Jurgen Klopp not bothered about strong form of Machester United and Manchester City
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| Jurgen Klopp |
Jurgen
Klopp insists strong starts to the season by Manchester United and Manchester
City have not placed added pressure on Liverpool.
Liverpool were held to 1-1 draw by Burnley on Saturday,
leaving them eighth in the Premier League table, five points behind the
Manchester duo, who both won in emphatic fashion.
Liverpool's
attention now turns to the Carabao Cup, where they face Leicester City in the
third round on Tuesday night, live on Sky Sports Football.
It
represents a good chance for the Reds to capture their first trophy since 2012
and it is one Klopp is keen to seize.
The
German said: "I don't feel pressure, I feel opportunity. I feel the chance
to do something really good. I see the opportunity to win a very, very
interesting cup competition.
"I
probably have pressure, yes, but it cannot be bigger than the pressure that I
put on myself and I am used to that.
"I
watch the games of United and City because it is interesting to see but it is
not my job to count points in this moment and say 'okay, now they have this
lead'. They are obviously in good shape at the moment.
"That
is how it is but a season is sometimes like this. As long as you are really
focused, as long as you are ready, as long as your attitude is 100 per cent, as
long as you are greedy, you don't have to look at other teams.
"Only
when you play against them then you have to look at them. All the rest you have
no influence so ignore it."
Klopp
is set to make changes to his team for the visit to the King Power Stadium,
with Danny Ward set to start in goal, while Marko Grujic and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain are also set to come into the side.
Oxlade-Chamberlain
has yet to start since joining from Arsenal, though he was introduced as a
79th-minute substitute against Burnley, and Klopp admits he is trying gradually
ease him in.
Klopp says Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain needs time to settle in at Liverpool
"We
are working on it. We are obviously together with him and the analysts to show
him how we want to play him in this position and in that position," Klopp
said.
"So
there is work to do but there is no rush. That is how it is but it is really
good that he is here.
"Of
course it is always better - and next year it will be like this - if a new
player comes in for the [start of] the season at least, if not for the
preseason. That would be even better.
"When
the season starts, now we are really in this three-games-per-week rhythm and
during the international break he was with the national team. So it is not easy
and it takes time.
"But
already at the weekend, he came on in a difficult situation and he did really
well."
Source: Sky Sports
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