Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's strong start is the minimum expectation
Friday 24 August 2018 18:48, UK
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool's impressive early-season form is the very minimum he expects from his players.
Liverpool have taken maximum points from their opening two games after back-to-back wins over West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Klopp's side have shown a marked improvement defensively and are yet to concede a goal this season, but the German believes more can be done ahead of the visit of Brighton on Saturday.
When asked to assess Liverpool's strong start to the campaign, Klopp said: "I'm not excited about it. I really think that we have to expect things like that from us.
"We have to expect it. Anything can happen in a football game but we need to expect from ourselves that we really perform at least at the level that we have showed so far.
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"If that is the best football we can play that would be really poor. You have to develop, you have to improve.
"I'm pretty sure we can but there are a lot of games to play in different competitions and we need to be ready for each of them."
Liverpool beat Brighton 4-0 when the two sides met on the final day of last season, but Klopp expects the Seagulls to be a much tougher side when they travel to Anfield on Saturday - fresh from a 3-2 win over Manchester United.
"I really don't think we should compare the last game of last season with this game," said Klopp.
"Brighton were safe in the league maybe a week or two before. We had to fight for our lives so that makes a difference.
"They are a very good team. I really respect what Chris [Hughton] is doing there. Not only in the Manchester United game. It was impressive, very well organised.
"Of course United were unlucky in one, two, three situations. They had their chances to get a much better result.
"But we have been warned. We have to be 100 per cent spot on. There is so much positivity around here at the moment, and I like that, but at least we have to be awake and ready for work."
Klopp says no progress has been made on Loris Karius' proposed loan move to Besiktas.
Sky sources understand the Turkish club have made an approach to take Karius on a two-year loan, but Klopp insists a deal has not yet been agreed.
"[There's] nothing new about Loris," he said. "Nothing has been decided, if it happens."