Jurgen Klopp has admitted that it is fair to judge if Liverpool are in decline later this season and whether he and his players have reached the end of an era.
Liverpool are only ninth in the Premier League after losing their last two matches to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest and Leeds United and are already eight points off the top four and Klopp said they expect more from themselves.
Klopp’s side were two games away from completing an unprecedented quadruple last season but have already lost five games this year, including a 4-1 defeat to Napoli with what he has branded the worst performance of his reign.
Liverpool have fielded some ageing teams with six players in their thirties and Klopp believes it is fair to ask if they are reaching the end – but only when he has more of his squad fit to try and improve their fortunes.
He said: “We are obviously all out there and do the job in public and I think the judgement for this will be later in the season or maybe at the end of the season where we say, ‘obviously now that is it for this group of players or whatever. For this manager if you want.’
“Even if it is unfair, it is fine, it is normal, that’s our life, you are absolutely right to ask these questions but we have to answer that later on. We are all out there to be judged. It is completely fine: manager, players - that is how life is in professional football.”
Klopp accepts Liverpool’s problems are deep-rooted as he added: “Now we can say it - it was never a quick fix and now it looks not a quick fix. That is proven, but we will not stop fighting. We expect more from ourselves, the boys expect more, I expect more from them, but we have to make sure we get there with steps. It is a rough moment, no doubt about that, and no one is flying here like life is great but there is only one chance to face it : go for it and that is what we will do.”
Liverpool host Napoli on Tuesday with Ibrahima Konate potentially returning to the starting 11. Liverpool need victory by four goals to top the group.
And Klopp added: “Napoli is in incredible shape, plays incredible football, tops the table in Italy and are maybe the team in form in Europe.”
