Gary Neville has warned Liverpool fans to adjust their expectations over new manager Jurgen Klopp, insisting that the German will not produce miracles.
The 48-year-old replaced the axed Brendan Rodgers last Thursday, before vowing to win at least one Premier League title in his first press conference as Reds boss.
Nevertheless, Neville, who won the competition eight times with Manchester United as a player, feels that the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach has plenty of work to do before they can even dream of a title.
"I don't want to be the one popping the balloon at a party, but the giddiness around Klopp's arrival is about to collide with the reality of Liverpool's current situation. There's been quite a bit of fawning when he has yet to play a football match in England, never mind win one," he told The Telegraph.
"I understand the intrigue and the excitement around a new manager, but I'm also thinking: if we go back to original principles, it was about managers having to prove themselves, players having to prove themselves, people in life having to prove themselves. Now, we elevate people to the status of exotic creatures.
"Inside he must be feeling: 'Hang on, please judge me in 18 months or two years, I'm a human being, not a miracle worker,' although he has promised to win a title within four years. He has set himself a high standard, and there are things that will have to change. He will have to recruit incredibly well - and hope that Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal recruit less well. In other words he will have to defy all odds to win the league."
Klopp will kick off his Premier League career when Liverpool - who sit 10th in the table, six points behind leaders Manchester City - face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
Shane Callaghan
