Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool can handle high expectations but says there's little room for improvement
Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the season, but it still is not enough to keep up with Manchester City
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Your support makes all the difference.After enduring one Serbian nightmare already this week, the prospect of another is virtually unthinkable for Liverpool.
Defeat in Belgrade in midweek left the club's Champions League qualification prospects in the mix and even had some supporters fearing the dreaded 'E word' - the Europa League.
On Sunday the Serbs of Red Star will be replaced by the Serb of Fulham in the shape of embattled Cottagers manager Slavisa Jokanovic.
The odds, of course, are that this time it is the Serbian who may endure the nightmare, with defeat at Anfield for the bottom-placed club possibly the final straw for Jokanovic's tenure at Craven Cottage.
Liverpool after all haven't lost any of their last 26 home league games, a run stretching back to Crystal Palace last April.
Even a fine unbeaten start of eight wins and three draws hasn't allowed Klopp's side any breathing space though, not with the relentless pace set by Manchester City.
Expectations are high but the Liverpool manager is fine with that.
"It's not unfair, it's completely normal. A team who played really good football last year in a lot of games like we did, played in the Champions League final and maybe were the better team in the first 25 minutes," said Klopp.
"Where is the space for improvement? Winning the Champions League and 3,2 or 1 in the Premier League.
"That's how it is. You can say we need to improve in consistency and we did. It's good. How can you do that? Being a bit more settled, a bit more mature in different situations on the pitch.
"27 points is actually an outstanding number but there is one team which has 29 and a goal difference of plus 47! So you win a game and afterwards you immediately begin to apologise for what the people had to watch."
Klopp feels the two Champions League defeats - Liverpool also lost late in Napoli - were completely different and not indicative of any deeper malaise.
He wants his team to enjoy their football and appreciate the fine situation their Premier League start has left them in.
"Maybe talking about this in a week when we lost 2-0 away in Belgrade seems quite strange. We didn't want that, we don't accept it easily but it can happen. It happened to other teams as well. We have to use our situation.
"You can lose in Napoli obviously but how we lost was quite strange, having nothing of the game. Now we lost in Belgrade in a completely different way. We conceded two goals and then controlled the rest of the game but didn't score with our situations.
"They had the momentum and we had nothing. But let's carry on on our path, let's build on our situation, we have to do it again."
One of the most enthralling aspects of Fulham's visit could be the clash between Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fulham left back Ryan Sessegnon.
Both promising England youngsters have had their problems this season, Sessegnon part of a Fulham backline which has conceded a league high 29 goals, while Alexander-Arnold was hauled off at half time in Belgrade.
Klopp has confidence his 20-year-old can, like his team, find his mojo once again.
"Trent is a very young boy still. He had two weeks off in the summer, that's not a lot. it's clear we had to have an eye on him fitness wise, not working with the group, stuff like that.
"He's actually in a good moment. He's played a lot of football and he will play a lot of football. That's good for him. Most important is that he can stay injury-free and everything will be fine.
"These are normal things. Don't point the finger too much, accept it. It will not be the first time or the last time when something will not be 100% in his life but he is still an outstanding player for us, really important for the way we play and so it's all good."
With everyone fit apart from long-term absentee Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Klopp believes all his players are now under pressure to fight for their place in the team.
"It looks like we have a nearly full squad. We cannot start all of them, they cannot all even be in the squad. That's the pressure the boys have in a situation like that."
For Slavisa Jokanovic that pressure could be even worse come Sunday afternoon.
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