Jurgen Klopp has refused to compare his current Liverpool team to Bob Paisley’s legendary side of the 1980’s, after equalling their unbeaten run.
The Reds matched the club’s record of 25 games unbeaten in all competitions on Wednesday night following their 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League, with the record originally set by Paisley’s side from March to September 1982.
That run came amid a hugely successful era for the Merseysiders, as the Englishman guided the club to six league titles and three European Cup’s during his nine-year stint in charge between 1974 and 1983, having built on the earlier success of fellow club icon Bill Shankly.
The current crop of talent has the chance to better that long-standing record against West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday, with Klopp’s men also currently just three points behind leaders Chelsea in the table.
Despite the opportunity to go one better than that legendary team, the former Borussia Dortmund boss refused to compare the two sides, while also insisting that he is ‘not really focused on records’ as he merely seeks another three points against the Hammers.
“I cannot compare these times because even though I watched football at that time as a kid I had no idea about what football was exactly,” Klopp said at his press conference on Friday.
“But it was for sure not easy in the Shankly and Paisley times to win football games. Whenever it is, there is a specific level for all footballers and all teams, and one team has to overcome it. And to do that as regularly as Bob’s teams did, that makes them all-time greats. No doubt about that. But why should we compare?
“We don’t see ourselves as in any kind of comparison with them. We try to do what is possible now. If we see it is possible but difficult then the fun part starts. Then we want it with all we have. That’s exactly how our journey so far has worked out. We had a look at what can be achieved, where can we go, and if we saw we can go there, and if we got there, then we wanted immediately to make the next step as well. That is what we are doing now.
“We are not really focused on records but if it happens then it is obviously a good sign. We don’t go for a record at West Ham, we go for three points, which is already difficult enough.”
