Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool squad that Chelsea are defending Premier League champions for a reason.
The Reds face Jose Mourinho’s struggling side at Stamford Bridge in Saturday’s early kick-off as their German manager looks to secure his first Premier League win.
Liverpool are two points ahead of 15th-placed Chelsea after a return of 11 points from 10 games have left the Premier League holders hovering above the relegation zone.
But Klopp, who replaced former Chelsea coach Brendan Rodgers at Anfield earlier this month, urged his Liverpool players not to allow complacency to creep in ahead of Saturday’s clash.
“I wasn’t interested in what was being said in public last season,” Klopp told his pre-match media conference on Friday afternoon.
“I had a responsibility to the Dortmund fans and players. If people didn’t understand our problems, then I didn’t care. You have to rule your own situation.
“Most of the problems are in the press conferences when you have to find the answers. Sometimes you don’t have the time to change things between matches.
“Mourinho isn’t a worse coach than last year. The players aren’t worse than last year. Things happen. I feel for him as I had something similar but it’s not the end of the world. They can still play football and that’s our problem.”
Liverpool are in ninth place in the Premier League table after a run of three successive draws with Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
The Reds registered their first win of Klopp’s Liverpool reign thanks to a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the League Cup fourth round on Wednesday night.
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