Jurgen Klopp could soon be the first Liverpool manager in 29 years to lift the title. 

The Reds could take another step towards glory with victory over Crystal Palace, but the German insists he has no intention of creating an 'us against the world' mentality in order to help his players get through the next few months. 

In his press conference ahead of welcoming the Eagles to Anfield, it was put to Klopp that some football fans have made 'anyone but Liverpool' their mantra regarding who to support in the title race.

“If people think like that and gain something out of the fact that we will not win the league, I feel for them," he told reporters.

"I cannot use them for motivation because they are not people I am interested in to be honest. It is a waste of time for me to think of anybody losing something.”

It's easy to point to the £177million spent in the summer as explanation for Liverpool's undeniable improvement this season, but the fact remains that they have also had to overcome a few hurdles along the way. 

Klopp has not only had to deal with numerous defensive injuries, having to utilise Fabinho at centre-back recently, but he is also experiencing his first full season on Merseyside without right-hand man Zeljko Buvac. 

The Bosnian-Serb, who was nicknamed "The Brain", left nine months ago. He had worked alongside Klopp since 2001, winning two titles at Borussia Dortmund. 

Many feared that their partnership would turn out like that of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor; magnificent together, but also mutually dependent, and ultimately unable to function without one another. 

Klopp's personality has changed 

Yet Klopp has blossomed in Buvac's absence, with The Times providing new insight into how his personality has changed since April.

The newspaper report that he is now much more "authoritarian" and "decisive". 

While he doesn't speak about his former ally out of respect, it's well-known that Buvac was hugely influential and played a significant role in dictating Liverpool's style of play. 

Now that he's gone, Klopp has tried new things, including the 4-2-3-1 system with Mo Salah up top that has proved so effective. 

As much as he respects the rest of his backroom staff, he does not feel the need to consult them as much. The report adds:

"Where the manager would always confer with Buvac before making a substitution, that responsibility now sits easily."

The Liverpool boss certainly hasn't allowed his assistant's departure to hold him back.