Worried Klopp fears backlash from fallen giant stung by torrent of ridicule
Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, believes Manchester United will be whipped into a fury by the air of ridicule surrounding the build-up to tomorrow’s Premier League meeting between the clubs.
Klopp said if his players were ever subjected to the criticism directed at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team, he would be exploiting it as a powerful motivation tool.
“In general, the mood that these things create? Yes, I would use it,” said Klopp, as he anticipated a backlash at Old Trafford.
The Liverpool manager was particularly scathing of those who picked a combined XI from both sides and included no United players.
“A joke,” Klopp said. “The world is a circus and we are at the centre of it. I saw all these things and it looks like they want to help Man United.
“All these articles look like they have been written by Man United supporters.
“So, yes, that’s it and we’ll live with it. In the dressing room, that’s the one advantage they have at the moment. And playing at home.
“They [the pundits] are trying to make it as we are the team and they are nobody.
“That is the situation that everyone creates – that we are so good and they have so many problems, they cannot play football any more, we are flying, all this stuff gets built up in a week when there have been no other games.
“It is like we just have to go there and not respect them on the level they deserve.”
Klopp described the impact of Liverpool being favourites as “building a banana skin”.
“They are all on their toes, ready, they wait for us. They said it already, they said that we are the perfect opponent now,” Klopp said.
“I don’t think there are a lot of teams who would love to play us at the moment.
“It looks like Man United are the only ones who want us. We have to make sure that is a misunderstanding.
“But it’s normal. I would do exactly the same if the situation was the other way round. This is the game that can change the world. That’s exactly how I would prepare it, so why shouldn’t Ole do that?”
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Joel Matip has been rewarded with a new five-year contract.
Matip joined Liverpool on a Bosman transfer in the summer of 2016 and was entering the final year of his existing deal, but the club have renewed his terms in recognition of his influence on Klopp’s Anfield revival.
The former Cameroon international was one of Klopp’s first signings, making the switch from Schalke.