Jurgen Klopp Says Celebrating Early EPL Success Will See Liverpool Stars Dropped

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his players not to get too carried away with the Reds' position in the Premier League table and will even resort to dropping players if he feels they're becoming complacent. 

Per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, Klopp is trying to manage expectations and keep his players' feet on the ground:

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If somebody is a character and wants to celebrate position one in November then he will not play in December anymore because I see it pretty quick.

These things usually don’t happen. The players are here in this situation because their character is really good. It is a long way to get here. It is not like they are surprised about success whether it is individual or as a team.

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The German also explained he had not seen such a mentality in his players as of yet: "It is not too difficult. Nothing has happened until now. It is better to be in the No. 1 place one time than never in your life, but it is not really important in this moment. They know this already. Stay cool, play football and see what happens."

Liverpool were replaced at the top of the table at the weekend when Chelsea dispatched Middlesbrough 1-0, a day after the Reds had been held to a goalless stalemate by Southampton.

The Reds reached the summit with a 6-1 win over Watford prior to the international break. Indeed, Liverpool have been the most potent team in the league going forward, netting 30 goals.

Klopp has revolutionised the way the Reds play—they work and press hard, push forward in numbers with a fluid approach and complete plenty of passes along the way, per Squawka Football:

However, the German is wise to avoid his players getting carried away—there's a long way to go yet.

Barring a rapid and sustained turnaround in form Manchester United are likely out of the title race, but from fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur upwards every team will have their eye on the ultimate prize and can still win.

The Reds are also no strangers to heartbreak in pursuit of the title after ceding it to Manchester City in 2014 following calamitous results against Chelsea and Crystal Palace at the death. 

One of the keys to Leicester City's fairytale title win last season was the masterclass in managing expectations from Claudio Ranieri.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

After 13 games last season, the Foxes were top of the league with one more point than Liverpool have now, but the manager insisted their target remained 40 points. 

Despite Liverpool appearing to face stiffer competition than Leicester did last year, the history of the club and the weight of expectation that brings could make it more difficult for Klopp to do the same, but he's adopting the right approach.