Jürgen Klopp said Liverpool’s insatiable appetite for improvement is the reason they could surpass Bob Paisley’s “all-time greats” and establish an unbeaten record for the club at West Ham on Sunday.
Klopp’s team equalled the club’s professional record of 25 games unbeaten in all competitions, set by Paisley’s side from March-September 1982, when defeating Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. Liverpool did go 30 games unbeaten between February 1893 and February 1894, although that included seven matches in the Lancashire League.
Liverpool can claim the record outright by avoiding defeat at West Ham, whom they have beaten more times in the Premier League (31) than any other team, and Klopp believes his players’ hunger lies behind the remarkable run.
“I cannot compare these times because even though I watched football at that time as a kid I had no idea about what football was exactly,” the manager said. “But it was for sure not easy in the Shankly and Paisley times to win football games. Whenever it is, there is a specific level for all footballers and all teams, and one team has to overcome it. And to do that as regularly as Bob’s teams did, that makes them all-time greats. No doubt about that. But why should we compare?
“We don’t see ourselves as in any kind of comparison with them. We try to do what is possible now. If we see it is possible but difficult then the fun part starts. Then we want it with all we have. That’s exactly how our journey so far has worked out. We had a look at what can be achieved, where can we go, and if we saw we can go there, and if we got there, then we wanted immediately to make the next step as well. That is what we are doing now.
“We are not really focused on records but if it happens then it is obviously a good sign. We don’t go for a record at West Ham, we go for three points, which is already difficult enough.”
Liverpool will be without Roberto Firmino for at least four weeks after the influential forward sustained a serious hamstring injury against Atlético. Klopp said: “Losing Bobby Firmino is a blow. We are talking about weeks; I don’t know exactly but more than four – which I would consider a serious injury. Bobby is a quick healer but it’s not good.”
