shout at this stage of the season just a few short weeks ago but the fact there is still something to chase offers them reasons for optimism. So, in short, why not?

Ian Doyle

The reality is Liverpool shouldn’t be anywhere near having an outside chance of Champions League qualification after a season of such tumult, ranging from injuries, loss of form, mental and physical fatigue of both the players and coaching staff, and the impact of the mid-season World Cup.

However, here we are. A mini-flap from Manchester United and a couple of defeats for Newcastle United, along with Liverpool’s strong finish to the season, and there’s a slender possibility of a top-four finish for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

There have in the last two seasons been significant movement in the race for the top four during the final three games, although that was down to some of the main protagonists playing each other during the closing stages. They couldn’t both win.