Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool can 'win the title' in the next four years and describes himself as the 'Normal One'

Klopp 'pretty confident we will have one title' - if he is still in charge in four years

Tom Sheen
Friday 09 October 2015 05:26 EDT
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(Getty Images)

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New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes he can bring Liverpool a Premier League title in the next four years.

The Reds have not been the top club in English football since before the advent of the Premier League, with their 25-year wait for their 19th title stretching back to 1989-90.

But the German manager, speaking at his first press conference since taking over at the club, believes he can change that in the next four years.

"If I sit here in four years, I am pretty confident we will have one title," said Klopp, who has signed an initial three-year deal.

In an interview that lasted just over 30 minutes, the Liverpool manager spoke on a wide range of topics, even describing himself as the 'Normal One' when somebody asked him about Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who described himself as the 'Special One' in his first press conference in England in 2004.

"I'm back in the race," he said at the start of the conference. "It's the biggest honour I can imagine, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I've been given the opportunity to help in this situation, but it's not so difficult as some people in this room think."

Asked what attracted him to the job, Klopp said: "The intensity of football, how people live for football. It's not a normal, usual club, it's a special club. I had two very special clubs before and this role is the perfect next step for me.

"You have to change from doubter to believer. We have to change our performance because nobody is satisfied at the moment."

The subject of player recruitment had been a sore one for Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers, with the much-maligned transfer committee bearing a lot of criticism for players they have signed over the last couple of years, with Liverpool spending £300m during Rodgers' three-year reign.

"It's enough for me to have the first and last word," said Klopp on the committee.

Jurgen Klopp's best quotes

"We only want to discuss really good players. I'm not a genius, I don't know more than the rest of the world. I need the other people to get perfect information. It's really easy to handle it."

"I'm a really lucky guy, really looking forward to first training and first match. I had a four-month holiday, everything is perfect," he says.

Asked about the expectation on his shoulders, he adds: "Twenty-five years ago (since the last league title) is a long time. History is only the base for us, (we shouldn't) keep the history in our backpack all day.

"I want to see the first step next week and not always compare with other times. This is a great club with big potential. Everything is there. Let's try to start a new way.

"Everything is different - I don't know it all but I'm a pretty good listener."

Klopp is asked about Jose Mourinho's first press conference at Chelsea in 2004 when he labelled himself a 'Special One'. Klopp replied: "I don't want to describe myself. I'm a totally normal guy, I'm the Normal One."

Asked about the style of play he will bring to Anfield, he said: "I haven't met my team yet. (My style is) emotion inside, it's speed, it's a transition game. All the things that make football interesting for me I want to see on the pitch.

"But it's not the day for promising a certain style of football. Let's start to work, let's speak next week, let's start normal work."

He continued: "From 11am on it would be nice if we could concentrate on football. I'm prepared for this because of my experience and my experience as a player. Of course it's crazy what has happened here," he said.

"When I left Dortmund I said it's not what people think of you when you come in, it's what people think of you when you leave.

"There are opponents who are bigger maybe but in a special Liverpool way we can be successful.

"I'm not here only because LFC was calling, I believe in the potential of this team."

On the great history of Liverpool managers, he said: "I don't compare myself with genius managers of Liverpool.

"It's cool that some of you, and the fans are looking forward to the next few years and months, but none of these (past) managers said 'my target is to be a legend'. This is a great club because of many, many great decisions in the past, now we have to work in the present."

Additional reporting from PA

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