Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Liverpool’s Klopp wary of Claude Puel’s ‘fine-tuned’ Leicester
CLAUDE PUEL has made Leicester City more efficient while still retaining their identity as a ruthless counter-attacking team, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said of his Foxes counterpart ahead of today’s Premier League clash at Anfield.
Frenchman Puel
has led Leicester to five wins and three draws in 11 games since taking charge in October, adding possession play and crisp passing to Leicester’s counter-punching DNA.
Klopp is well aware of Leicester’s progress and pointed to striker Jamie Vardy’s brilliant goal in last week’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United as an example of the fluid interplay between their attackers.
“We didn’t make the analysis so far but I saw the Manchester United game – they really play football now. They are still a wonderful counter- attacking team,” Klopp said.
“The first goal they scored against United was, ‘wow’, a fantastic pass from (Demarai) Gray and (Riyad) Mahrez was in behind waiting for Vardy. It looks quite easy.
“They are fine-tuned and a good football-playing side. That may be the biggest change since Claude Puel was in.”
Liverpool are fourth in the league and looking to reduce a four-point gap between themselves and third-placed Chelsea but Klopp is expecting a difficult game against eighthplaced Leicester.
“It will be a tough challenge again. This period in the year is really tough for all of us and you need to be ready. I like that, actually.”
Meanwhile Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has questioned his counterpart Klopp over Liverpool’s decision to sign defender Virgil van Dijk on a record fee by reminding him he was once critical of Paul Pogba’s world record move to Old Trafford.
Dutchman Van Dijk is expected to join Liverpool from Southampton as the world’s most expensive defender with British media reporting the deal to be worth £75 million.
Klopp had spoken about United’s transfer spending and their world record signing of Pogba for £89.3 million in 2016, saying he would “do it differently” if he had the same resources at his disposal at Anfield.
“You know, I think the one that speaks about it in a specific way has to be Juergen, and if I was one of you I would ask him about his comments about one year ago,” Mourinho told a news conference yesterday.
“The reality is that if they think that the player is the right player for them and they really want the player, they pay his amount or they don’t have the player because that is the way the market is at that time.”
Second-placed Manchester United are 15 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City and Mourinho said earlier this week his club will need to make a bigger investment to be able to produce a team that could challenge for the Premier League title.
Bournemouth have no intention of ditching their attacking philosophy as they strive to move out of the relegation places, defender Steve Cook said ahead of today’s Premier League clash against Everton.
Striker Callum Wilson scored in stoppage time as Bournemouth sealed a 3- 3 draw with West Ham on Tuesday to leave them 18th in the table on 17 points from 20 games.
Asked if it was time to switch to a more defensive approach in the second half of the season, Cook replied: “No, because that has brought us success.
“We are in the Premier League and are where we are because of our philosophy and the bravery of how we play. If we were to go away from that, I don’t think we would have a chance.”
Bournemouth have conceded 33 goals this season against the 18 they have netted at the other end but Cook cited league leaders Manchester City as an example of what a team could achieve by sticking to their principles.
City are unbeaten in the league and on a record 18-game winning run after fully imbibing manager Pep Guardiola’s possession-based style in his second season at the club.
“If you look at Manchester City, they are flying high because they are unique, they play football and are very brave.
“They have been unbelievable this season but only because Pep Guardiola, as a manager, has stuck to his beliefs,” Cook added.
“He came under pressure last season and a lot of people said he could not change Manchester City but he has.”