Klopp on Congested Fixture List: “Everyone Has to Find a Way Through”

Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

After a disappointing draw against Man United in the Premier League, Liverpool face West Ham in the League Cup quarter final.

December and January can be difficult months in English football, as fixtures begin to pile up and the weather turns difficult. Few teams manage to get through unscathed, and stumbles and dropped points are to be expected. As such, difficult as it may be, a little perspective is perhaps required.

That was Jürgen Klopp’s thinking on the matter—and his resulting message for the club’s fans—as he and his Liverpool squad prepare to follow up the weekend’s disappointing nil-nil draw with Manchester United in the Premier League with a League Cup quarter final against David Moyes and West Ham.

“I know people do not like to hear this but the period we are in is one in which everyone has to find a way through,” Klopp noted. “There are no easy routes, no shortcuts. It is about digging in, moving on from one game to another and looking to pick up as many points and positive results as we can.

“I am not a native of England but I have been here long enough to know that this is always the way it is during December. Tonight we have another challenge and also another opportunity. The Carabao Cup is a competition that we have very fond memories of, from winning it back in 2022.”

After making it to the final in his first year only to lose on penalties to Manchester City, Klopp and his Reds were back at Wembley in the midst of their quadruple-chasing 2021-22 campaign, this time against Chelsea and with the match again going to penalties—but with Liverpool victorious this time.

“The experiences of our run to Wembley will live with us for a long time but this does not mean only the special moments,” he added. “It means also the hurdles we had to clear on the way, the opponents who were just as determined as we were to make it through to the final, and the difficult moments.

“This is what cup football is about and it will be no different tonight. We know what we are facing so it makes sense we should be prepared for it. We are at Anfield in a cup tie against a strong opponent and we are one step away from the semi-finals. Hopefully we can make the most of the opportunity.”