Liverpool have suffered just one loss to Manchester United at Anfield in nine matches under Jurgen Klopp, but the German is wary about facing the misfiring Reds on Sunday.
The Liverpool manager doesn’t believe United’s form or current struggles will be of relevance ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Erik ten Hag’s side were embarrassed 7-0 at Anfield in March and none of us want a repeat of that. We also realise we are facing a team positioned at the top of the table, while we sit sixth and out of Europe until next season at the earliest.
United go into the game with plenty of injury problems and the pressure is beginning to mount on Ten Hag, although Klopp is still wary of the threat we can pose on the day.
“I never like when the headlines about United are not great before we play because it’s like ‘OK, then it is the game where they can put everything right’,” RTÉKlopp said, as per .
“The more bad things people say about them, the stronger they will show up. That is always the case. I don’t like that.
“I don’t follow United closely enough to know exactly what the problem is there but I saw Erik ten Hag was manager of the month last month and saw they were the team in form in the last month so how can it be all wrong? I just don’t understand it.
“The situation with Man United – and don’t get me wrong – it’s just not important for us as we just prepare for our team.
“I try to understand the situation of the opponent before a game, I really do, because I think it is important to know why they are motivated and want to put things right and sometimes I tell the players [his opinions] and sometimes I don’t tell the players.”
Klopp added that they are not motivated by inflicting more pain on United, saying: “No. I have to think if I ever did that… I would probably say no. There is one thing we go for and that’s three points on a match day,” he added.
“If something helps for motivation? If it would be round about four matchdays before the end of the season and with that we could make the last step I would probably mention it but in this situation that’s just not important.
“The 7-0 we knew that day it was a freak result that happens once in a lifetime. If it helps anyone for the next game it is the team who lost 7-0 and not the team who won 7-0.
“If you take it all out of consideration and just play a football game against the historical rival of Liverpool at home at Anfield that itself must make it a special game and that’s what I want to see from us, a special game.
“It is a home game. It is for the people. We know what it means. No-one would expect us not to care. We care a lot (but) we cannot go nuts before the game already.”
Hopefully the next time we hear from Klopp he’s fuming over the result not going their way.
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