Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool have moved on from Premier League and Champions League near-misses
By Tom Gott
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he has forgotten about the team's near-misses in the Premier League and Champions League last season as he looks to write a new chapter this time around.
The Reds won both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup but came up short against Manchester City in the league and were bested by Real Madrid in the European final, but they'll have the chance to exact some revenge against the former on Saturday when the two sides head to King Power Stadium for the Community Shield.
In the build-up to that game, Klopp said that he has done his best not to let last season's shortcomings make their mark.
"It took me a day [to get over the defeats] and then we had a parade in Liverpool and I was fine with everything. We knew, obviously, it was close. When you’re unlucky in moments these kind of things [happen]. It’s sport and we accept the rules.
"One point more is enough after 38 matchdays, and one goal more is enough in a football game. We accept that too, so it didn’t take me long.
“What was my conclusion of the last season? I don’t think it makes too much sense to think like this.
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“We played in an incredibly high level, we were consistent, we played good football – not always but very often. We fought hard. These are all things we need to do again.”
Klopp also confessed that it may take Liverpool a little time to adjust to the changes in their squad - primarily the departure of influential winger Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich and the expensive arrival of Darwin Nunez from Benfica to take his place.
"Of course we have had a little change in our team. We lost Sadio, who was a fixed line-up player for six years.
“But it’s always like this. We cannot try and stick together forever. We have to make changes and when Sadio came and told us that he wanted to face a new challenge, because it was early enough we accepted that.
“So we had time to prepare for that situation and that’s what we did. And now we have to find togetherness again. That’s completely normal as well.”