Klopp promises Liverpool will hit trophy trail again if they tough out the hard times

Jurgen Klopp sees time as a troublesome opponent to Liverpool as he attempts to rebuild his Anfield empire, promising trophies and success lie at the end of the tunnel.

The Reds manager realises his job demands he delivers positive results, and this season continues to be a struggle for the team that went close to a staggering quadruple last term.

On top of their EFL Cup and FA Cup wins, Liverpool almost scooped the Premier League title on the final day, while they lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid.

By comparison, this campaign has been tough, and trophy prospects are not as obvious, with Liverpool out of the EFL Cup, mid-table in the league, and facing a repeat clash with Madrid at the Champions League last-16 stage.

They also have a tricky FA Cup fourth-round game at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Klopp pointed to the difficulty Liverpool have encountered with reconfiguring their front three after Sadio Mane left for Bayern Munich, with injuries biting and Darwin Nunez understandably taking time to gel with the likes of Mohamed Salah. Dutch forward Cody Gakpo, a January addition, is another finding his way.

Klopp said Liverpool’s previously long-standing attacking trident of Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino were “a well-drilled machine”, but time moves on, and it was necessary to freshen up the frontline.

The problem has been finding a similar connection, and with physical ailments meaning players are having to miss games it makes the manager’s job complicated as he looks to encourage a new bond.

“Of course that’s not cool. But that’s why I say we cannot expect to be back to our best, and win 5-0 and go to the next game,” Klopp said. “We have to work hard. Nobody wants to hear it, but we have to do it. In two or three weeks, a couple of other options are back again. We’ll have more options and can mix it up.”

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Since a 3-0 league defeat to Brighton earlier this month, Liverpool have beaten Wolves 1-0 in the FA Cup third round and played out a stalemate with Chelsea.

Klopp suggested Liverpool’s main problem was not a lack of goals from Salah, even if the Egyptian has just seven in the domestic league this season.

“The only problem with life we have is constantly the time,” Klopp said, assessing the rebuilding process. “Nobody wants to invest time into that. The situation is not perfect, but the basis of the last two games is something I can work with.”

The former Borussia Dortmund boss explained: “Usually you have a real basis you build on and that’s what we don’t have really.

“Here in this building we are 100 per cent ready to work through that. I wish everything would be easier again, we would qualify already for finals at the end of the season, but unfortunately I experienced different things in my life and not all of them were super positive.

“The only thing I know is the better and the clearer you behave in our down moments, the better it will be in the up and high moments after that, because you have to be respectful, you have to show the right things, you have to criticise but not being mad.

“You have to go through it and then there’s light at the end of the tunnel, there are finals and there are trophies at the end of the tunnel. Not now.”