KLOPP: COOL IT
Kop boss releases pressure
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JURGEN KLOPP has ordered his men to keep calm in today’s Merseyside derby.
The Liverpool boss insists there is no added pressure on the clash against Everton, despite just six points separating the two sides.
A win for the Toffees would fire them into the top-four race and severely dent the Reds’ Champions League hopes.
But Klopp feels today’s Anfield game is more about the chance of extending their lead over the Blues rather than a fear of failure.
He said: “It is opportunity, not pressure. It is a big opportunity ® and we all know how important it is for everybody.
“The pressure is always there and we are under pressure because of different things but that is a normal part of life.
“I really see it as an opportunity and for me it is the right way. We need to be really aggressive but positive aggressive.
“We don’t want to make crazy tackles or whatever but we’re ready to hurt ourselves. That is how I understand it.
“I don’t remember one game that wasn’t important this season. The hype around a derby is 100 per cent right and OK. The real importance of football is not that big but we create the importance ourselves.
“Here in this city, this is the game. It is not over-hyped but at the end that is how it always is around players and managers.
“They have to use the emotion and control it.
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“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It is still a football game with a bigger value in our mind here.”
Klopp has joined his opposite number Ronald Koeman and rival Jose Mourinho in condemning international friendlies after he had just one full day to prepare for today’s 228th derby clash. He also has a long line of injuries after confirming Daniel Sturridge (hip) and Jordan Henderson (foot) will not feature.
Plus, the German will be without Adam Lallana, who is missing for four weeks after picking up a thigh injury in England’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.
Klopp added: “We cannot replace him but we can find a solution, he is a special player for us but we have a solution.
“We could change the system but we didn’t train it and they played all different systems when away with their national teams.
“It would not make a lot of sense but it is still possible.”