Watch Liverpool v Man Utd live on Sky Sports from 3.30pm on Sunday
Tuesday 11 December 2018 19:37, UK
How have Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho fared at Liverpool and Manchester United? The Soccer Saturday pundits assess their work ahead of Sunday's Sky Live clash.
The two rivals go head to head live on Sky Sports this weekend, with United travelling to Anfield in the Premier League as Liverpool look to keep themselves top of the table.
But how have managers Klopp and Mourinho done since arriving at their clubs? We asked the Soccer Saturday pundits for their verdict...
For a man who has not won anything since he got there, Klopp is so popular, it's frightening. I know the running on the pitch was wrong but I love seeing emotions in football and he is as passionate as they come.
You have got to get something in the bank eventually or your job will come under threat as a manager, but everybody seems to love this guy. I love watching his team play as a neutral - they are energetic, they are attacking and he has turned them into genuine title contenders again.
I think people like him and others are leaving Jose behind. Jose was a serial winner but now he will be patting himself on the back if he just manages to finish in the top four and it looks like United are going backwards under him.
It always feels that he is just one game away from being in a real crisis again. They have won a couple of trophies, which Klopp has not managed to do, but if you look at which club looks like it is on the rise and which club has the better feel about it at the moment that it is hands down Klopp and Liverpool.
For a man who's not won anything since he got there, Klopp is so popular, it's frightening. I know the running on the pitch was wrong but I love seeing emotions in football and he's as passionate as they come.
With Klopp, the obvious minus is the lack of silverware and he has been beaten in too many finals. He also maybe failed to improve his defence and goalkeeper quickly enough, although with the 'keeper, it was a case of what goalkeeper was available before he signed Alisson. He also waited it out to sign Virgil van Dijk, which has already proved to be the right move, so that would be a mitigating circumstance for that.
The major plus is that Liverpool are being talked about all around Europe now after last season when they were probably the best attacking team on the continent, so putting that side together was a great achievement for Klopp. Plucking Salah out for what seemed a big fee now seems like a bargain and he has made quite a few brilliant signings.
Those games against Roma and Man City when getting to the Champions League final was part of an incredible run and Klopp's passion for both his team and the football club creates a wonderful atmosphere around the place.
Jose on the other side may not play that style of football that fans want but he has delivered some trophies and there will be a few Liverpool fans - maybe only a few - but some who would say they would take a more defensive style of play like Jose's in order to win a few trophies, so it's a fine line.
But if you are looking at who is more likely to be winning things this season and going forward then that's certainly Klopp's Liverpool and it's hard to make a case for Jose moving United forward from when he started to now.
One's been in the game and won everything in the last 10 years, and the other's just come over and not won anything yet. People are quick to write Mourinho off. It's like Klopp's the man and Mourinho's nothing but he won everything wherever he went for 10 years. Klopp has done great, but he has not won anything.
One has the people feeding out of his hand, but Jose likes people not to like him, I think. Klopp wants the world on his side and Jose says the world's against us.
People are quick to write Mourinho off. It's like Klopp's the man and Mourinho's nothing but he won everything wherever he went for 10 years. Klopp has done great, but he hasn't won anything.
Klopp seems to have the players on his side but Jose seems to have half lost them. Klopp has bought brilliantly, Jose has bought terribly - I don't know if that's the club or the manager, but that's how it is.
I don't want to say Jose does not seem interested, but if he's not winning anything, it does not rock his boat. That's just me saying that. He's a winner - coming third and fourth won't do it for him. Other managers just starting out like Klopp - over here at least - have still had it as a challenge to get in the top four or come second and third. I don't see that with Mourinho.
Klopp has certainly improved Liverpool since he's been there. He's adapted his team a bit this season, although they are not as free flowing as they were last season, but it was the second half of the season when they clicked into gear so there's still time for that. He's definitely improved that team since he's been there and turned them into genuine title contenders.
He's obviously not won anything. He's got them to a few finals but not managed to win [any]. However, he did brilliantly to get them to the Champions League final last year, although the goalkeeper in that game that cost them.
As a football fan, you have got to like watching Liverpool play and the credit for that has got to go to Klopp. He's got them playing really well.
One of the criticisms for Jose is that if he stays around a club for too long, he starts to lose control as he falls out with so many people. He has not worked out a way of getting them to play a more entertaining style of football and that's frustrating the fans somewhat.
He's obviously won those trophies but they have fallen way behind Manchester City and now Liverpool as contenders so it's not really been a progression for them.
Get Sky Sports to see Liverpool take on Man Utd this weekend. Find out more here.
Watch Liverpool v Man Utd live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 3.30pm on Renault Super Sunday.
