KLOPP HAPPY TO BE HUGGY
JURGEN KLOPP has told his Liverpool stars to keep giving him their blood, sweat and tears — and he’ll keep giving them the big love. The Reds boss sought out every single one of his players for a huge man hug on Friday night as they celebrated their impressive 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Dejan Lovren’s opener and Jordan Henderson’s superb long-range effort – before Diego Costa pulled one back for the Blues after the break – proved enough for a Liverpool victory. Klopp was so pleased that he forgot to shake hands with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte as he bounded on to the pitch to congratulate his men.
And the beaming German said: “It’s not too important if people enjoy seeing me hug my players. I enjoy it more.
“I’m really demanding, to be honest, and I really want a lot of them.
“So when I see them, when you can really see how they fight, with the last drop of fuel in their machine, you go there and the hugging is the most easy thing to do.
“That’s what makes it, for them, more enjoyable.
“Now, having something like this in the dressing room and seeing them there all smiling but…”
Klopp paused, made a show of panting heavily, and went on: “…that’s really nice.
“We had a few wonderful performances individually and that all led together to a really nice performance of the team – so for the moment it’s good.”
It was good, at times very good, and when Henderson wrapped his boot around a sumptuous 30-yard finish in to the top corner which gave Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois no chance, it was jaw-droppingly good.
Klopp added: “Jordan did well. It was real nice, really nice, a wonderful shot.” What impressed the German most, however, was the team performance.
He said: “Playing as a collective is the only way to win at Chelsea.
“So we had again a very good attitude for the game, not only working-wise but mental-wise.
“They could see we are really in it. Until 37, 38 minutes, it was really good. After that, less good.
“But the second half we were in a nice position.”
The result means that Klopp’s men, who have 10 points from five games so far, have taken seven points from three trips to London already this season after the win at Arsenal, the draw with Tottenham and this result at Chelsea.
He added: “I could still say I am not happy with the one point at Tottenham, but how would it sound?
“We played spectacular football against Arsenal, we were really well-organised against Tottenham, and against Chelsea was a kind of mixture of these two games.
“It was good. We feel on a good way, but we have to prove it.
“We have to prove it every day, and that’s our job.”