Jurgen Klopp Comments on Jose Mourinho Ahead of Liverpool vs. Manchester United

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho ahead of the Premier League clash between the two sides on Monday, suggesting criticism of the Red Devils’ start to the season is “bulls--t.”

The Reds lead United in the table by three points after racing out of the blocks under Klopp and can go top of the table with a three-goal win at Anfield over their great rivals. The Red Devils haven’t been as slick as Liverpool so far, although Klopp doesn’t think Mourinho warrants criticism as a result, per Gill Clark of Goal.

“It’s bulls--t. No, but rubbish. Who says this? He has started badly at United?” Klopp said. “They won their first [three] games. So now you are giving B grades for winning? I try to play similar football to now with my former team and when we faced Real Madrid it was unbelievably difficult to play them.”

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Matches involving Liverpool and United have always been hugely significant due to the success of the two sides and the bitter rivalry that exists between them. However, the presence of big personalities like Klopp and Mourinho has added even more spice to this one.

Per Tony Barrett of Joe.co.uk, the buildup to this particular match seems to have been going on for a long time:

Liverpool are the favourites heading into the game, and perhaps the stellar performances of the Reds under Klopp have heaped more pressure on Mourinho.

The Merseyside club are now more than a year into Klopp’s tenure, and the side has evolved tremendously under his watch. It’s taken time and patience to instil, although few teams have been able to live with the intensity and aggression Liverpool have added to their game with the German in charge.

Mourinho’s United masterplan is still in an embryonic stage, and as these numbers from Sky Sports News HQ show, it’s very difficult to install a blueprint that is immediately successful, even in Klopp’s case:

Given the signings of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, perhaps it’s fair to suggest there should have been some more attacking fluidity from Mourinho’s United early on in his tenure; so far there have only been flashes of brilliant attacking play. But Klopp doesn’t think the former Chelsea man is past his best yet.

“I am of course not interested and absolutely not part of the group that says [Mourinho] was or has been a good manager,” he said. “He is a competitor. Without knowing him well, I know he will want to win this game.”

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What the Red Devils boss has fashioned a reputation for down the years is winning trophies and winning big games. Matches like these, against a rival, in front of a white-hot atmosphere and with the pressure on, have previously been Mourinho’s bread and butter. It’s going to be fascinating to see if he can rise to the challenge again.

History dictates the Portuguese will eventually forge a winning team at Old Trafford and United will enjoy glories under his guidance. That’s not an overnight process, though, nor is it easy to have instant success at a massive club that's undergone a major period of transition. Klopp understands that better than most.