‘NEXT TO DIEGO, I’M KINDERGARTEN KOP’
win trophies. They are the best teams,” he said. “If we want to be known as one of the best teams in the world – or to be competing as one of the best teams in the world – then we have to be in the latter stages. We believe we can do it.
“But just because we have been to two finals, it doesn’t mean we are going to get there this year. This is knock-out football and things can happen. But we understand what it takes. “If we we are not at 100 per cent, we will get punished. We have to be at 100 per cent, otherwise we’re out.” Liverpool’s secret — if there
Saturday, I was planning to fly from Antwerp to Birmingham but, because of the weather, I wasn’t able to. So, I took a car from Antwerp to Brussels, from Brussels a train to London, and from London a car to Birmingham. It was like an
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is one — is their ability to maintain that remarkable intensity. They have done it all season in the Premier League. They did it two seasons running in the Champions League knock-out stages. Alexander-Arnold typifies that, to the extent that Brazilian legend Cafu, widely regarded as the best right-back of his era, believes he will be surpassed by the young Scouser. And for the England star that is a real honour.
“Obviously that is massive praise from a legend of the game, which is something that I’m really thankful for,” he said.
“It’s a team game so it’s about the players I have around me in training, the manager, the support I have around me that enables me to be as good as I can be. That’s the focus, for me it’s about winning the team trophies.” eight-hour trip and I joined the team Saturday evening, and Sunday I played. It was difficult.
“I don’t want to say it was the reason for my performance – maybe it was a little bit of a reason. But I’m very happy with the three points. The team helped me.”
JURGEN KLOPP says he is expecting touchline fireworks from a manager he admits makes his own antics look like “a kindergarten cop”.
The Liverpool manager comes face to face with Diego Simeone for the first time in a competitive encounter, as he takes on Atletico Madrid in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, the scene of his greatest triumph.
The Reds lifted the Champions League trophy here just 262 days ago, but this time Klopp is expecting a very different encounter to the win over Tottenham.
And at the heart of that will be Simeone, who he respects as one of the most accomplished technical organisers in world football, and one of the most passionate managers in the game.
“People say about me I am emotional on the sideline. If I am level four, I would say Diego is level
12,” said Klopp.
“I am really like a kindergarten cop against him.
Striker Heung-min Son (with Alderweireld, left) scored twice in the win at Villa to make it 51 goals in a Spurs shirt. Ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig, he said: “People told me I have 51 goals for Spurs now. It’s unbelievable.”
Really impressive. He has been at Atletico eight years. That is a really long time and still having this emotional level... wow.
“His teams are always world-class in organisation. That makes him one of the best. We have exchanged messages after big games. We meet in a competitive game for the first time. It will be interesting, really interesting.”
And Klopp says he admires the Argentine’s style, even if it makes them horrible to play against: “For me, it is attractive. It is very intense – speed, aggression, a clear plan, and a clear philosophy. I am from Germany, I admire things like that.
“If there is a team where you have to be at your absolute best, it is Atletico because there are no presents. If you work as hard as possible, you have a chance. If you don’t, you have no chance. You will not have a shot on target against them.”