Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has warned his players that he will not accept complacency from them this season as they continue to challenge for the Premier League title.
The Reds are unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions, while their league form had seen them move to the top of table prior to last weekend’s setback against Southampton which allowed Chelsea to leapfrog them into top spot.
While Klopp doesn’t suggest that he has seen certain individuals get complacent, he has set out his stall by insisting that it will not be accepted as he continues to also manage expectations this season.
“Do not think too much about [the title], that will help,” he is quoted as saying in The Guardian. “We are here [at Melwood] four or five hours a day, sometimes longer, never less.
“They still have a few more hours in the day to be influenced by people around them. If somebody is a character and wants to celebrate position one in November then he will not play in December anymore because I see it pretty quick.”
The German tactician went on to insist that he trusts his players not to fall into that trap, but it remains to be seen how the squad cope with the pressure and expectation that comes with their impressive form so far this season.
Having surrendered strong positions in title races in recent years, it will be key that Liverpool learn from those mistakes and Klopp instils belief in his group that they are capable of sustaining a title push.
That will require every player to be on top of their game week in and week out, and they have been warned that if their standards slip then they will be replaced in the starting line-up.