‘I’m 100% responsible for this rubbish!’ - Jurgen Klopp shoulders the blame for ‘super strange’ Liverpool season

• Merseyside giants struggling for consistency
• German coach taking responsibility
• Last push for European qualification

WHAT HAPPENED? The Merseyside giants took in every fixture available to them last season, claiming FA Cup and Carabao Cup honours while pushing Manchester City close in the Premier League title race and suffering a narrow defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final. They have taken a sizeable backwards step this term, with Liverpool currently sat eighth in the table, and Klopp is happy to shoulder any blame for the club failing to live up to expectations.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Klopp has told Sky Sports of a frustrating run from the Reds on multiple fronts: “I'm sorry for our people, that they don't have the season they wished for. But in the long term they will forget that. I couldn't care less what we did last year or the years before. I'm 100 per cent responsible for this rubbish and it's really not cool.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Liverpool are destined the finish the season empty-handed, having grown accustomed to collecting major honours under Klopp, with their inconsistency highlighted by record-setting results such as a 9-0 win over Bournemouth in August and a 7-0 mauling of Manchester United in March that have been countered by nine Premier League defeats and early exits from all cup competitions. Klopp added on the reasons for those struggles: “A lack of confidence - that's clear. World-class players are performing on a strange level. It started with injuries and players coming back early, and we were never really settled in this season. We have to go through that and I have no problem with that. When I look back in 10 or 15 years this season will probably not be involved with highlights, but hopefully there'll be a lot of things we can learn from it and can use next year. But we have to fight through this and this is tough. If it was easy they wouldn't pay me that much money for it. We've had a super-strange season. We've had the two highest wins in our history but then a week later we cannot do it.”

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WHAT NEXT? Liverpool will get another opportunity to push themselves back into contention for European qualification when facing Premier League leaders Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.