Jurgen impressed by rival’s ‘result machine’

LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp believes counterpart Jose Mourinho has turned Tottenham into a ‘result machine’ ahead of tonight’s top-of-thetable clash at Anfield.

Two years to the day since Liverpool’s defeat of Manchester United at the ground prompted their sacking of the two-time Champions League-winning manager, the Portuguese will again be on the touchline.

He arrives with a team in much better shape than 2018, however, with Spurs heading into this midweek round of fixtures in top spot on goal difference from the defending champions.

Klopp said you could never write off Mourinho, even if many did after the way his tenure at Old Trafford ended.

‘I am not surprised because that is the world we are living in,’ said the German. ‘You are very successful until yesterday probably and if you don’t prove it today then people go for you. That’s how it is.

‘I don’t think he was surprised but he showed comeback – if it was a comeback, I don’t know – skills. Very impressive. Very impressive what he did now at Tottenham. The way they play is really good. He turned them into a result machine.

‘They got results and good performances, and if they’re not on their top form they still win and they defend collectively.’

Mourinho dismissed Liverpool’s current injury crisis as nothing out of the ordinary despite them having nine players currently sidelined, with four of those – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota all out for at least two months – considered first-choice.

Centre-back Joel Matip remains a doubt as he is still troubled by the back spasm which forced him off at Craven Cottage and Naby Keita is again struggling with one of his niggles which has hampered his career at Anfield since arriving in the summer of 2018.

‘Naby has no rhythm, that’s the truth, but because of different things since we started the season again and that obviously doesn’t help performancewise,’ said Klopp (left) of his midfielder.

‘So now we had to make a little step back again with him. Nobody is in doubt about Naby’s qualities. But when you are injured, you need to be a little bit lucky that you don’t get kind of a reinjury because of the intensity.

‘He didn’t have that luck, so we try to be as careful as we can.’

They got results and good performances, and if they’re not on top form they still win