Klopp ponders his own fate after seeing Potter sacked

A total of 12 managers have been sacked this season in the Premier League. Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers were the latest to lose their jobs after their teams’ results went from bad to worse. Chelsea finished the weekend in the bottom half of the table after losing to Aston Villa while the situation for Rodgers’ Leicester is now a concern after the team dropped into to the relegation places.

Chelsea take on another team for whom there were high hopes for back in August but who could now miss out on European football this season. Lodged in eighth, Liverpool’s season has been a huge disappointment - the team is eight points off the Champions League places, eliminated from both domestic and European Cup competitions and destined to end the campaign empty-handed. Even a top-four finish depends entirely on their competitors slipping up between now and May and Saturday’s 4 -1 defeat to Manchester City has increased pressure on Jürgen Klopp. In his press conference ahead of Tuesday’s match in London, the German was asked if he fears he too could face the chop and told reporters that he sympathised with Potter and Rodgers.

What do you think of Potter and Rodgers getting sacked?

What can I say about that? I think the elephant in the room is probably, from your point of view, why I am still sitting here, in this crazy world! I’m the last man standing!

I think both clubs are not in the positions where they expect to be. I cannot really say a lot more about it. Let’s say I know them well, I respect them a lot. To be honest I like both - when I met them, they were really good people and fantastic managers, both of them. But still, things can go the wrong way and when decision makers in the club think they have to change, then they change. We all accept that part of the business. That’s it pretty much. But, it’s been a strange week I would say - [Antonio] Conte, Nagelsmann... and now these two. So the season gets to a decisive part and people are afraid of maybe not reaching their targets and that’s it. I don’t know - you have to ask the decisive people and what they will say about it, especially those two - but for all four I mentioned now, their football managing future is still bright so it’s not a disaster, it’s just a situation they probably don’t like but part of the business.

That’s 12 now, this season in the Premier League, which is actually an awful number. But it is how it is. I think you have years where it happens more than in others, obviously some teams are underachieving this year, and definitely that includes us. I think especially when you are in the relegation battle - we all know how much it means from a financial point of view, for the clubs. But you could say a similar thing about being in the Champions League or not. The expectations are there, rightly so, and if you don’t reach them, then you have to accept the decisions.

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How do you think Potter's sacking might affect Chelsea?

Maybe the normal effect after a manager leaves. I don’t know now. You told me that the coaching staff obviously will stay. We have not a real session between the last and the game tomorrow night, so we have a session today but from a recovery point of view you cannot do any intense stuff, mentally and physically, so it is more talking, that’s what they will do, definitely. But I’m pretty sure that Chelsea, the players will want to show a reaction, that’s how it always is. When you saw the Bayern game against Dortmund, there was a reaction - for whatever reason.

I think apart from that, there is maybe rotation a little bit, [N’Golo] Kanté is back, other players - Mason [Mount] was injured, was back on the bench for the first game but might play, so line-up wise they could change. System-wise, I don’t know. They changed system during the season, but we expect pretty similar to the last games.

How much do Liverpool need a reaction?

As badly as possible. Definitely. Again, super strange game - OK first half, awful second half. We said, it’s unacceptable but it happened anyway. And now we have to make sure we are ready. That’s it.

How can the team turn the situation around in such a short space of time?

We cannot work really on the pitch, that’s it. But games like this have an impact. You might lose even more confidence but the desire to show a reaction is there as well. The boys are still good people. And they want to show a reaction - 100%. But the short turnaround, the problem is that I have no clue who I can line up, because I get that information after the press conference. We want to wait on those decisions as long as possible. and give the boys as much time to recover. So, there will be changes, definitely. There has to be. And that’s what we have to use... but you’re right, it’s 48 hours and you travel and you’re waiting in a hotel in London for kick-off... it’s all up here (points to head). And that’s what we are working on.

Do you think your position is in jeopardy?

I’m aware of the fact that I am sitting here because of the past, not because of what we have done this season. If it would have been my first season, that would be slightly different, so that’s it. Yes, we have smart owners, they know about the situation but that doesn’t mean anything else. But to be 100% sure, you had better ask them yourselves! No, I’m not afraid [of being sacked] - but I don’t think that Graham was afraid! There’s no need to be afraid, I am here to deliver. I am not here as a talisman or whatever... or for murals on a house wall. I am here to deliver, I know that 100%. I have nothing else on my mind. But I know as well I’m still here because of what happened in the last few years. I don’t like the fact that I pretty much have to rely on that. But, is it right or not? We will see that in the future but I am fully in, there’s no doubt about that but we have to sort it. We cannot just continue playing like we do from time to time - not always thank God, but from time to time. I’m really disappointed about us, that we do these kinds of things but it happens, so now we have to find a way out, and that’s what we are constantly working on.