Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp says he is not afraid of the axe despite a spate of Premier League casualties, but admits his struggling side must deliver as they prepare to face a manager‑less Chelsea. Liverpool, who fell agonisingly short of an unprecedented quadruple last season, are eight points off the top four after Saturday’s painful 4‑1 loss at defending champions Manchester City.
Klopp will take his team to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, following the weekend sacking of Graham Potter—hours after Leicester part‑ways with Brendan Rodgers. Antonio Conte also left Tottenham “by mutual agreement” last week, bringing the total number of managerial departures in the English top flight this season to 13, a new record.
“The elephant in the room is probably why I am still sitting here in this crazy world,” Klopp said at his pre‑match press conference on Monday. “Last man standing.” He acknowledged that the current season has been a disappointment for a club accustomed to silverware. “I’m aware that I’m sitting here because of the past and not because of what we did this season,” he added. “If this was my first season it would be slightly different.”
Nevertheless, Klopp said he is not fearful about the future, even though his team, eighth in the table, faces an uphill task to qualify for next season’s Champions League. “I don’t think that Graham was afraid but there’s no need to be afraid,” he said. “I’m here to deliver. I’m not here as a talisman or for murals on a house wall. I know that 100 percent. There’s nothing else in my mind.”
The 55‑year‑old, who has managed Liverpool since 2015, reiterated his commitment to the club. “I’m fully in. There’s no doubt about that. 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 and that’s not allowed really. I’m really disappointed about us that we do these kinds of things but it has happened, so now we have to find a way out and that’s what we are constantly working on.”
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