Every match in the EPL feels massive for Liverpool at this point in the season The upcoming fixture with Southampton is no different. This will be the last time the squad plays a competitive match until December 19th and it's important that Liverpool get a win to carry momentum into the long stoppage.
Jürgen Klopp knows this all too well and addressed that fact at his weekly press conference, along with the Reds more consistent play overall The boss also discussed Southampton's new manager Nathan Jones and the upcoming World Cup.
Southampton hired a new manager on November 10th and Nathon Jones has the unenviable task of taking on Liverpool during his first game in charge.
“I actually thought Ralph Hasenhuttl did an exceptional job there,” Klopp said. “If Southampton showed anything, there was for sure attitude. They were a highly motivated team. There is now not a lot of time to change a lot of things for us. Because we don't know, we have to focus on ourselves and that's what we do. It is the last game for a long time and that's why we want to finish on a high.”
Liverpool have enjoyed more positive results of late, picking up their first EPL road win at Tottenham in their last League fixture. But Klopp says the attitude and effort of his team have not changed from the beginning of the season.
“No, (our quality) it didn't lack before,” he said. “We had problems before... we spoke about that pretty much all the time here, our problems, but step by step we try to sort them, and then from there we can go.”
Like every other football fan on the planet, the boss is looking forward to the World Cup. A total of 7 Reds will have a seat on the plane to Qatar and LFC Globe will have an updated story on that group in the near future, but Klopp decided to focus on Trent Alexander-Arnold's inclusion in the English side.
“For Trent it is nice,” Klopp said. “It is a big tournament. Every player dreams of these kinds of things and he was very pleased about the news, so yes, I am very happy for him…I think Gareth [Southgate] is very happy that he has Trent as well and Trent took it.
He's very calm and these kind of things so he plays the football he plays - tries to improve, tries to develop, but I think it would have been disappointing if he had not been there.”
A nearly 6-week break between football matches is a long time and Klopp knows the Reds need a win in the worst way so they can enter that break with even more momentum. They are at a slight disadvantage not knowing what tactics Southampton's new manager might use. But if the Reds focus on what they can control and play in good form, 3 points should be theirs.
