Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists there is "nothing special" about him

Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's success this season is a collective effort.

The Reds are 13 points clear of second-placed Leicester as they seek a first Premier League title since 1990.

Liverpool will be looking to extend their 37-game unbeaten run in the top flight when they face Jose Mourinho's Tottenham on Saturday.

Mourinho announced his arrival in English football by declaring he was a "special one" at his Chelsea unveiling in 2004.

Klopp in turn christened himself the "Normal One" after taking charge of Liverpool in 2015, and he insists nothing has changed since then.

“The Normal One is completely fine,” Klopp told reporters when asked if he wished to update his moniker.

“There is nothing special in me, unfortunately. The only way I understand is that you do what you are good at with passion, 100%. And using the exceptional people around you. Staff, players and so many more people in this case.

“Everybody is doing their piece and it can be good in the end, nothing special. It is all normal.”

Liverpool have won 19 and drawn one of their first 20 Premier League fixtures this season.

Avoiding defeat in their next 18 outings would see Klopp's side emulate Arsenal's Invincibles of 2003/04 by going a full campaign undefeated, but the former Borussia Dortmund boss says he does not pay attention to such records.

“I haven't thought a second about it,” he added. “We wouldn't have won so many games had we done that.

"Other teams never set a record because they wanted a record, you need to be focused. My big problem now is Spurs. How they think and play. That's my only concern."

Klopp then provided a fitness update ahead of Saturday's clash with Spurs, which several players will miss through injury.

“James [Milner] and Naby [Keita] are not available," he said. "Muscle injuries. We will see. Not for this weekend or next but then we will see.

“Joel [Matip] was outside on the pitch but doing his own stuff. Yesterday [Thursday] was first part of training. Shaq [Xherdan Shaqiri] trained normal. Dejan [Lovren] and Fabinho next week in full training.”

READ MORE

When will Lionel Messi retire? Spanish football experts have their say

Jose Mourinho must make Tottenham worth watching – something he still hasn't managed

The measure for every Premier League goalkeeper that shows Liverpool's Alisson might be even better than we thought

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).