JUGREN KLOPP fought back the tears as Anfield began its long goodbye to their manager.
Then he pleaded with the Kop to forget about him and concentrate their emotions on the players.
Jurgen Klopp admits he struggled with his emotions at Anfield today
He was serenaded by the Kop ahead of the Norwich win as the long goodbye began
Klopp announced on Friday he was quitting Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years and got a rousing reception today before his side ran out 5-2 winners over Norwich City in the FA Cup.
Klopp said: “The atmosphere and people showing everything to me was wonderful, I loved it, great.
“I am not saying don’t do it anymore, people can do what they want but we need the atmosphere on the pitch.
“For that we need the crowd not to think about the manager.
“We have to forget about it for a while and go for each opponent like crazy and the next chance to do that comes on Wednesday against Chelsea.”
Klopp, 56, did admit that he had to “pull himself together” after an outpouring of emotion from the stands that firstly saw him sit taking in the scene of the Kop belting out ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before the game, with that followed by a rendition of ‘I’m so glad that Jurgen is a Red’.
He said: “It’s emotional but I have to pull myself together. I received all the messages. I’m not made of wood.”
While the manager wants it to be about the players it is clear the players want success this season to be for the manager.
They continue to compete in four events. They are in the lead in the Premier League, have advanced to the Carabao Cup final, and will soon face either Southampton or Watford at home in the FA Cup final eight. They are also looking forward to their home match in the Europa League knockout rounds.
Liverpool is back in shape. According to Andy Robertson, the players want to make sure Klopp has a meaningful farewell because they were surprised when he announced he was quitting at the end of the season.
And what a fantastic way to kick off his farewell trip, hammering Norwich with conviction.
Klopp said: “Norwich scored some wonderful goals and our goals were wonderful too. We played good from the beginning and obviously were in charge.
“I think four of our five goals were set up by players from the academy so that is cool, so there were a lot of positives about the game.”
Klopp specifically mentioned Curtis Jones among them.
The 22-year-old, who rose through the ranks to become a regular member of the first squad, scored the first goal with a perfectly placed header.
Klopp said: “He is super important in different departments. He is a very good player and a role model for our academy players.
“All the players who come through the academy are good players. But if Curtis Jones can defend, everyone can learn defending and I mean with the high press and his intensity which sets the rhythm for us.”