Jurgen Klopp suggests attitude is more important than experience for Liverpool

Klopp’s side are the Christmas leaders, with a four-point advantage over City thanks to a run of seven successive league victories

Jurgen Klopp has suggested that attitude is more important than experience as his Liverpool side try to maintain their advantage over Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

Klopp’s side are the Christmas leaders, with a four-point advantage over City, in second, thanks to a run of seven successive league victories, the latest of which came at Wolves last Friday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side, by contrast, have lost two of their past three league fixtures, falling to Chelsea and then surprisingly at home to Crystal Palace.

However, Guardiola’s players, as the defending champions, know what it takes to win the Premier League while Liverpool are light on such experience.

Of the players in Klopp’s squad, only James Milner – with City – and Daniel Sturridge, while at Chelsea, have won the English domestic title.

Liverpool’s manager, who won the Bundesliga as manager of Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, says his players have the character to stay the course, however.

He said: “The only thing I know is that everyone who won the title, at one point it was their first time.

“What is more important, is it experience or is it potential, attitude, desire or the joy at never having had it before?

“Experience is always good if you are young enough to use it. If you are 105 and you have the experience, it is quite difficult to use it for football.

“We have to use all our experience from the last games, and last season, and that’s more important.

“Character is always very important but these boys have that, there is no doubt about that. We achieved big things in the past, with reaching finals and good positions in the league.

“We did all that together. We made steps together and that’s what we have to do further on, and then we will see where that ends.”

Klopp has played down the possibility of making signings in the January transfer window to bolster his squad for a title push over the second half of the season, although he will consider it if injuries eat into his squad further.

Joel Matip, who has a broken collar bone, and fellow centre-back Joe Gomez, who is recovering from a broken ankle, are still several weeks away from fitness, while midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is continuing his recovery from the cruciate knee ligament damage he sustained in April.

Matic is currently recovering from a broken collar bone (Action Images via Reuters)

Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, though, should be fit to face Newcastle on Boxing Day after recovering from a sprained ankle, while midfielder Naby Keita was expected to train on Christmas Eve despite suffering a rib injury against Wolves.

Klopp said: “I’m very happy with what I have. I keep the door open because if something happens then we will need to have a look, because there are monstrous numbers of games coming and that’s really important that we can react. It’s all good unless something dramatically changes. That’s all.”