KLOPP’S RED PAYS OFF
<M<IP B@:B# <M<IP >F8C# <M<IP >8D<# Matip reveals Jurgen rap
TOMORROW Fleetwood. AFC Wimbledon v Luton, Bristol Rovers v West Ham U21, Doncaster v Scunthorpe (7.30), Forest Green v Swansea U21, Mansfield v Everton U21, Swindon v Wycombe.
WEDNESDAY Checkatrade Trophy group games: FRIDAY Blackburn v Hyde v MK Dons (7.55pm), Notts County v Bristol Rovers, Port Vale v Oxford Utd. (3pm unless stated) SATURDAY Eastleigh v Chester.
AFC Fylde v Kidderminster, AFC Wimbledon v Lincoln City, Blackburn v Barnet, Boreham Wood v Blackpool, Bradford v Chesterfield, Carlisle v Oldham, Cheltenham v Maidstone, Colchester v Oxford City, Crewe v Rotherham, Ebbsfleet v Doncaster, Forest Green v Macclesfield, Gainsborough v Slough, Gateshead v Chelmsford, Gillingham v Leyton Orient, Hereford v AFC Telford, Luton v Portsmouth, Morecambe v Hartlepool, Newport v Walsall (5.15pm), Northampton v Scunthorpe, Peterborough v Tranmere, Plymouth v Grimsby, Rochdale v Bromley, Shaw Lane v Mansfield (12.30pm), Shrewsbury v Aldershot, Stevenage v Nantwich, Wigan v Crawley, Yeovil v Southend.
Cambridge Utd v Sutton, Charlton v Truro, Coventry v Maidenhead, Dartford v Swindon, Exeter v Heybridge, Guiseley v Accrington, Leatherhead v Billericay, Solihull Moors v Wycombe, Woking v Bury (all 2pm). MONDAY, NOV 6
Chorley v Fleetwood (7.45pm).
JOEL MATIP admitted Jurgen Klopp delivered a tongue-lashing last week.
But he believes this win proves that Liverpool are back on course.
The Anfield boss was raging after his side’s feeble 4-1 hammering by Tottenham but they were back to winning ways in an ugly but effective win over David Wagner’s Huddersfield.
Goals from Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum secured the three points but it was not as easy as the scoreline suggests.
Matip, 26, was not bothered by that, though, and revealed Klopp got stuck in after the Spurs defeat.
He said: “Especially the last game, against Tottenham, me and the rest of the team made mistakes and we got criticised. This is what it means to belong to a big club, to be a professional footballer. “We speak after the game, we know we did it wrong, and he didn’t hold back, he said it directly. “He said it was not good enough. He spoke very honestly about the things that have to change, very directly, but after this he said we carry on and prepare for the next game.
Enjoy
“You have to speak about these things directly, honestly, and that is what he did. “You cannot dwell on it, you have to speak about this then you must move on and improve.
“We are young, really young, we are staying together, and we will improve.
“The players in this team, we are looking forward to what we can become, how we can develop, and we enjoy being part of this team.”
The first half on Saturday was about as boring as it gets, although Jonas Lossl’s penalty save from Mohamed Salah following a foul on Firmino was a brief highlight.
After the break, Liverpool finally found a forward gear as Sturridge clipped over Lossl following a bad mistake from Tommy Smith to open the scoring after 50 minutes.
Firmino then nodded home a James Milner corner to put the game to bed before Wijnaldum smashed into the roof of the net as Liverpool added late gloss to the scoreline.
Matip believes Liverpool came flying out of the blocks in the second half due to another bout of straighttalking by Klopp. The defender added: “He said some tactical things. The defence in the first half, we did not give any opportunities, it was good and strong but our offence was maybe much better in the second half. We did it better, we talk about it.”
Huddersfield defender Mathias Zanka believes his side performed adequately until the first goal but accepted they cannot make sloppy mistakes in the Premier League.
He said: “It feels bitter now because we worked hard without coming away with anything, but you can’t take anything away from Liverpool.
“The first half was going exactly the way we wanted it too. We then started the second half and thought we would carry on going that way.
“We made an individual mistake that unfortunately led to the goal, which makes it very difficult to play at a place like Anfield.
“We are the new boys in the class, we can learn from Liverpool and learn from defeats because they sting more.”