Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has told his players to ignore the ‘outside mess’ and focus on their own performances, despite being tipped as favourites for the Premier League title.
The Reds climbed back to the top of the table after a win against Brighton and a goalless draw between Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, Klopp knows that with midweek games and weekend matches, things can change quickly.
“We’re focused on Sheffield United, not who’s the favourite,” he said before Thursday’s match against the bottom-of-the-table Blades.
“I’m sure we weren’t the favourites after our loss to Arsenal on February 4, but I don’t know and I don’t care.
“One of the key things to get through this period is to ignore the outside ‘mess’. It’s emotional and it goes up and down.
We need to be professional, be emotional in the right way, and be the best version of ourselves. We have to play the best football we can and see what happens.
“There are no guarantees, just opportunities. The clearer the opportunity, the more likely you can take it.
Despite City and Arsenal playing their matches on Wednesday, Klopp won’t be watching to see how Liverpool’s title rivals fare.
“I didn’t even know they played (on Wednesday night),” he added. “I expect them always to win. I told you one story, years ago, I watched a game and wanted Leicester to win (against Manchester City in 2019) and it didn’t happen.
“That was the last time that I did that. That’s when you learn from the past. When they play, my heart-rate doesn’t go up. We need to get our points in, win our football games.”
If Liverpool are tipped as title favourites, they are even more likely to overcome a Blades team that has conceded 77 goals in 29 matches and has a goal difference of minus 50 after managing just three wins, only one away from home, all season.
It looks like an easy task against a team that has not kept a clean sheet in four months, with Sunday’s visit to Old Trafford where only three weeks ago Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup the bigger hurdle. However, Klopp will not be taking the visitors lightly.
