Liverpool vs. Tottenham: Jurgen Klopp's Key Pre-Match Press Conference Quotes
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp feels as though his team’s opponents on Saturday evening, Tottenham Hotspur, must seize their chance to become Premier League champions.
Spurs can cut the gap to two points to Leicester City should they win at Anfield, with the Foxes not in action until Sunday afternoon against Southampton. And speaking to the assembled media ahead of this one, Klopp said it’s the kind of race he is hoping his team can get involved in in years to come, per Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror:
"I don’t want to make pressure on Tottenham but this is a pretty good year to become champion.
We will see who handles the pressure better. It’s only a few games, but each point and each game is much more important now.
It’s a big pressure, positive pressure. They are in the race and always fight to the last minute.
And if Arsenal have enough points in the end then they will deserve it as well.
No one can think of the end before the final whistle.
Hopefully in future we can be a part of it.
"
The manager also opened up on the kind of game he is expecting at Anfield on Saturday, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:
Klopp is seeking to instil a similar philosophy at Liverpool to the one that has yielded so much prosperity at White Hart Lane.
Like the German, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino demands that his players are hard-working, organised and hungry for success. He’s a manager who has essentially gutted a club that was filled with underachieving players from a previous regime and has reshaped the entire ethos of the team. The Liverpool manager faces a similar challenge.
Klopp’s first game in charge of the football club was against Spurs last year, and he opened up on what he feels has changed since then.
“Its a massive difference. I know much more about everything,” said the former Borussia Dortmund man, per Richards. “It’s good to be honest. The game was very exciting for us, first game in Premier League. Nobody felt really satisfied with the result. But now everyone knows how strong Tottenham is.”
He was also happy to realise than the upcoming clash against his former club in the UEFA Europa League would be a landmark occasion:
While Liverpool have made strides under the vibrant boss, there are still some clear signs of frailties that surface. The Reds tossed away a two-goal lead against Southampton in their last outing, with some major defensive problems setting back some brilliant attacking play in the first period.
With the international break coming immediately after the heartbreaking 3-2 defeat, Klopp feels as though his players will have moved on from the south coast surrender:
Klopp was also quizzed on the player who has surprised him the most since he’s been at the club and had an answer few would have anticipated—Adam Lallana.
“I always knew how strong he is,” said the manager of his midfielder, per Richards. “I knew more about him when he played for Southampton, wrote there a very nice story. And I’m really happy a few more people recognise what a player there is.”
Lallana’s role in the team could have added importance at the weekend, with Klopp revealing that Roberto Firmino is touch-and-go for the visit of the Londoners:
Liverpool may be a little off the pace in the chase for European positions this season, but the manager will be keeping a close eye on performance levels. In the summer, some significant shifts in personnel are expected at Anfield, and that should be enough to keep standards high in league matches for the rest of the season.
A big boost in the title race is there for the taking for Tottenham, and there’s no doubt they’ll be up for the fight. The Reds will need to be at full tilt if they’re to prosper in this one and have a chance to show their manager just how far they’ve come since he first set foot into the Liverpool dugout.
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