JURGEN KLOPP HAS played down the impact he has made since his appointment at Liverpool, claiming he is not a genius.
The reinvigorated Merseysiders have won seven of their past eight matches and take on a depleted Newcastle side at St James’ Park on Sunday.
The German manager admitted he has not set his Liverpool players any precise targets about winning the league, instead urging them to enjoy their time on the pitch.
“We didn’t have a Borussia Dortmund plan and say, ‘OK, give us three years and we’ll win the German title.’ We don’t have that plan here either,” he said.
“We just always try to learn and understand more about the players. It is not our job to find a new way to play football. For this you need a genius and we are not.
“We try to make the best with the players we have and at this moment we don’t know what is best. We only know about the way to go.
“There are another 30, 35 games to go this season and I don’t know how long it will take and I don’t think about that.”
Liverpool’s purple patch has seen them close the gap to leaders Manchester City to six points, with Klopp revealing he has encouraged his players in order to rebuild their previously forlorn confidence.
“You can’t always play with a miserable face – OK, that’s how I play tennis but that’s my problem,” he joked.
“I don’t expect someone to go into a one-on-one situation with a big smile on their face but, you know what I mean, it’s important to be able to enjoy what you are doing.
“That is best for everybody. Football always looks only like work in difficult times. Football is always hard work, but it looks easier when you are on a good run and that is enough to enjoy.”
