'I don't need to hear it' - Klopp admits he is keeping distance from fans

Jurgen Klopp is staying in his bubble away from Liverpool fans as excitement builds in the city about a first league title since 1990.

Klopp has built a reputation for being a 'man of the people' like the club's greatest manager Bill Shankly but doesn't believe this is the time to get sucked into the title hype by well-wishers.

Liverpool next play clubs at the wrong end of the table, Cardiff on Sunday followed by Huddersfield, as they go head-to-head at the top with Manchester City.

'I don't go shopping, I have enough jeans for the next 20 years, it's a long time since I went out and bought a pint of milk.

'I'm not silly. I can imagine the mood among fans is pretty good but I don't need to read it, I don't need to hear it.

'I can imagine people want to go out and celebrate, talk about it, but we are not part of that. We have to make sure it stays like this.'

Liverpool are also through to the Champions League semi-final meaning they are on course for a Premier League-European Cup double, last achieved by the club in 1984.

'If we are tired we don't feel it,' he stressed. 'We want to be playing and winning, not sitting at home and hoping the others lose or whatever. That's exactly how you should be.

'We know we have to play our very best football to have a chance to win something.'

To counter any complacency against Cardiff, Klopp will tell his players about the aerial threat of Neil Warnock's team with the same intensity as he'll plan for Lionel Messi for the Barca semi-final.

'Our analysis has to show the strengths of Cardiff and you will see immediately how physically strong they are and can cause teams problems.

'Three weeks ago, you will have seen that they should have beaten Chelsea probably when they were 1-0 up and then conceded an offside goal. Everybody in football saw that.

'In our situation there is no problem about motivation. When you are tenth in the league and go to Cardiff, it could be a problem. One or two of the players might think, 'Really?'

'But we don't have that situation since I have been here. The boys have always shown outstanding character and awareness of the importance of the situation.

'Analysis is everything, we have to speak about what we want to do and what we have to do and what our opponent is doing and there is a lot to talk about.