Jurgen Klopp‘s news to step down took us all by surprise, the players included, and Andy Robertson is ready to try and give the manager “a send off he truly deserves.”
With Sunday the first time the team has been in front of the camera since Klopp’s news broke, there was always going to be plenty of questions about the German’s looming departure.
Andy Robertson, who played his minutes since October in the win against Norwich, spoke of his shock after he was informed on Friday that there is a finite number of games left with Klopp.
And speaking to ITV after Sunday’s 5-2 victory, Robertson reiterated the sentiment to give the manager a send off he “truly deserves,” which he knows will include fans singing his song any chance they get!
“I think like the rest of the world, it was a bit of a shock,” Robertson said of Klopp’s announcement. “You know, when he told us all (the squad) I think nobody really knew where to look or what to do.
‘For what he’s done for this club, we’ll all be forever grateful’ ?
‘He doesn’t want the fans singing his name but I think he’s going to lose that battle’
Andy Robertson salutes Jurgen Klopp ahead of his impending end-of-season Anfield exit#ITVFootball | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/3KBmCvv3MM
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 28, 2024
“But you have to respect his decision, he’s obviously thought long and hard about it. He’s not a rash person. He’s obviously thought a lot about it in terms of his family and everything.
“For what he’s done for this club, we will all be forever grateful.
“He doesn’t want the fans singing his song, but I think he’s going to lose that battle, unfortunately! The fans want to say a proper goodbye to him.
“For us players, the one thing he asked of us was that it’s business as usual. We have to keep fighting on all fronts, keep winning games and, hopefully, that results in giving him a send off he truly deserves.”
The Reds have boosted their chances of doing just that by securing their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, which adds to the League Cup final place they secured in midweek.
It’s looking good as it stands, but Liverpool are by no means resting on their laurels, as reiterated by Curtis Jones, who offered a more concise response when asked about Klopp.
“Just carry on,” was the message from Jones. “We have our goals that we’ve set and nothing has changed.
“Of course, it is sad for the whole club but he’s a man and that’s his choice. We respect that, and we’ll go with the flow.”
