Klopp lays blame with Leicester players, not Ranieri

Jurgen Klopp: Blamed Leicester's players

Jurgen Klopp: Blamed Leicester's players

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes the answer to Leicester’s problems this season lies with their players following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

Just nine months after leading the Foxes to the most unexpected of Premier League titles the Italian was shown the door at the King Power Stadium with the side entrenched in a relegation battle but still in the Champions League.

Klopp said he experienced a testing period immediately after Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2011 but his squad battled through it.

Asked whether it was difficult to motivate players once they had tasted success he said: “No I don’t think so but it depends on the players.

“If I think back 2011 we became champions and we had not the best start in the next season.

“I am pretty sure Ranieri didn’t change. He is too experienced for this.

“He found a perfect clue for this team last year – how to give them a plan – but I can’t say what happened there.”

Klopp takes Liverpool to Leicester on Monday wary of a side who may produce a reaction in the wake of the departure of their manager, as is so often the case.

But the Foxes’ situation is one which does not concern him specifically.

“Things I have no influence on I cannot really think about,” he added.

“Does it change a lot for us? Not sure, we will see.

“I think probably the two assistants will do it so that’s not a change.

“Probably the players have to show a few things and they (will) want to. It is obvious to not let them.

“You saw the Champions League game (against Sevilla in midweek) and the reaction after they scored: it was like two different games before and after they scored.

“Obviously they needed this goal to get confidence back.

“It was unbelievable the change in this one second when they scored.

“Maybe they can keep this and then we have to make it not too easy for them to bring it on the pitch or to not let their confidence grow.

“We have to play our best football – that’s what we have been working on for 15 days.

“If we play our best we will be difficult to play against whoever.”