Saturday 10 October 2015 06:44, UK
Jurgen Klopp faced the media for the first time since becoming Liverpool manager and declared himself "the normal one".
A highly-anticipated introduction did not disappoint as Klopp vowed to turn "the doubters to believers", said he would have "the first and last word" on transfers and even predicted he would deliver a Premier League title within four years.
And the new manager - understood to have signed a three-year deal - raised a chuckle when he was asked for a soundbite similar to Jose Mourinho's famous 'special one' comment when he joined Chelsea in 2004.
"I don't want to describe myself," he said. "I'm a very normal guy from the Black Forest. I'm the normal one, maybe."
Asked later whether he saw himself emulating Liverpool's greatest bosses, he said: "I don't compare myself with these genius mangers in the history of Liverpool. I don't think about this, it's really not important.
"It's really cool that you guys are looking forward to the next months and years with me, but I don't think abut it. No one of these great managers said at his first press conference: 'my goal is to be a legend at the end of my time here.'"
The German said managing Liverpool was "the biggest honour I can imagine" and called for patience as he implements a brand of "full-throttle" football that won two Bundesliga titles for Borussia Dortmund.
But there was a promise of future success delivered in "a special Liverpool way".
"We can wait for it," he said. "I don't want to say we have to wait the next 20 years. When I sit here in four years, I think we've won one title in this time. I'm pretty sure. If not... maybe Switzerland [will be next for me]!"
I don't want to say we have to wait the next 20 years. When I sit here in four years, I think we've won one title in this time.
Klopp immediately made it clear he will have no problem working with the club's transfer committee - a system under scrutiny in the days since Brendan Rodgers' sacking.
He said: "For me it's enough that I have the first and last word, and in the middle we can discuss about everything.
"It won't take a long time because we only want to discuss about very good players. It's discussing on the very highest level, I hope.
"I'm not a genius, I don't know more than the rest of the world, I need the other people to get the perfect information and when we get this we will sign with a player or sell a player. But it's really easy to handle this."
