Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his side’s away form must still be improved despite a recent upturn in results. The manager addressed the media ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Leicester on Monday night and described the Reds’ showings at Wolves and Brighton earlier in the season as “really bad” performances. Liverpool have won six consecutive games in a period of resurgence towards the end of the campaign, but only two of those victories came away from Anfield. Klopp was asked about his team’s away record and whether he feels a corner has been turned in the last few outings. “We played extremely bad there [against Wolves and Brighton]. Maybe somebody will tell me that was because we played away, I don’t think so, it was just two really bad football games from our side,” the boss explained.
Klopp went on to note that Liverpool’s home record is better than he initially suggested, with the Reds now sitting in second place behind league leaders Man City in the home table for this season having picked up 13 wins and four draws from 18 games at Anfield. However, the away form makes for less favourable reading as Liverpool find themselves ninth, behind the likes of Fulham and Aston Villa, in the away version of the standings after taking just five wins and four draws from 17 on their travels. Klopp was keen to emphasise that the Reds are capable of dealing with the hostile environments that come with away trips and maintained that the travelling Kop ought to be enough to inspire victories on the road. He continued: “We had this discussion years ago. We realised it’s not that difficult. The difference is not as big as we might think but there is a difference and we have to be ready for that. Anfield is a massive boost in a lot of moments but we have three or four thousand away and they are completely mad for the whole 95 minutes. I love the away atmosphere that these people create so it is not about that, we are just not consistent enough. We played a really bad season, I think everybody in this room agrees, and now we have 62 points. It’s strange, there is still quality in us and I am really happy that we can show it.”
The Reds’ trip to Leicester comes after Newcastle visit Leeds and Man United host Wolves this weekend, with all three results likely to play a huge part in how the top four places are occupied at the end of the season. Aston Villa and Southampton follow for Liverpool as they look to close out their season with nine consecutive wins and keep the pressure on their top-four rivals.