Liverpool must cause 'problems' for Man Utd, says Klopp

The Reds, currently two points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table after beating Sheffield United on Thursday, lost a thrilling quarter-final at the home of their fierce rivals 4-3 in the final moments of extra time. Klopp has won just twice and drawn four in 10 visits to the home of United, who are sixth in the table after a dispiriting 4-3 defeat at Chelsea.

United's victory in the FA Cup quarter-final in March ended Liverpool's bid for a trophy quadruple - the only defeat for Klopp's side in their past 12 matches. "We were really good that day but we didn't finish the situations off," said the Liverpool manager. "Extra time was too much for us.... United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do what we did from minute 15 to 70-something."

The German added: "Football is not that easy so we have to find a way to cause United problems. They (United) will try exactly the same. "Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good football game to be honest if we want something from it."

Klopp was asked whether Liverpool needed to be perfect in their final eight Premier League games, with defending champions City just a point behind Arsenal in a three-way title race. "Most of the time it is a tight race and it looks like a tight race," he said. "If it's a tight race then the best place you can be is in it and we are in it so that's cool, that's good.

"Let's keep fighting. Obviously the next one is a big one like they all are... it's a tough one, good opponents, but we are ready and we want to be in that fight." Last month's game was marred by incidents of offensive chanting about the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, resulting in arrests, and additional work has been done by both clubs on the subject in the intervening weeks.

"I think it is super-important. I don't hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great," said Klopp, who is in his final season at Anfield. "But in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things - respect, understanding, all these kinds of things. "I just see it that way - two of the biggest football clubs in the world. Let's just show a bit of class in these moments."

 

April 5, 2024