Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is already looking to the future and planning a squad rebuild, despite still holding out hope for a top-four finish this season. While the team is currently nine points behind Newcastle and the Champions League qualification looks unlikely, Klopp sees an opportunity to make the most of the extra time to rebuild the squad.
Klopp acknowledges that failing to qualify for any European competition would be a huge disappointment, but he is determined to make good use of the period. He hopes the team can learn from this season and take away useful insights into what worked and what didn’t.
Klopp emphasizes that while the future has started already, the team still needs to focus on winning games.
Last season, Liverpool was eyeing an unprecedented quadruple but this season, their counter-pressing game has become a shadow of its former self. Klopp notes that the team has learned a lot this season, particularly in terms of what doesn’t work.
From being a “counter-pressing monster,” Liverpool has now become a “non-existent counter-pressing side.” Klopp admits he thought it would take longer for such a decline to occur but it happened quickly.
Looking ahead, Klopp is focused on making the most of any opportunity for squad rebuilding, but he still wants the team to win games in the present. He hopes that by learning from this season’s disappointments, the team can come back stronger in the future.