Liverpool's Jürgen Klopp praises José Mourinho's Tottenham revival
José Mourinho has turned Tottenham into “a proper package” by adapting to the players around him and not by altering his managerial style, according to Jürgen Klopp, who believes his rival’s only reinvention is on Instagram.
Wednesday marks the second anniversary of Mourinho’s final game in charge of Manchester United, a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool that signalled the end of a turbulent two-and-a-half-year reign and accusations the game had moved on without him.
He returns to Anfield with Spurs thriving in the Premier League, and Klopp attributes Mourinho’s recovery to time and experience rather than any drastic change from the two-time Champions League-winning coach.
The Liverpool manager said: “I don’t think you can compare the last game with Man United with the way they are playing now. That is obviously, from a confidence level, completely different for both teams. José Mourinho has been successful for a very long time in the football business and he has played pretty much all different systems and different styles.
“As a coach you have to adapt to the quality you have and the idea you have and that is one of the best skills of José Mourinho. In the end it is all about getting the results and that is the best skill of José because in the decisive moments he is not bothered about style, it is just about the result and that makes him the most successful manager around at the moment.
“I respect him a lot. Has he reinvented himself? I don’t know. It looks alittle bit like thatwhen you see him on Instagram, or at least that part of him, but I think he is just so experienced and smart that he knows what he has to do. He asked at the beginning for time and I think that has paid off.”
Klopp, who has not discounted Joël Matip from his plans despite the defender’s back spasm at Fulham on Sunday, claimed Liverpool must nullify the best counterattacking team in the league to take top spot.
“Tottenham has the quality of the top teams 100% and when they have the ball they show that,” he said. “They also defend like a top team and have, at the moment, the best counterattacking movements out there. They only need two or three passes to be on one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
“It is not that they just play a little bit of football and are not bothered about defending, they are a proper package at the moment, but that doesn’t cost me confidence when I think about my team.”