Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he feared being sacked if he was not given the time to rebuild his squad.
The German coach put the Reds on course for their first League title in 30 years with the Merseyside outfit 25 points clear at the summit before the coronavirus pandemic suspended all football activity in the UK.
Klopp, who took over in October 2015 from Brendan Rodgers, spent the first years of his reign gradually tailoring his squad to ensure Liverpool could challenge for the title once again.
Liverpool went on to win the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2019, but Klopp concedes there were times earlier in his reign where he was concerned about his future.
"It was clear we cannot fix it overnight. Everyone wanted that but we couldn't so I had to ask for time, I knew," Klopp said on Sky Sports' Football Show.
"Before that in my career I never got the sack so I had no experience with that, but I knew then it was a different level, and if I can't deliver here quick enough, then I will get the sack.
"We got that time and the nice thing is that after six, seven, eight games, they were really positive about the situation, they realised we were on the right path. From that moment they didn't question it one second."
Klopp also thanked the club's owners for their patience after the former Borussia Dortmund coach led his side to defeats in the finals of the Europa League and EFL Cup (2016), and later the Champions League (2018).
"They were full of faith and trust, and they said the path we will stay on, and everything will be fine. That's what we did then," he added.
"When we lost finals against Sevilla or (Manchester) City or Real Madrid, I think pundits say 'if he doesn't win the next one then they might change'. But internally it was never somebody thinking like this."
Additional reporting by Reuters.
