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• 'Did anyone expect us to be champions?' – Klopp not ready to assess final season at Anfield

  Jurgen Klopp refused to assess his final season at Liverpool just yet, despite the campaign seemingly starting to fizzle out.

  Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Everton in the Merseyside derby dealt a huge blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes.

  The Reds are now three points clear of leaders Arsenal, while they are two points behind second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

  Klopp has just four matches left of his Liverpool tenure, though he is not ready to assess the final season of his stint just yet.

  "I would not assess it now. I have no clue, so I am not in the mood to give up, wave the white flag kind of thing," he said ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham.

  "I just think we have to look after ourselves; just make sure that we play better football. I said after the game 'why should a team who play like us against Everton be champions?' But the football we played before, a lot of good stuff. In January we looked invincible, with a depleted squad. Everybody went in the same direction, go for it, squeezed out results.

  "So, we deserve to be where we are. I want us to use the situation, don't feel the pressure, for whatever reason it is. The boys are incredible footballers and I see it as my job to create that atmosphere where they can be the best versions of themselves – and that's obviously how I have failed.

  "I don't know how it happened, but I didn't see anything of what I wanted us to be in the Everton game."

  Klopp did, though, reminded the media that Liverpool have performed above expectations.

  "Did anyone expect us to become champions at the start of the season? No, but it developed in this direction," Klopp added.

  "Just to explain how different it is. We cannot go back to the point where we say 'yeah, well [qualifying for the Champions League] is good enough'. It is very good, but because we were so close, we are very, very disappointed in this moment in time. We cannot change that."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

  Bowen has scored in both of West Ham’s meetings with Liverpool so far this season – the only Hammers player to score in three different games against the Reds in a single campaign is Geoff Hurst in 1964-65.

  Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

  Salah has received criticism for his recent form, but he has scored 11 goals for Liverpool against West Ham in all competitions, only netting more against Manchester United (14) in his Reds career.

  MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

  West Ham have won just one of their last eight Premier League home games (D5 L2), beating Brentford 4-2 in February. They lost against Fulham last time out but haven’t lost consecutive home league games since a run of three in November/December 2022.

  Liverpool have already beaten West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League and 5-1 in the League Cup so far this season. This is the 11th different campaign in which they have faced the Hammers 3+ times, but they have never managed to beat them three times in any of the previous 10.

  Since keeping back-to-back clean sheets against Liverpool in the 2015-16 campaign, West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 15 against the Reds, conceding multiple goals in 12 of those games.

  Liverpool have only won more Premier League games against Crystal Palace (13) than they have against West Ham (12) under Klopp.

  West Ham have lost 12 of their last 14 Premier League games against Liverpool, with both exceptions in this run coming at home (1-1 in February 2019, 3-2 in November 2021).

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  West Ham – 21.7%

  Liverpool – 52.5%

  Draw – 25.8%

• Tuchel insists Bayern Munich coach search not affecting team's focus

  Bayern Munich's search for coach Thomas Tuchel's successor is not distracting the team from their preparations for next week's Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid or their final Bundesliga matches.

  That was the vow from Tuchel before Bayern first face Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday with the league title already secured by Bayer Leverkusen.

  Bayern will part ways with Tuchel at the end of a disappointing domestic season, a year earlier than his contract.

  Austria coach Ralf Rangnick confirmed this week there had been contact with Bayern while several other coaches have been linked with the club.

  Tuchel, however, said the team was shutting out any such distractions as they chase a spot in the Champions League final.

  "In the next 11 days it can only be football and the goals we can still reach," Tuchel told a press conference. 

  "We want to collect points [in the Bundesliga] to get the best result and reach the Champions League final.

  "For anything else, there is just no capacity at the moment, whether it is comfortable or uncomfortable despite the many issues."

  With no chance of domestic silverware and Bayern battling to hold on to second place, three points ahead of third-placed Stuttgart whom they face in 10 days, Tuchel said it was clear Tuesday's game against Real Madrid was on everyone's mind already.

  "I can accept and it is important that we all accept it that there is this background noise against Frankfurt," Tuchel said. 

  "We don't have to tell ourselves a fairytale that we are only thinking 100% about Eintracht.

  "There is this background noise that the Real Madrid game plays a role. When I get my coffee in the morning people don't say 'good luck for tomorrow' they say 'good luck for Tuesday' to me."

  Bayern still have some injury concerns for the coming games with Dayot Upamecano doubtful after twisting an ankle in training and Leroy Sane racing to get fit in time for Tuesday.

  Tuchel said: "We have a test [against Frankfurt] and either we are distracted or we find solutions. Put on ear plugs or headphones and study for the test. That is my task." 

  The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss was also asked about over 12,000 Bayern supporters signing a petition asking for him to remain at the club.

  "Even though this topic is good for me when they [the fans] wish you to stay, it's not something that is a priority and it isn't allowed to be a priority," he said.

  "Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant, I don't allow myself to be influenced by it. We're only focusing on every day counting towards our goals and there is no exception here.

  "This question is like the neighbour that is noisy at three in the morning, if we're honest! I'll set my headphones to noise-cancelling mode and ignore that. 

  "This topic won't help me on Saturday and won't help me on Tuesday - and it is not my topic."

• Slot gets Klopp's nod of approval as Liverpool close in on Feyenoord coach

  Jurgen Klopp has given his nod of approval to Liverpool's pursuit of Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot.

  Klopp has just four games remaining as Liverpool manager, having announced his intention to leave back in January.

  Liverpool's season is in danger of fizzling out, with Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Everton in the Merseyside derby having dealt their Premier League title hopes a blow, while they also crashed out of the Europa League earlier this month.

  This week, reports emerged Liverpool, who were disappointed in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, had elected to move for Feyenoord's Slot as Klopp's replacement.

  Slot confirmed on Thursday that the clubs were in talks and he was confident a deal would be completed soon, and Klopp believes the Dutchman is an ideal fit.

  "I'm not involved in the process, but I like a lot about it, if he is the one and wants to take the job," Klopp said at a press conference ahead of Saturday's meeting with West Ham.

  "I like the way his team plays football. All the things I hear about him as a guy – a good guy. Some people I know, know him. I don't know him, but some people who know him say he's a good guy. I like that a lot. So good coach, good guy. Looking forward for the club, if he is the solution, if he is the man, I am more than happy."

  Expanding on what his replacement would be walking into at Anfield, Klopp added: "Best job in the world. Best club in the world.

  "Great job, great team, fantastic people. [Slot] 'would' be taking a really interesting job."