Klopp: We have come from a long way back to clinch Europa League qualification 

Jurgen Klopp admitted that at one point he did not believe that his team would be able to qualify for the Europa League.

The German is well known for his positive mindset when it comes to what his team can produce and for good reason when you see the results over recent seasons.

But in the midst of a dismal start to 2023, even he cut a forlorn figure and was seemingly at a loss to explain the performances.

Any talk of top four was fanciful and in fact any kind of European football seemed well and truly off the table with the most pressing need to get this Liverpool team back to a semblance of a functional side.

Fast forward to the present day and the Reds have rallied to such a extent that they have now clinched Europa League football for next season with top four not yet out of the picture after their seventh straight league victory against Leicester at King Power stadium.

Speaking after the 3-0 win (per the Official site) Klopp expressed his pride over the feat considering where they were in the Premier League standings before their winning streak began.

“ Six, seven weeks ago, I didn't believe it can happen. What we lacked that time was obviously consistency and there was only one chance for us to get in these situations – winning pretty much all the football games, and that's what we had to do, it's crazy.

“But that's the situation we were in. That's good. We knew that before the game if we win we are qualified for Europa League, which is absolutely great from where we are coming from.

“All the rest is not in our own hands but we know we have to win all the games until the end of the season to have a chance (for top four).

“Our job is to keep the pressure. But again, it's not likely. But if not, then this is already better than we could have expected six, seven weeks ago."

As well as clinching a spot in Europe’s second tier club competition, one of the true positives came in the performance of Curtis Jones, a player who just like the team itself has been building his consistency over recent games and the end result was a Player of the match performance on Tuesday evening, something that the manager was delighted with.

“You should not forget he is still a young boy and one or two years ago he played super games for us as well. Then he had a difficult spell with injuries, that's true – strange injuries, a finger in the eye and stuff like this. It took him out for a real while, but this year was especially bad. 

“He could watch a lot of football, he could understand the game better and it looks really like that. I think where he improved the most is counter-pressing, it's exceptional, and speed of play. He doesn't keep the ball that long anymore – he does that, and has to do in moments, but he is much quicker in decision-making and stuff like this.

“Both goals were absolutely exceptional. I am not sure they were real chances. First with the left foot, a similar goal to the last goal he scored [against Tottenham]. The second one is a super finish. He is in a good moment, really cool.

And there was more good news with Klopp confirming that Roberto Firmino who was serenaded by the travelling supporters for a large part of the second half and also after the final whistle is a decent chance of being fit to play a role for the game against Aston Villa  on Saturday which will be his final home game for the Reds.

“Wednesday team training he will be in, that's my information. So, now we have to see because the Saturday game is a super-difficult game for plenty of reasons.

“Probably a farewell around the game for a few players and then playing for absolutely everything against [the] second or third-best team in the Premier League in the second part of the season.

“We want to show really the respect and appreciation and the love we feel for not only Bobby but Bobby as well, all the boys who will leave in the summer. So, it will be a special day with a difficult game in between or around whatever. We have to make sure that we can do both.”