Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has stated that he is pleased about the end result of his side’s game with Manchester United despite the dropped points.
Anfield was the host of a game that was expected to be a repeat of last season’s drubbing of Manchester United. That game, which was also at Anfield, saw United lose embarrassingly by seven goals to none. It was their biggest loss in history.
The Red Widely publicised struggles and Liverpool’s current title charge made it easy for many to predict another drubbing last Sunday. The outcome was very different from the expectation and it felt like a win for Man United, who had struggled so much before the game.
Liverpool, meanwhile, dropped two vital points that would have seen them hold on to the top of the Premier League table. They are now second behind Arsenal, who they face in next weekend’s action.
The missed opportunity did not impress Klopp, obviously, but the German, who is currently in his ninth year at the club, stated that he enjoyed many aspects of his team’s performance that afternoon. He believes that United’s desperate defence is what made the difference in the game and not his side’s football.
“Let me say, besides the result, I have a lot of positives about this game,” Klopp begaan. “You could say the decisive part, the scoring part, obviously was not there today. Maybe one or two were a bit unlucky and in other moments not calm enough, a bit too much in a rush.
“But the start in the game was the best we had this season, the counter-pressing was the best we had this season, the intensity was outstanding and the amount of finishes is outstanding.”
Then he added: “The way United defended was with a lot of passion. The way we played disorganised them quite frequently but, in the end, we didn’t see that because then they were deep in the box and then they just throw themselves into the balls and the shots.”
Klopp also commented on the title race in which he is now second behind Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, who he battles next Saturday.
“I couldn’t really be interested, to be honest. I am happy we are in the area where we are and I don’t know why we open that discussion, this bottle, this early,” he said.
*It’s December, it’s the toughest period of the year. Everybody has to get through it somehow, everybody has to dig really deep to get through it.
“So, get through this and open your eyes again in April and have a look where you are and then I am more than happy to discuss that, absolutely.”
