"The competition is fierce and I know our rivals are working tirelessly to upend us. But we've got such talent in place," says Liverpool chairman
Saturday 27 June 2020 14:22, UK
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner believes the club's hunger for success will not diminish in the wake of their maiden Premier League title win and is hopeful of "another period of sustained success".
The Reds ended a 30-year wait to become top-flight champions after second-placed Manchester City suffered defeat at Chelsea on Thursday evening.
American Werner hailed the contribution of Reds manager Jurgen Klopp in creating a winning mentality at Anfield.
The 70-year-old accepts it will be difficult to maintain this season's "extraordinary level" but is confident the good times can continue.
"We want to undersell and overdeliver. We hopefully would be ensuring another period of sustained success," Werner told liverpoolfc.com when asked about the club's next steps.
"The competition is fierce and I know our rivals are working tirelessly to upend us. But we've got such talent in place as Jurgen, as Michael (Edwards, sporting director), and the team on the pitch.
"One of the things that stuck with me this year was their hunger for winning. I don't think that will be diminished. They're such a good group of players.
"I have such fondness for them as individuals off the pitch. They're humble, they're kind, they enjoy each other's company. You could see that in the videos when they were all celebrating.
"It's a lot to ask them to stay at this extraordinary level but it is our goal to continue to play with this quality."
City's loss at Stamford Bridge left Liverpool with an unassailable 23-point lead with seven fixtures to spare.
This season's runaway title success comes a year after Klopp guided the Reds to Champions League glory.
Werner heaped praise on the German coach but stopped short of judging him alongside the great managers of Liverpool's history.
"I didn't have the pleasure of knowing or watching the great football of (Bill) Shankly and (Bob) Paisley, so I don't really want to compare Jurgen to previous managers," said Werner, who has been chairman of the Merseyside club since 2010.
"I just know that the league is extremely competitive and when we first became involved in Liverpool over 10 years ago, we were not even thinking about winning the league.
"Our dream was to just become top four and make it to the Champions League.
"He has just created such an atmosphere at Liverpool that there's no alternative except to win. He has created such an atmosphere.
"One of the things that I'm just joyful about whenever I watch the team is how many players contribute.
"I also enjoy their joy because I saw a video of them celebrating together and you could just feel the camaraderie that this club has. We celebrated this as a club."
Liverpool are in a position to enjoy an extended period of success due to the set-up at the club, says former Reds midfielder Jason McAteer.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, McAteer praised Klopp's ability to instil belief and overhaul the playing squad following his arrival in 2015 with the financial backing of club owners FSG.
Asked how this side compares to the great Liverpool sides of the past, the former Republic of Ireland international, who played at Anfield between 1995-1999, insisted that argument would ultimately be a generational debate.
"I am quite sentimental. I have got friends who played through the 80s as ex-players," McAteer said.
"For me, the teams that played through the 80s that were winning things and dominating will always be the greatest team.
"But this team has been fantastic, I am not taking anything away from them and quite rightly. They rank as one of the greatest Liverpool teams.
"I always think longevity plays a part in being the greatest and this team is set up for longevity. It is very difficult in this era of football because of the money and teams improving.
"The Premier League is the hardest league in the world to win. It has got arguably the greatest players in the world bar a handful, it has got the greatest managers so to do that year on year out has become more and more difficult.
"It is not like the 90s when Manchester United were doing it, it is much more difficult."
