Andy Robertson believes Liverpool fans will continue to ignore Jürgen Klopp’s wishes after he began his Anfield farewell on Sunday. Liverpool put five past Norwich in the FA Cup in what was the first match since Klopp announced he will leave at the end of the season.
Klopp asked fans not to sing his name before the game and insisted focus must remain on his players, with Liverpool still in three cup competitions and sitting top of the Premier League. That plea fell on deaf ears though and ahead of the clash with Chelsea on Wednesday, Klopp has repeated his request.
“We need the crowd and for them not to think about the manager. We need to forget it for a while and go for each opponent like crazy and that’s what we want to do and the next chance is on Wednesday,” he said after the win over Norwich.
But Robertson, who made his long-awaited return from injury in the match, warned: “He doesn’t want the fans singing his song, but I think he is going to lose that battle. The fans want to say a proper goodbye to him. As players, the one thing he has taught us is it has to be business as usual. We have to try and keep winning games and hopefully that results in giving him a send-off he truly deserves.”
Klopp’s decision came as a real shock to Liverpool fans and Robertson revealed the players were completely taken aback too. He added: “Like the rest of the world, it was a bit of a shock.
“When he told us all, nobody really knew where to look or what to do. You have to respect his decision, he has obviously thought long and hard about it. He is not a rash person, he has obviously thought a lot about it with his family. We will all be forever grateful.”
Robertson, who came on in the 55th minute of the match, also spoke about the warm reception he received from the crowd after his first appearance since October: “It was amazing. That’s the kind of feeling I’ve been waiting for after all the tough days in the gym away from the lads.
“The reception I got will stay with me for a long time. I can’t thank the crowd enough for that. There have been a lot of tough days over the last four months, I’m just delighted to be back on the pitch now.
“We’re fighting on all fronts and you want to keep going in every competition. We’re already in one final, sitting nicely in the Premier League and the FA Cup is an important competition. We know how it feels to win it and you always want to win it. Thankfully we’re through safely.”
