FEEL THE PASSION

‘Klopp’s a very special coach. He’s open with the players and helps us all believe in ourselves‘

ROBERTO FIRMINO EXCLUSIVE

And you could hardly find two more polar opposites right now than the two managers going head-to-head at Anfield today.

United boss Jose Mourinho (right) has cut a grumpy and miserable figure as the Red Devils have lost four and drawn five of their opening 16 matches in the Premier League.

Klopp, meanwhile, has been laughing all the way to the top – and his side can leapfrog title rivals Manchester City, 3-1 winners over Everton yesterday, back to the summit with a win over United today.

It’s not hard to imagine that working at the western end of the M62 might be rather more fun than playing at Old Trafford these days.

Although striker Firmino is too diplomatic to put it that bluntly – he knows he’s on to a good thing under Klopp.

The Brazilian said: “He’s a good coach who knows how to get the most out of us all. But he is also very demanding and that makes the team even more competitive.

“Of Mourinho, I can only say that he is a top-class coach who’s had success all over the world. I have never worked with him, so I can’t say more. Personally, I like coaches who are close to their players and who talk to them, but who also demand everything from you and help correct your mistakes. So, Klopp is a great coach for me.” Klopp’s celebrations against Everton – racing onto the field to jump on keeper Alisson – will live long in Liverpool folklore, even if some people felt it was disrespectful. Firmino believes it simply showed why his boss is so special. The Reds star said: “I wasn’t surprised about it because it was a very important match for us for several reasons. “It was a derby game, which means so much, and we also had to win to make sure Manchester