I am not a clown, I don´t ignore the problems – Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he is “not a clown” and is not simply ignoring the problems at the club following their dreadful start to 2017.

Klopp’s men have dropped to fifth in the Premier League having taken just six points from seven league games to start the calendar year, while also missing out on the EFL Cup final and being knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Wolves.

The Merseyside club welcome Arsenal to Anfield on Saturday and, on the back of a 3-1 defeat to managerless Leicester City on Monday, Klopp was in defiant mood.

“I am not a clown. I am not always laughing like crazy. We are all influenced by experiences. We don’t ignore the problems,” Klopp told a media conference.

“My job is to make the players feel there’s a big chance to win it.”

Jürgen Klopp on facing Arsenal: “The last games we played against them were kind of spectacular. Maybe the next one will be similar.” pic.twitter.com/eX9NKyVjjZ

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 3, 2017

Klopp made no excuses for his side’s performance against Leicester and said Liverpool would not be looking to their dramatic 4-3 win at Arsenal in the first game of the season for inspiration.

“We couldn’t be surprised because we knew about the situation with Leicester. We just didn’t perform,” Klopp added.

“We have already analysed it. I can’t keep it in my backpack. Now it’s about Arsenal – [they have a] completely different style.

“Arsenal is here, we need to bounce back and keep the points at Anfield. We can’t use the first Arsenal game [as motivation].

“It was a free-flowing start [to the season], not too perfectly organised with no bad experience together.

“It doesn’t feel that free-flowing anymore but that’s how seasons are.

“Only Chelsea have that feeling still, all the rest have had better or worse moments in the season. We have a lack of consistency.

“It’s not too important to compare the start of the season with this moment. But it’s obviously different.”

Captain Jordan Henderson remains sidelined for Liverpool with a foot injury, while Dejan Lovren (knee) faces a late fitness test. Daniel Sturridge has not trained because of a virus and a muscle strain.

“Jordan is too soon for sure, Dejan we will see. He trained yesterday [Thursday], now we have to see how he reacts on this,” Klopp explained.

“If nobody tells me different, we have to make a decision. He was out for four weeks, training three days. I’m not sure about it.”

On Sturridge, Klopp said: “He’s not training. He was really ill. Now he has a strain in his hip muscle from a rehab session.

“He’ll be out of normal training for the next week. He can train, but not in team training.”