It is one month on Sunday since Jürgen Klopp was appointed Liverpool manager but he has found no time to reflect on an unbeaten, unrelenting introduction to English football. “We are in the middle of the race,” he explains. “It is very intensive, seven games in four weeks. It feels longer than four weeks.” Comprehending how referees interpret the laws of the game, Klopp admits, has been a key part of his crash-course introduction to the Premier League.
José Mourinho was driven to distraction by Klopp’s animated discussions with the fourth official, Lee Mason, during Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Chelsea last Saturday. The Chelsea manager claimed he would have been sent off for approaching Mason in a confrontational manner. Klopp insists his demeanour belied the fact he spoke to the fourth official with respect. “Most of the time I speak in this way but sometimes my face doesn’t show it,” he said. “There’s a big difference between my face and what I say.”
Klopp has also discovered a big difference between Premier League and Bundesliga referees since accepting Liverpool’s offer to replace Brendan Rodgers a month ago. His performance at Stamford Bridge, the 48-year-old explains, was merely a response to Mark Clattenburg’s display and part of a process that will continue when Crystal Palace arrive at Anfield on Sunday.
“I try to be calm but that’s not always my best skill,” said Klopp, whose team arrived back from the Europa League trip to Rubin Kazan only at 3am on Friday. “With the fourth official I only ask because I don’t understand some decisions. He has a similar view that I have, so I asked him – how do you see this situation? I try to learn everything about English football and it’s important for us to know how English referees react in situations because it was really different in the last weeks.
“Of course, they are individuals but there was one situation on the sideline at Chelsea, very dynamic, where there was no foul but in my opinion they have to say to the player: ‘Please, if you hit the leg it is broken so wait, be calm and be cool in this situation’. I asked the fourth official if that was not a situation where you could talk with the player. He said: ‘No. If he hit him then we can talk with him.’ No, no. If he had hit him then we would have been talking about a very different thing.”
Klopp believes the leniency of officials has helped create “a myth” that English football is physically more intensive than in Germany. Long-term, the Liverpool manager sees domination of the ball as the way to avoid any controversy or confusion with the men in charge. He explains: “If you look at the fair play tables in Germany when I was a coach there my team was always in the top three. I don’t want to have fouls, especially not silly fouls in the wrong areas. You should try to keep the ball always – that is what I want. But it’s important for me to understand all this and that is what I am trying to do at the moment.”
Referees aside, the former Borussia Dortmund coach has adapted swiftly at Anfield and momentum is starting to build with three wins following his initial three draws as manager. Liverpool’s possession game and clinical touch in front of goal remain works in progress but they are becoming more obstinate opponents under the new coach, the defensive flaws that hindered Rodgers throughout being an immediate priority for Klopp. “We’ve had meetings and good training sessions,” is Klopp’s explanation for the encouraging start. “But Brendan did a good job here so it is not as if we have to show the players how football works.”
Daniel Sturridge has yet to feature under the new Liverpool manager and will again be absent with a knee problem against Palace, although Philippe Coutinho and James Milner, who have carried slight knocks this week, should be fit.
On Sturridge, Klopp said: “It hasn’t been as quick as we thought but we will not put pressure on this. All we can say at the moment is he is back training outside but has been out for four weeks so he needs time to get back in shape. Then we can talk about when he is ready to play.”
