Jurgen Klopp has insisted he couldn’t care less about Manchester United ahead of Liverpool’s clash with the Red Devils at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds have had the better of United in recent years, and recorded emphatic 5-0 and 4-0 victories over their fierce rivals last season. But a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford back in August was a sign of things to come, with Liverpool currently sixth, six points off the top four and 10 points behind Erik ten Hag’s team in third.
And speaking to reporters at his pre-match press conference, Klopp admitted he isn’t surprised at the Dutchman’s impact with United since taking over last summer, as he took a number of light-hearted digs at Liverpool’s bitter rival.
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“Yeah, great! United is doing well! I didn’t miss them,” he pointed out. “When you see them from time to time, everything they are doing is great and fantastic and I can imagine how annoying it was for the last few years when we were there. Everybody was talking: ‘Klopp is doing this, Klopp is doing that. Wow, outstanding! And bringing in the young players!’
“They deserve it, they deserve to be where they are. They won the points and play good football. It’s not where we are this year but we were there the last few years and want to go there again. 100%.
“Apart from that I couldn’t be less interested in what they are doing. I just respect what they do. Then we analyse it. We have an analysis meeting, we go through it and we will try and find a way to cause them more problems than when we did in the first game when we played them. That is the only time United comes up in my mind, nothing else.”
He continued: "I didn’t think too much about it (Ten Hag’s impact) to be honest. Surprised? Probably not. Go through the team. How could they not be good? They don’t have one player where you think, ‘Woah, what is he doing there?’
“They are really experienced, they have quality, and a good way of playing. A new way to defend. Defensively a massive difference, properly man orientated and with the ball, just quality.
“It’s a good idea, but super experienced players came in like Eriksen and Casemiro. They were all over the world successful. Rashford is in the form of his life. For sure influenced by Ten Hag as well but when our players play well, it is not like I feel, ‘Oh, I did that!’ It is a good team, how they could not be successful?
“But again, they have to play us and I would like to show that that’s different in a positive way for us."
When quizzed further about Rashford’s form, Klopp admitted he takes little joy in positives for Manchester United as he revealed what Liverpool will need to do to stop the forward.
“It is difficult, I would say pretty much impossible, to be happy about something positive at Manchester United when you are the Liverpool manager,” he said. “I am here for seven-and-a-half years, it’s not that I watch them and hope they win!
“But I am really happy for Rashford, he had a really difficult last year, where he was not performing at the level he is able to perform. And I knew this would change again and now he is playing incredible.
“His speed, technique, mix of everything. How calm he is in front of goal, he scores worldies, he scores the simple ones, he’s there, he puts his head in.
“We played before against world class offensive players and if you try to do that in a one v one situation, you will end up on the wrong end of it. We have to defend that collectively but he is not the only decisive player.”
Meanwhile, Klopp also pointed out that United’s form and superior season so far means nothing ahead of their trip to Anfield as Liverpool look to close the gap on the top four.
“I am always looking forward to this game,” he said. “It is THE game. United are quite a big club as well. Always when we face them, it’s massive.
“In the last three years we did quite well but we know so far they are playing much better season than us but that means nothing. We all experienced when we played better seasons than Man Utd, it doesn’t mean you win the game.
“It just means you have more points, but that is not relevant for this game. When we lost to them earlier in the season, the first game, nobody was interested at all how we played against them last year. That’s how it is.
“Yes, they play a better season than us so far. But thank god, that means absolutely nothing for the game on Sunday!”
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