The first time in my life – Jurgen Klopp says chasing four trophies is special

By Carl Markham, PA

Liverpool manger Jurgen Klopp admits he is in unfamiliar territory as his side continue to chase four trophies.

Deposing Premier League champions Manchester City looks the toughest task of the quartet as the second-placed Reds have some ground to recover.

Klopp is hopeful, however, if his team can get to the final five matches of the season still in with a chance then that is when they will start to consider it seriously.

Liverpool also face Inter Milan in the Champions League next week, Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at the end of the month and Norwich at home in a FA Cup last-16 tie in early March.

“It’s the first time in my life (of being in with a chance of winning four trophies) – in Germany we only have two competitions plus the Champions League,” said Klopp ahead of the visit of Leicester.

“It is a building block, always, until the 35th matchday and then there is a finishing block, so we are still building.

“At the beginning of the season, when you have a really good start or a really bad start, and you (the media) ask us ‘What did you make of the start?’ – it is a start, nothing else.

“Unless it is a catastrophe you have to deal with it and if it is a catastrophe someone else has to deal with it.

“We create a base for decisive moments in the season: I don’t know exactly when that will be but we want to be in the different competitions as long as possible and in a position where the last three or four matchdays are interesting.

“I don’t think it ever happened at this time of the year we were still in all four competitions, that’s special.

“And we came through a really tricky situation, having two of the best strikers in the world (Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane) not available and Naby Keita a world-class midfielder not available, plus injuries.

“The boys did a good job and now we have to clear our minds with all freshness, desire and determination.

“We go now for the Premier League, we go into a Premier League game with all we have. That’s the plan.”

Liverpool are arguably better-placed than they have ever been to carry the fight on four fronts.

The £37.5million January arrival of Colombia international Luis Diaz, plus a fully-fit squad once Sadio Mane is available again following his return from Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations celebrations, means Klopp has a vast array of quality now at his disposal.

But he will need it with 12 matches in the next 39 days.

“That is the strongest squad of course, no doubt about that,” he added.

“It would be a shame if that was not the case otherwise we would have become weaker over the years.

“We always had a strong squad and that we didn’t make it in four competitions before was for different reasons.

“Timing in life is important and in football as well and when you come through a brilliant December on three wheels then January gets a bit bumpy when the cup competitions start properly.

“In this moment we know we have a really good squad but we know that other teams have really good squads as well.

“It is not important in the short term who you have available but it is much more important how the available players perform.”