Jurgen Klopp accepts there will be pressure on him to win a first trophy with Liverpool this season.
The German will celebrate his third anniversary as manager in October and, although he has brought plenty of excitement to Anfield, so far he has not managed to add any silverware.
Liverpool have lost in three finals under Klopp - the League Cup and Europa League in his first campaign and the Uefa Champions League last season - while finishing eighth, fourth and fourth in the Premier League.
"People will say that. It is the next step and we need to be ready for that," Klopp said. "I cannot give guarantees here but I understand if people think that. I know about the expectations and that is completely normal.
"First of all we have to play the football that gives us an opportunity to win something. We cannot talk about winning something before we start the season.
"I am confident we can build on last season. It's not that we lost things completely but you have to work on it to get it back. The football the boys played last year was not easy. There was a lot of work invested into playing like that. That's what we will do again. I am not in doubt about our basis or that we will reach it again.
"Other teams, of course, will do transfer business as well. They will not be weaker than last year. City brought in [Riyad] Mahrez. I did not hear that they lost one player so far. So it means the quality of last year plus Mahrez. That's a nice plan as well. United will go for it, too, and that's completely normal.
"We expect more from ourselves. We will go again for the championship and each kind of cup but that does not mean I can sit here and we will get it. We have the highest ambitions, 100 per cent."
Klopp has been working hard to integrate new arrivals Naby Keita and Fabinho into the squad, with Xherdan Shaqiri yet to join up with his new teammates following his World Cup exploits.
A number of other key names are also still missing. "I want to have the best start ever but we all know something can happen and it is all questioned in a second," Klopp said.
"I am in the third season and each season we have a period where a few people questioned me or our progress and all that stuff and in the end it was OK. I am prepared for these moments. I don't want to have them but I will not go nuts and think we have lost everything.
"The new players will make us stronger 100 per cent. But it will not happen in the first day. It is all about staying calm, looking at the situation, judging it right and then make the step."
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Read more:
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Joel Matip injury setback for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp
Mohamed Salah 'full of joy' back in training for Liverpool
Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri could prove astute signing
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Liverpool won three of their four matches against Manchester City last season, including both legs of their Champions League quarter-final, but finished 25 points behind them in the league.
Klopp believes consistency is the answer to closing the gap.
"It is not just that we have to be more consistent, we have to create circumstances where we can be more consistent. Nobody is consistent with 11 players. What we are working on is the depth of the squad," he said.
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
