Jurgen Klopp warns Liverpool ahead of Man Utd showdown: 7-0 was a freak result
Jurgen Klopp insists Manchester United’s critics are wrong to write them off ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Liverpool at Anfield.
Erik ten Hag’s side have endured a wretched week — beaten 3-0 at home in the league by Bournemouth before crashing out of Europe after losing to Bayern Munich.
Premier League leaders Liverpool, who are 10 points clear of United, inflicted a humiliating 7-0 thrashing when the arch rivals last met on Merseyside in March, but Klopp believes that “freak” result won’t help the hosts this weekend.
GO DEEPER
'This was history' - how Liverpool put seven goals past Manchester United
“I never like when the headlines are about United not being great before we play because it’s like, ‘Okay, then this is the game where they can put everything right’,” Klopp said.
Advertisement
“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. I saw they were the team in form so how can it be all wrong? I just don’t understand it.
“We knew that day that the 7-0 was a freak result that happens once in a lifetime. If it helps anybody for the next game then it is the team who lost 7-0, not the team who won 7-0.
“Take all that out of consideration and just play a football game against the historical rival of Liverpool at Anfield — that itself must make it a special game. Really understand the situation and give your all — that’s all I need.”
Sunday marks the start of a crunch period for Liverpool with Wednesday’s home Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham followed by next Saturday’s clash with title rivals Arsenal at Anfield.
“We will need Anfield definitely because it is really tough and they are all big games,” Klopp added.
“This group have never had a December together and December in English football is the toughest month ever. Now we have to show how much we have adapted.
“When you are top of the table in early December people start thinking about different things but we don’t. I’m too long in the business for it to mean anything to me.
“It’s better than being 18th or 20th but it’s still just a position for the moment and we have to keep working extremely hard and that’s so difficult when you don’t have real time for recovery.”
GO DEEPER
Anfield has become Man Utd's graveyard - and it may be about to get worse
(Photo: Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57lGpraWhmZ3xzfJFsZmpqX2aCcLjIr5yrqJ%2BkuW65wKdkrqyUYritu8%2BpZKmqlau2psOO