Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool have not given more to their efforts in Europe than they have in the Premier League as he prepares to send out another below-strength side against Watford on Sunday.
Klopp has guided Liverpool to the final of the Europa League against holders Sevilla after they saw off Villarreal 3-0 in Thursday's semi-final second leg at Anfield to go through 3-1 on aggregate.
Inevitably, that leaves Klopp's focus on the final in Basel on May 18, when Liverpool will be looking to win their first European trophy since 2005 and also secure a place in the Champions League.
That appears to be Liverpool’s only route into European competition for next season as they are now eighth in the Premier League, although Klopp does not believe his players have saved their best for Europe.
“I don’t think there is a big difference, to be honest. I think it is a little bit about timing, a little bit about luck at specific moments,” Klopp said.
“We had similar games in the Premier League, but not in a row. 2016 is quite a successful season for Liverpool and the team.
“The Europa League has given us the opportunity to maybe qualify for the Champions League.
• Read more: Jurgen Klopp – Europa League display shows what Liverpool 'could be capable of in the future'
• Also see: Liverpool enjoy magic night at Anfield to reach Europa League final – in pictures
“But on the other side, it has cost the opportunity of qualifying for the Champions League in the Premier League because of the number of games, (as well as) going to the final of the League Cup and the injuries and circumstances we’ve had.
“I’m sure there was no difference in attitude with the Premier League, the Europa League or any other tournament.
“These boys always gave their all but sometimes it was not 100 per cent because they couldn’t.”
Liverpool lost at Swansea City last Sunday as Klopp rested a number of key players between the two legs of their semi-final.
And that is again likely to be the case against Watford, who beat Liverpool 3-0 at home in December in a performance Klopp rates, alongside the one at Swansea, as the worst of his seven-month reign at Anfield.
“We will have a few changes again but we will try to do everything to win this game because we respect this league,” Klopp added.
“We want to have the best position we can get at the end of the season. We don’t have to rest players on Sunday for Wednesday, 10 days later.
“It’s about the game on Thursday, which was quite intense. We need to think about this and not Wednesday-week.”
Liverpool are still without injured striker Divock Origi and captain Jordan Henderson, with Klopp suggesting they need to return for the final league game against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday-week to be in with a chance of facing Sevilla.
Meanwhile, Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores is unexpectedly heading into the final games of the season with his future in doubt despite maintaining the club’s Premier League status and guiding them to the FA Cup semi-finals.
A poor run in the league since the turn of the year has brought just four victories and prompted owner Gino Pozzo to consider instigating the 12-month break clause inserted into Flores’ two-year contract last year.
Flores has already been linked with a return to former club Valencia, but the Spaniard insists it is by no means certain he will leave Vicarage Road.
“The contract says in the last part of May, both sides can decide. We are not worried about anything,” he said.
“This is the spirit of contract. It’s important. We have possibility to decide if we are in the right way. We take decisions together.
“I don’t want to talk more about my contract. I’m thinking about the match with Liverpool on Sunday.
“I want to transmit how happy I am at Watford.”
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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