In the midst of his fiery team's pursuit of a top-four Premier League finish, Jurgen Klopp recalled earlier "miracles" on Friday but acknowledged Liverpool's fate was not in their own hands.
At his pre-match press conference, Klopp was reminded of past spectacular comebacks, like the overturning of a 3-0 first-leg deficit to defeat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. Klopp's team has three games remaining, beginning at relegation-threatened Leicester on Monday.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a stoppage-time winner at West Brom in one of Liverpool's games to help the team escape an apparent impossible situation in the Premier League in 2021 and make it into the top four.
It's true that none of those involved in these events will ever forget them, according to Klopp. That implies that it is a part of us.
“We were around when miracles happened, that’s true. But it was then, still, in our hands. So we had to score against West Brom and we had to win against Barcelona.
“Now we have to win, but that would not mean that anything changed because the other teams could win all their games — that’s the difference.”
It was "completely out of sight" just a few weeks ago, according to Klopp, to finish in the top four, which ensures qualification for the Champions League the next season.
He remarked of the pressure that might be placed on the clubs above them: "(Third-placed) Newcastle and Manchester United would probably be happy if we were not there... but it's still more likely that they'll carry it out. They deserve it if they complete the season ahead of us.
After an uneven year, the German manager stated his club's winning streak had set the tone for the upcoming season. His squad came close to winning an unheard-of quadruple last season.
“We have to improve, we have to train a lot,This period is super-important because it gives us all a massive hint on how it could look and we all know we are in the early stages,” he said.
