Sunday 25 October 2015 12:28, UK
Liverpool players will not be welcome at the club if they don't produce the goods, says manager Jurgen Klopp.
The German is preparing his team to host Southampton on Super Sunday in his first Premier League game at Anfield with a chance to secure his first victory since his appointment on October 9.
After a goalless draw at Tottenham last weekend, the Reds had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Rubin Kazan in the Europa League on Thursday, a performance Klopp described as "98 per cent OK".
Klopp has been nothing but smiles and jokes with the world's media in his opening two weeks in charge, but as he prepares his team for a stern test against Ronald Koeman's men, he stressed that he would crack down on anybody not pulling their weight.
"If a player is full of motivation, concentration, readiness and passion, I am not hard with them," the former Borussia Dortmund boss said.
"I have open arms and maybe give a last kick! But if a player doesn't understand the professional part of his life, it is a little bit of a waste of time. I can help if they are very young of course, talk to them and give maybe one, two or three chances.
"But when they are older and have had five chances with other managers, then it is a waste of time. I love to be something like a friend of the player, but not their best friend."
Liverpool owner John W Henry had his first meeting with Klopp on Friday since taking the reins - a discussion the 48-year-old said was "pretty short".
Henry has overseen four managers in five years at Anfield, but having spent seven years coaching at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, Klopp is hoping he can get on with the job without too much interference.
On the American owners (Fenway Sports Group), Klopp added: "They only want that I solve the problems. It is always the same, the less contact we have, the better I think. Because [it means] everything is OK.
"We don't have to stay in touch every day going over what has happened. I am the manager and the sports part of this club is my responsibility. We need to be successful at a club like Liverpool. What they want and I want is development and improvement. So it was a pretty short discussion about this.
"They think I am the right man so we don't have to discuss for the next four or five months, or next year, because now I am here. I am experienced and patient enough to work."
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