Is Klopp's belief system promoting the most abominable heresy?

The great hurling writer Kevin Cashman was not a believer in unbelievable belief. Around the turn of the millennium, Cashman wrote in The Sunday Independent:

"Nowadays, every other sentence we hear from coaches, especially concerning forwards, is about the imperative of 'getting them to believe in themselves'. If that is what Nicholas English and Jimmy Barry Murphy are trying to do, they are promoting the most abominable heresy, and interviews with Senor Torquemada are called for.

"What the ladeens who ruined the summer for JBM and English require is to have their wee minds most ruthlessly disassembled, all fads and obsessions and enslavements excised, and awareness of the full range of hurling's skills and splendours engraved — with a blow torch."

Cashman was not a fan of compensating for any technical deficiency with 'mindset' or any of the other buzz words the performance psychologists have piled upon us since.

So it's debatable if he would back Jurgen Klopp's assertion that it is Liverpool players' confidence in themselves which will be the key in finally bringing the title back to Anfield.

And even Klopp sees a flaw in the thesis.

"Their skills are similarly important, the attitude, character, very important too. But if you believe in something, it makes it more likely to happen, 100%.

"The problem is, I'm pretty sure Manchester City believes as well so one will be disappointed at the end of the season."

Liverpool have lost just one league match this season, to City, and in their previous game before the international break bounced back from a rare error by Virgil Van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker to win and regain top spot.

In such a tight race — Liverpool lead by two points having played one match more — there are likely to be a few more moments which could swing the advantage one way or the other but Klopp has every faith his squad will cope — without him reaching for the blow torch.

"It's not the first time we scored a late goal, but it was massive and it felt really good," he said.

"Learn from your own experience, that's the best thing you can do in life. And if it works out once, then it's easier to believe it will work out again. It doesn't mean it will, but it is easier to believe.

But let's go for it. Nobody knows what will be on May 13, but we try everything to make it a big day for us.

Liverpool have seven league matches remaining, facing arguably their toughest test on Sunday at home to third-placed Tottenham.

By then they could be playing catch-up again, with City at Fulham this lunchtime, but Klopp remains laid-back about the scenario.

"I'm OK, all good. I wanted to have this situation, and now we have it, it's brilliant. Now we work," he added.

"People think about our situation, 'seven games and they have to win all of them because City will not lose'.

"But then we face Tottenham, so why should we give Tottenham an advantage and say 'We have to win, you are happy with a point'?

It's an open game and we have to be really ready for that: not going nuts, accepting we will have problems in games, like we had at Fulham.

"These moments will be there, in the next seven games and hopefully in five Champions League games too. We have to sort them.

"If you expect not to have problems, then you will be really surprised. But if you know you will have some, then you are prepared for them.

"Let's use the opportunities and fight for each yard on the pitch.

"The only period in the season without any interruptions is this one. Now it's the final matches, so go for it."

Whether or not Liverpool's ladeens yet ruin Klopp's summer, and leave him facing a Scouse Inquisition, even Cashman would probably back that approach.