“This year must be different.”
Jurgen Klopp has revealed that this summer’s pre-season will be different to previous ones in an attempt to turn Liverpool’s fortunes around after a disappointing year.
Last year the club played in every single game possible in a calander year and they were then thrust into a pre-season tour, combined with players coming back from international duty.
The huge overload and lack of time no doubt had a knock on affect as the Reds struggled to get going this season, when normally they would hit the ground running.
“We have to plan (pre-season) early and usually you have to plan without the Champions League final because that doesn’t happen constantly, you just have to deal with it,” he said. “And that is what we did (last summer), we dealt with it.
“But then we started in Hong Kong and pretty much playing immediately because we had to and then the boys came back step by step by step. It was never a perfect pre-season but that is not the reason for our season now because before that we had similar pre-seasons.
With no European football to bulk out their schedule, and only the Premier League futures remaining, Liverpool will start planning their summer preparations much earlier than usual.
“But this year must be different. We have now already three, four, five weeks without (European) football. Usually you play all the time. Now we play a lot – I actually have no clue where they would have put in the Champions League games (if we had got through).
“But it’s different and that’s why we have to step up. We have to step up. And we have to prepare that in the pre-season and that’s why I want them back together as quick as somehow possible, respecting the necessity of holidays.
“I know that and I respect that and I want them to go on holiday for as long as possible but for this year we have to make sure we are together as soon as possible and can go from there.
“The day after the season ends they go on a camp to prepare for whatever is coming up, it’s crazy but our hands are tied, we cannot say anything about that.
“So that is why the next season stands above everything to be honest. It means the next season starts with the pre-season and the boys on international duties will have at least three weeks plus the three days more…
“But then we start here, we will have three or four days here for the testing and all these kind of things – even the boys who come slightly late – and then we go on a training camp to Germany and we can work there properly with the whole squad and that is exactly what we need.”
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