Soccer

Klopp wants Liverpool to ignore ‘noise’ and focus on beating Manchester United

Despite no win for United at Anfield since 2016 and 7-0 drubbing last season, Liverpool boss wary of great rivals

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will renew hostilities between the clubs this Sunday at Anfield. Photograph: PA
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will renew hostilities between the clubs this Sunday at Anfield. Photograph: PA
Andy Hunter
Fri Dec 15 2023 - 14:27

Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool must ignore “the noise” around Manchester United and treat Sunday’s contest against their great rivals like a cup final.

The Liverpool manager is uncomfortable with the negativity surrounding Erik ten Hag’s side before they visit Anfield and the expectation his Premier League leaders will deepen United’s latest crisis. Liverpool recorded the biggest victory in 211 meetings between the clubs in the corresponding fixture last season, their 7-0 triumph equalling the heaviest defeat in United’s history, and have won all 11 games at home this season.

United have not won at Anfield since January 2016 and suffered their 12th defeat in 24 matches this season when exiting the Champions League against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Klopp, however, insists United cannot be written off before a ball has been kicked.

“I do not like all this talk around it,” said the Liverpool manager. “The more bad things people say about them, the stronger they will show up. That is always the case. I don’t like that.

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“I don’t know about the situation there. I am interested in our situation. It is a home game and we have to show up. We are in our own stadium, we have to create an atmosphere and go for them and not think about anything else. I will make sure from our point of view that we will be 100 per cent focused on the right stuff, but we are human beings and there is a noise around. When even I am aware of the noise that means that there is obviously something going on. For us, it is an important game.”

Liverpool host United and Arsenal in seven days, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham in between and Klopp admits a potentially defining period in the season will test his squad physically and mentally.

He added: “It is a home game. It is for the people. We know what it means. We care a lot. But we cannot go nuts before the game already. We have to start the game properly. There is space to improve our football. One of our best games was against Aston Villa and they are obviously flying through the league. They had a problem against us, at least.

“A few players had rest, a few players had rhythm with a few minutes [against Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday] and it is really the best outcome with the games coming up. Wednesday, Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday — crazy. I’m not sure what the other schedules are but that is the worst you can get and that is why we made the changes [in the Europa League]. From now on they are all finals. That is how it is. December is always about getting through. I don’t know anyone who plays their five best games in December. Get through it and get results, then put your head up and go from there.” — Guardian