Jürgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s form prior to the international break will count for nothing come kick off against Southampton this afternoon.

The Reds signed off ahead of the recess with three consecutive victories as Huddersfield Town, Maribor and West Ham United were defeated.

However, as they prepare to resume duties today, Klopp has explained why that run won’t have any bearing on the outcome of the encounter with the Saints.

He wrote in ‘This is Anfield’: “We come into the game today in very good form, but after an international break it always feels the needle returns to the start of the record.

“That is our attitude in preparing for today. The previous results were very nice but irrelevant come kick-off today. We start again and we need to be ready.

“Mauricio [Pellegrino] knows this place well, having played here under Rafa [Benitez], but the stadium has changed a little since then. We give him personally a warm welcome as a returning friend. He has great coaching experience across Europe and is yet another example of Southampton making a very smart decision when appointing someone to lead their team.

“He is already making Southampton a superbly organised side and one of the toughest to beat in the division. They will make life very hard for us today – we must be ready for this. Also, I know from experience many of these Southampton players know what it is like to win at Anfield. They will use this experience today and we must be patient.

“Finally, I want, ahead of this game, to thank our supporters for the role they played in helping us find again our stride in recent results. The backing at Anfield for the Huddersfield and Maribor games – and away in London for West Ham – was brilliant and undoubtedly lifted the players.

“To know you are with us, regardless of circumstances, means so much. Everyone who cares about Liverpool inside Anfield today knows we have a job to do if we want the result. Hopefully we, the team, can perform to the level of our supporters.

“If we do, we will be in a good place, I am sure.”

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