Despite four matches without victory, the last three without scoring, the Liverpool boss believes his side are going in the right direction; watch Liverpool vs Burnley live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event on Thursday from 7:30pm; kick-off 8pm
Thursday 21 January 2021 21:57, UK
Jurgen Klopp has played down Liverpool’s current form, believing only small margins are separating his side from a return to winning ways.
Four matches without a win, the last three without scoring, has led to scrutiny not previously experienced by the defending champions.
A lack of goals is being held up as the prime reason for their recent failure but Klopp is refusing to panic, instead looking at the bigger picture.
"We all know it is all about results but sometimes you can see little steps in the right direction or not," he said.
"But it is nothing for you (the media) because you can't deal with small details. You make them big things. You are not ready for this information.
"We wanted to play better but there were a lot of good signs and I cannot ignore them and I will not.
"You cannot change the approach because everybody who has no real idea about the job expects now massive changes, from the wake-up call to the nutrition, because we don't have the results.
"Sometimes we have to be really, not stubborn, resilient maybe, and do it.
"I understand that at the moment in the press conference people think 'Oh he is so entertaining' and now they think 'What kind of mood is he in?', 'Does he see reality?'
"It (scrutiny) is just getting earlier and earlier but it is all fine. We are on it, believe me."
Klopp's side cannot yet take encouragement from videos of Virgil van Dijk in Dubai stepping up his rehabilitation from surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The club have been reluctant to rule the influential centre-back out, absent since mid-October, of the whole season and while the manager was optimistic he was also cautious about raising expectations.
"I don't know what is possible and I don't think I am the right person to judge it," he said.
"He looks really good and I spoke to him this morning and he is in a good mood but I don't know when he will be back.
"I had this injury myself but for the time we are in and how long he is out he looks really really promising."
Liverpool's front three will soon have to be broken up and Roberto Firmino could be the first man to make way, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Firmino have been instrumental in Liverpool's success under Jurgen Klopp, scoring 183 Premier League goals between them across the last four seasons.
But their form has come under scrutiny lately following a run of three games without a goal in the Premier League, including Sunday's scoreless draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher pointed out that the trio have already been together for longer than other great Premier League front threes and while he expects Mane and Salah's form to improve - he is less sure of Firmino's long-term prospects.
