Jurgen Klopp adamant Liverpool players understand enormity of Manchester United clash
The Liverpool manager took part in a Facebook Live Q&A special with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves to answer questions from fans
Friday 13 January 2017 16:23, UK
Jurgen Klopp is adamant his Liverpool players fully appreciate the enormity of Sunday’s trip to bitter rivals Manchester United.
The Reds make the short trip across the M62 for the second instalment of Merseyside v Manchester – live on Sky Sports 1 HD - where they go in search of only their second Premier League victory at Old Trafford in almost eight years.
Live Nissan Super Sunday
Ahead of one of the marquee fixtures of the season, the Liverpool boss took part in a Facebook Live Q&A special with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves, in which he was quizzed by fans about his side’s appreciation of the importance of the fixture.
For Klopp’s answer to that, and to many more questions, here's a transcript of the wide-ranging interview...
Hi Mr Klopp! Just wondering if the players know the enormity of this game at the weekend and how much it means to the fans of Liverpool? Or does it just sink in when they are in the tunnel?
KLOPP SAYS: The players know, I know already. You don’t have to be part of the game to know the importance of the game but if you are part of the game you can believe everybody knows about it. That’s the good thing in sport, you don’t have to explain these things to anybody. These players have watched games like this more often than being involved. Now they can be a part of it and that’s great.
What do make of how tight things are at the top of the Premier League?
KLOPP SAYS: If you are second in the table that should always be a pretty good position, especially when you have a lot of games to go. That is all okay. We are still in all competitions, a lot of people would like that we were a little bit further, particularly in the FA Cup, but we are still in all competitions. We feel good but it is intense.
Intense? You could be two points off the leaders or outside the top four after Sunday. That’s tight...
KLOPP SAYS: Until now we’ve played a pretty consistent season. The last game, the first leg against Southampton, was maybe the worst performance since I don’t know when, perhaps ever. But that’s how it is sometimes in life. The lads have played really well until now so we are fine. We know about our situation on a positive side and a negative side. We have some very difficult games coming up, not only for us but for our opponents too. So all is good.
Hi Mr Klopp. The games we’ve played this season have been really high tempo but in the last few games we seem a bit slower. I understand we have had a lot of games over Christmas that may have affected our players, do we need fresh faces to strengthen? And do you agree attack is the best form of defence?
KLOPP SAYS: Ha ha ha! Did you see our fixtures over Christmas? For sure, the games against Everton, Stoke and Man City were unbelievably intense. Two days later against Sunderland we came through somehow. Of course the intensity of this game gave us a little knock that was obvious, not the result but having to go again. So these four games were really hard. That was one of the reasons why we changed the line-up completely for the FA Cup.
Then we had the first really bad game for a long time at Southampton. That’s all. To play well you need two things; rhythm and, if possible, fresh legs, and quality, which we obviously have. Rhythm we obviously have because of the amount of games but nobody has fresh legs all of the time. But that’s just how it is, sometimes the game is on the wrong day and you have to dig in. That is absolutely normal.
Having 40 players in a squad gives you an easy solution in a lot of situations but for most of the games there are big, big problems. We all believe in this squad, we decided and until this point that has proved 100 per cent right. Then Sadio Mane is not available, Philippe Coutinho is on his way back but not 100 per cent, Jordan Henderson is not available, Daniel Sturridge has injury breaks - that makes you weaker but those players are still here.
You cannot have a big squad of players who player for only this game and then send them away. We will be there [back on form] again but at this moment it doesn’t feel like a holiday, perhaps the opposite.
Liverpool haven’t had a local hot prospect come through the ranks since the likes of Gerrard and Carragher. These players show more passion in games against Everton and Manchester United, and the fans love that. Can you see any of the current crop of youngsters making it as the next local lad?
KLOPP SAYS: This bunch of players that we have now have already shown a lot of passion in the local games - Everton, Manchester United last year and the Europa League. We all love to have Scousers in our team but we should not be asking ‘can you speak scouse?’ or ‘were you grandparents born on Merseyside?’ when we see a good player. We already have these guys in the squad, they are very young but they are already here so if you can wait you will see them.
How long is Jordan Henderson out for? He is the most underrated midfielder in England.
KLOPP SAYS: Yes! I don’t think he is underrated anymore. Maybe he was but I don’t know. Here’s an interesting thing about football. After the Burnley game, everybody told me I needed to buy a new No 6, that Hendo could not play there and that maybe we needed a warrior, fighting holding midfielder. Six months later he is the most underrated midfielder to play in England. I always knew his quality, even before I came to Liverpool.
Of course you have to wait until you’ve worked with them to learn about the player’s character, the character of our English lads is outstanding. Outstanding. That is the most important thing if you can play football, and they obviously can. Hendo is not out for long, I hope not. Maybe we will see him again at the weekend but I’m pretty sure, if not, it will be a little bit later.
Would you consider playing Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino together up front at Old Trafford?
KLOPP SAYS: It’s an idea. But we have to wait until Sunday!
In all your years of coaching you’ve had to cope with strategies, tactics and formations. But have you ever encountered a ‘Wet Willy’?
KLOPP SAYS: Someone explained to me 10 minutes ago what this was. I’m really surprised the English language has a word for this, I’d never seen it before. Wet Willy? Who did it first, Willy? It looks like it’s a funny thing but being on the wrong side of ‘Wet Willy’ in a game is not nice. People are saying the Plymouth player [Sonny Bradley] is clever for annoying Emre Can. I don’t think it is funny, I think it’s disgusting.
I don’t think it is funny, I think it’s disgusting. It should not be part of football.
Hopefully he tries again when we go to Plymouth and maybe someone can see. I remember Emre’s reaction on the pitch and he was close to getting a yellow card. He was the victim so for him to nearly get a yellow card is really bad. Nobody saw it but it was disgusting. In my opinion, some people find it funny but I don’t. It should not be part of football.
Mr Klopp. How do expect Mr Mourinho to shape his side on Sunday? Do you expect him to park the bus and counter like they did at Anfield?
KLOPP SAYS: Jose is maybe the most competitive manager in world football. I don’t think he cares a lot about what anyone says after the game if they say things didn’t look nice. He is outstandingly successful. I don’t have an exact idea how Man Utd will play but we watch them a lot and they’ve improved over the past few months. They are a result machine again, getting result after result.
Manchester United are a strong side but we can defend outstandingly well. If they park the bus, which I don’t think they will, we have to go with it. If they attack more we have to us the space they give us. It’s a game where we will be on our highest levels of concentration again. I’m really looking forward to the game. It’s really good and everybody should be looking forward to it.
Watch Merseyside v Manchester – Everton v Man City followed by Man Utd v Liverpool - on Super Sunday from 12.30pm, Sky Sports 1 HD. Sky Q 2TB customers can watch the game in Ultra HD. Visit skysports.com/uhd for details.
